‘It’s for everyone’: The Challah Prince brings edible art to Richmond

Sep 14, 2025 - 19:25

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‘It’s for everyone’: The Challah Prince brings edible art to Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The Challah Prince is bringing his edible art to Richmond on Sunday, offering a hands-on workshop and a chance to shape and braid delicious challah.

On Sunday, Sept. 14, Weinstein JCC kicked off its 2025-26 Arts + Ideas season with a visit from The Challah Prince -- Idan Chabasov, a famous Challah Instagram influencer -- for a hands-on workshop, providing participants the opportunity to shape and braid round challah while exploring the spiritual symbolism of this time-honored Rosh Hashanah tradition, per a release.

8News got a glimpse of the event with a private demonstration and dough-making experience ahead of the Challah Braiding workshop, which runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with a chance to meet The Challah Prince at 3:30 p.m.

"I came from the art world, so I bring my art world into the baking world," Chabasov, who was born and raised in Tel Aviv, said, explaining that he has experimented with visual and video art.

As the Jewish community prepares for the Yamimm Noraim, organizers urges participants to take a moment to reflect on the cyclical nature of the Jewish calendar.

JCC Challah Bread Workshop preview on Sept. 14. (Photo: William Berksteiner, 8News)

"I realized that this is way more than just braiding and baking," Chabasov said. "I found a lot of peace in that process and meditation, and a lot of good things and benefits that allowed me to continue that process."

He said he lived away from Jewish life for a while, living in Berlin for seven years. With a background in professional dancing, video production, art and animation, Chabasov was told baking was "his only way" and bringing art into the baking world is now a mission of his.

"I really believe challah is just a tool, just an instrument for us and for a bigger message, for a greater message, also for the Jewish world, and also to each individual to take a moment, take a deep breath, go into something, which is a very special process to make," Chabasov said. "[There's] a lot of healing in this process, which I like to share and see how people react to it."

He said he's been doing this across the U.S. and in Europe for three years and is "here to share more than just how to make bread or braid challah." Building his Instagram account allowed him to dedicate himself to his community and share his unique creations and how he braids dough.

"Challah -- it's for everyone, for everybody, for all the ages as well," he said. "If you just like to create, if you have this kind of sense of art, and you feel like you want to create something on your own. And more than that, even to eat it later. There [are] many levels."