Reviving a Sephardic Tradition: The Pan de Siete Cielos Challah Bake
The Pan de Siete Cielos, or “Bread of the Seven Heavens,” is a beautiful and symbolic Sephardic tradition, once practiced by Jewish communities in Greece and the Ottoman empire. This special Shabbat bread was baked in honor of Shavuot or and featured seven distinct symbolic shapes—each representing elements of the torah, such as the tablets,Jacob’s ladder, a dove and other symbols.
The Pan de Siete Cielos custom was a spiritual expression and a visual midrash of our connection to Torah, tradition, and Hashem.
The custom sadly died when the communities in Greece were destroyed during WWII. We are excited to be reviving it for the very first time by hosting the world’s first-ever Pan de Siete Cielos Challah Bake! This event brings together community members and teens in South Florida to learn about the tradition, explore its symbolism, and create their own modern versions of this sacred challah.
Our challah bake was in large part an effort to reconnect with our Sephardic roots, honor our lost communities, and keep this beautiful custom alive for future generations one challah braid at a time!
Congratulations to Naomi Hadar on winning first place at our Challah Bake!
Many thanks to Katz Yeshiva High School for allowing us to host our challah bake on their campus.
