There are few feelings as universal as ripping into freshly baked bread, warm and fluffy right out of the oven. On the evening of Feb. 23, the two dozen Muslim and Jewish students crowded into the kitchen of Scripps College’s Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Residence Hall savored that pleasure together at the interfaith challah-making event hosted by the 7C Muslim Student Association (MSA) and Nishmat, a student-run Jewish collective.
The organizations started their collaborations last year, including co-hosting an interfaith Iftar, the meal Muslims use to break their fast each evening of Ramadan. This time around, Nishmat invited MSA to join in baking challah, a traditional braided sweet bread typically eaten during Jewish holidays and used in the Shabbat prayers that usher in the weekly day of rest.
Students from both MSA and Nishmat formed pre-made dough into small balls before rolling each one out into a stretchy rope on the dining table. The small kitchen filled with the smell of flour and the sound of laughter and conversation as attendees braided their strands to make mini loaves. Many attendees teamed up to attempt increasingly complex patterns, following YouTube tutorials for four, five and six-strand braids.
“I’ve seen a lot of challah-making videos on TikTok before and I was just interested in actually learning how to do it,” attendee and MSA board member Nawal Hassan SC ’27 said. “This is very relaxing, honestly, just getting together with people, making food. I think food is the way to everyone’s heart.”
It was hard to miss the symbolism of the challah bread itself — the weaving together of individual strands to create something more beautiful than the sum of its parts.
“Many of our MSA members are of Middle Eastern descent and bread making is something very near and dear to us as well,” MSA’s co-President Kumail Afshar PO ’25 said. “The last time I kneaded dough was with my mom over winter break and it was such a familiar feeling. It really made me realize the deep cultural kinship I have with my Jewish brothers and sisters.”
Each bespoke loaf was brushed with an egg wash and optionally topped with chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, or everything-bagel seasoning before joining the others in the oven. Students mingled in the courtyard to watch the sunset.
“Right now, Jewish fear is being weaponized against our Arab peers. It’s really important to not take someone’s view as a monolithic statement and to listen to the needs of individuals.”
Once the first loaves emerged from the oven and the first few stars appeared in the sky, Nishmat’s Noa Polish SC ’26 led a short Shabbat service, blessing the wine and challah.
“There’s so much that we have in common,” Polish said when asked about her motivations for hosting the event. “Of course, we have our own traditions and our own lived experiences … But I think it’s really important for people to get to know other people who are different from them and to find commonalities.”
With Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza now reaching a death toll of over 30,000 with no end in sight, MSA and Nishmat organizers feel a responsibility to build an interfaith community.
“Jewish-Muslim solidarity is very key in these trying times, especially as there are many who seek to sow division between us, especially those in positions of power,” Afshar said. “The genocide in Gaza has led a lot of people to falsely believe this is a Jewish-Muslim conflict, while in reality some of the biggest advocates for Palestinians, on campus as well as nationally, have been Jews. Rather than divide us, this conflict has really strengthened the bond that peace-loving Jews and Muslims have on campus by standing up for the rights to life and liberty of the Palestinian people,” Afshar said.
In addition to mixers and religious events, some of the organizations’ collaborations in the past several months have been more explicitly political.
Last December, Nishmat led a group of over 40 Jewish students in a Shabbat sit-in in solidarity with MSA calling for Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr to make a statement against Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
The students wore shirts and carried signs with the slogan “Not In Our Name,” pushing back against the conflation of opinions between Claremont’s Jewish students and the state of Israel.
“We did Shabbat in Alexander Hall in support of [the demands] the [MSA] made of Gabi Starr,” Polish said. “Now, there are new [demands] and we’re moving forward and always trying to listen. And we can do a better job, always.”
The organizers argued that an event as modest as making and breaking bread together can be an act that strengthens both political and interpersonal support. The key is opening a channel of communication and empathy.
“Right now, Jewish fear is being weaponized against our Arab peers,” Nishmat’s Zoë Jacobs SC ’26 said. “It’s really important to not take someone’s view as a monolithic statement and to listen to the needs of individuals.”
At the end of the evening, each attendee left with a few warm challah loaves and a few new friends.
“Checking in [on your Muslim friends] I think is important, especially right now,” Hassan said. “I know a lot of hijabis on campus who feel very targeted sometimes and it can be nice to just know that your friends are there for you.”
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Nawal Hassan SC ’27 as Noelle Hassan. It has been updated to reflect the correct name. TSL regrets this error.
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