Members of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple's Shabbat minyan can count on a spirited service, an insightful d'var Torah (Torah lesson), constant fellowship, and a friendly kiddush that always includes generous chunks of Ruth Knott's freshly baked challah.

Knott celebrates her 90th birthday with fellow minyanaires on Saturday morning, March 31. She has been baking her traditional, large, braided challah for the minyan – a group she co-founded with Vivian and David Singer – since it launched at the Reform synagogue in Beachwood in 1995.

"I grew up in a small Minnesota town where my mother was a home economics teacher," said Knott, a Cleveland Heights resident. "By the time I was 10, she had taught me how to make warm loaves of bread for our family – a tradition I continue to this day."

Being raised in a non-Jewish home meant Knott, a Jew-by-choice, never made a Shabbat challah. So, when a fellow minyanaire shared her challah recipe, the inventive baker added her own twist.

Although Knott keeps to the original challah recipe, she does not follow it exactly in terms of how much flour to include. "Creating challah dough is a lot about feel, and I intuitively know how much flour to add," she said. "I know the dough is ready when it feels as smooth as a baby's bottom."

Knott also adds a dash of cardamom and cinnamon to her dough. "During my extensive research of the Jewish religion, I learned that Jews lived in communities like India, Spain, Iran and throughout Europe, where spices were an important part of the culture," she said.

Doing research is Knott's forte. She worked as a children's librarian at The Cleveland Public Library for many years, and it was there that she began reading books about Judaism for a research project.

"While I was a student at the University of Minnesota, I joined the Quaker church because my grandfather had been a Quaker, but it was not the right fit for me," she said. "After reading just four books about Judaism, everything fell into place – the teachings were in line with my basic beliefs. It was the only religion I had studied that clicked."

Knott selected Fairmount Temple as a place to pursue her Jewish study and to find community. When she first met with a member of the synagogue's clergy, she could already speak knowledgeably about Judaism.

"The rabbi said my understanding was deep, but I could not pronounce anything correctly," she laughed. It took her several more years of in-depth study before she was convinced that she wanted to spend the rest of her life as a Jew.

"Converting to Judaism was not a fly-by-night decision for me; it had to be permanent," she said. During her conversion process in 1978, she learned to drive so that she would not have to take three buses to attend Fairmount Temple each week.

Knott's study of Judaism continues today. She often prepares the d'var Torah for the Shabbat minyan. And to minyan members, her three-braid challah – she adds a fourth braid for holidays – has become a Saturday morning tradition.

"Ruth's soft, flavorful, finely textured challah is the highlight of our kiddush," said minyan co-founder Vivian Singer. "Sharing her challah connects us all with Ruth and with each other. Ruth's generosity and kind and giving nature are an inspiration to us all."

afine@cjn.org