challah

American  

[khah-luh, hah] / ˈxɑ lə, ˈhɑ /

Also challeh,

noun

1. a loaf of rich white bread leavened with yeast and containing eggs, often braided before baking, prepared especially for the Jewish Sabbath.

---

challah British  

/ ˈhɑːlə, xaˈla /

noun

1. bread, usually in the form of a plaited loaf, traditionally eaten by Jews to celebrate the Sabbath

---

Etymology

Origin of challah

From the Hebrew word hallāh

Explanation

Challah is an eggy yeast bread that's traditionally eaten by Jewish people on Shabbat and other holidays. Braided challah is the most common type. Not only is challah a tasty kind of bread, it's also highly significant in Judaism. Having two loaves at a meal symbolizes the manna, or food, that fell from heaven when the Israelites wandered through the desert. A piece of dough set aside before baking represents a tithe, or religious contribution, and salting the challah is an important part of blessing the meal, as salt symbolizes an eternal bond with God.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

challah

Like many Jews, Wagner prepares for Shabbat by going to buy a challah, a braided bread, from a kosher bakery.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

After a little kitchen reset, they’d open the door to spaghetti night, or roast chicken with challah, or a big pot of stew—same night, every week.

From Salon ● Jan. 27, 2026

Instagram’s @ChallahPrince, this year have collaborated on an illustrated recipe for making a challah menorah — a full-circle moment as Rebecca is seen in “The Weinerville Chanukah Special’s” closing montage showing her own environmentally-conscious “Recyclorah.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2025

“With this challah, I want to bless my three sons who are in the army and all the soldiers,” said Ruthie Tick, who had convened the mothers so they could comfort one another.

From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2023

Babulya patted each of the challah loaves softly and said nothing.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack