Illustration coming soon

The Chesed Bake Sale

Ages 6-9 | Story and 9 activities

The whole fourth grade wants to help Mrs. Berger.

Mrs. Berger is the school cook. She makes the soup and the noodle kugel and the little cups of applesauce. She's been working in the cafeteria for twenty years, and last week, her husband got sick. The medical bills are piling up.

"What can we do?" asks Chaim at recess.

"We could give her money," says Yehuda.

"We don't have any money," says Leah.

They sit in a circle on the grass. A breeze rustles the leaves. Nobody says anything for a minute.

Then Shira says, "We could have a bake sale."

Everyone looks at her.

"We bake things, and we sell them, and we give all the money to Mrs. Berger. It's chesed and cookies at the same time."

"Yes!" says Leah. "I can make brownies!"

"I can bake challah rolls," says Chaim.

"I can't bake at all," says Yehuda. "I burn everything."

"You could make the signs," says Shira. "You draw really well."

Yehuda grins. "Okay. I'll do the signs."

They tell Morah Rivka, who loves the idea. She sets a date for the following Thursday. She helps them write a note to send home to parents.

For the next week, the class buzzes with plans. Leah practices her brownies. They come out too crispy the first time, so she tries again with less time in the oven. Chaim makes a batch of challah rolls and brings one to class for everyone to taste. They disappear in four minutes.

Yehuda makes a banner with bright orange letters: CHESED BAKE SALE. Come Taste Something Wonderful! He adds a drawing of a smiling cupcake wearing a tiny kippah.

On Thursday morning, the classroom looks like a bakery. There are brownies and rolls and cookies and a lemon cake, a tray of rugelach, and a jar of homemade pickles that Moishy's Bubby has sent.

The school fills up with the smell of butter and cinnamon.

At recess, kids from every grade line up. Yehuda stands at the cash box. Leah and Chaim wrap goodies in napkins. Shira hands out change.

The line grows longer. A first grader buys three cookies with his tzedakah coins. A teacher buys a whole lemon cake. A tall eighth grader says, "Do you have any more of those rolls?"

By the end of recess, the tables are nearly empty. The cash box is heavy. Shira counts the money twice, because she wants to be sure.

"Three hundred and forty-two dollars," she says.

The class gasps. Then they cheer so loudly that the janitor pokes his head in.

They call Mrs. Berger to the classroom. She walks in, wiping her hands on her apron, looking confused.

Yehuda holds up a card, signed by everyone. Leah hands her an envelope with the money inside.

"What's this?" asks Mrs. Berger.

"It's from us," says Chaim. "To help with the bills."

Mrs. Berger opens the envelope. Her hand goes to her mouth. Tears fill her eyes. For a moment, she can't speak.

"You did this?" she finally whispers. "All of you?"

"We all did," says Shira. "We each did a little."

Mrs. Berger hugs them, one by one, the way she'll hug her own grandchildren. When she gets to Yehuda, he says, "I burned the first batch of cookies, so I made signs instead."

Mrs. Berger laughs through her tears. "The signs were perfect."

Next week, in the cafeteria, she gives every child in the fourth grade a double scoop of kugel.