Challah for Parashat Bereshit
Adam, the first human, sleeping.
Every week, Julie Seltzer, artist and Torah scribe, bakes a challah depicting an aspect of the week's Torah portion.
And God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and God took one of his sides...(Genesis 2:21)
וַיַּפֵּל יְהוָה אֱלהִים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל-הָאָדָם, וַיִּישָׁן; וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעתָיו
This challah is the first human, Adam. God brings sleep upon Adam, then takes one of its sides (often translated as "rib") to create a woman. The remaining side becomes a man. This sleeping challah is in one piece now, but sliced right down the middle after making the blessing, just like the first human.
Julie Seltzer is a scribe, baker, and artist. She began creating challah art at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Connecticut, where she lived until recently. Julie now resides in the Bay Area, where she is writing a torah scroll at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.
