Cholent at Bais Tefilah

This past Shabbat, Parshat Naso, Congregation Bais Tefilah in Woodmere, held its first annual Cholent Contest.

Ten cooks arrived at the shul at 5:30 PM on Friday, May 17th, erev Shabbat to set up their cholents. All ingredients were brought in their sealed packages for Rabbi Shaya Richmond, the shul’s rabbi to inspect, said Stephen Bach, one of the contestants.

Close to one hundred came to participate in the Kiddush. “Each congregant was given one ticket as they entered the room,” explained Bach. “After tasting all ten cholents, they remembered the number coinciding with the one they liked the most and placed their ticket in a box with that number. Tickets were totaled up and the winner was the one with the most tickets.”

Noah Rosenberg won, Shuli Braver came in at second place and Renee Bach took third place.

“There were lots of smiles and, of course, excellent cholent,” noted Bach. “We had cholents ranging from healthy to Hungarian, from simple to spicy. It was a great way to bring the congregation together.”