In the days immediately following October 7, Lindsey Goldberg was traveling for work, distraught and traumatized about the attacks on Israel.
Once she landed back home in Chicago, Goldberg remembers walking behind an Orthodox Jewish family when she decided she needed to do something. "They were so proud of who they were and weren't fazed," the Glencoe mom recalled. "I couldn't be scared."
She immediately texted her close friend Rachel Sotoloff, who Goldberg describes as a "fellow doer." From there, the idea for Doughnate for Israel was born: Challah for a cause. Along with fellow local moms, Goldberg and Sotoloff sell fresh challah dough kits and donate the proceeds to organizations including Bring Them Home, Friends of the IDF, and Magen David Adom.
To jump start the operation, Benjamin Levy - owner of That Little French Guy, a bakery and café in Highland Park - generously donated his beloved challah dough to the grassroots initiative.
"It's a way for the community to feel like they are doing something as a collective whole," Sotoloff said. Dough is sold at pop-up locations on the North Shore and has attracted customers from multiple suburbs as well as the city.
The initiative was built on four core values: raising crucial funds for Israel in a time of crisis; bringing the community together through meaningful action; celebrating Jewish identity and resilience; and passing down traditions to the next generation through challah baking.
"Even non-Jews have purchased challah dough," Goldberg said. "It's become a community thing, not just a Jewish thing. Families who didn't celebrate Shabbat in the past and who have never made challah are now doing so. We were able to create something bigger than ourselves."
Since its launch, Doughnate for Israel has raised more than $45,000. "We are giving families a way to celebrate the Jewish tradition of Shabbat while supporting those in Israel," Sotoloff said. "It's become a way to spread the word about the importance of being proud and Jewish."
To learn more about Doughnate for Israel, visit
doughnateforisrael.com
, and follow
@doughnate_for_israel
on Instagram to learn about the next challah dough pop-up.
