Idan, better known as the "Challah Prince," is a person whose mere presence deeply conveys the essence of his life experience.
Idan was born in Israel, and a few years ago, on his path of self-discovery and healing, he found in the act of preparing challah a meditative ritual that invites those who practice it to connect with the flavor of the Jewish tradition, filled with spirituality and hope.
The Hebrew word challah is associated with the braided loaves of Shabbat and, by extension, with the breads that accompany Jewish holidays.
However, its original meaning is biblical and refers to the piece of dough that is separated and dedicated to God in each bread-making process.
Perhaps for this reason, and through the symbolism and intention with which each person kneads their own "bread," a mysterious door of revelation opens, encouraging the preservation of roots and beliefs, even in times of many spiritual questions.
Idan, I would like to ask you to introduce yourself and tell us about the person behind the “Challah Prince”, as we know you.
My name is Idan Chabasov, and I’m the founder of the Challah Prince brand. I always believed in the power of creativity, innovation, and connection. Challah baking became my unique way of combining my passions for art and mindfulness.
As a person who practices meditation and loves to create, Challah is the perfect tool for that. The combination of materials and spirit is something I love to explore every day, and the Challah provides it to me.
What were you doing before embracing this project, which, as you will tell us later, changed the way you perceive and live life?
Before diving into the world of challah, I was always involved in creative projects. I’ve done a lot of work with different forms of media such dancing, video art and animation.
But the journey with challah started when I realized that baking is more than just making food. It's a ritual, a form of creation, and a spiritual practice. I didn’t always know this, but once I started, it completely changed my life.
It shifted my whole perspective on creativity and discovered my purpose through the dough.
How and in what context did the idea of creating “Challah Prince” come about?
Honestly, there was no real "context" or big idea behind it at the beginning. It all started very naturally. I was just making challah for myself and friends, without any intention of turning it into something bigger. I wasn’t thinking about creating a brand or a community. But then, as I shared my challahs, I started to notice something people weren’t just enjoying the bread; they were feeling something deeper when they braided it.
Each time I opened the oven and saw the finished challah, I felt like there was something much bigger behind the process. I saw how much people loved doing it, how challah had this unique power to bring people together. And I loved that.
At the time, I was living in Berlin, far from a Jewish life, and I realized that challah was actually bringing me closer to home. It became a way for me to reconnect, not just with my heritage, but with a sense of belonging. It’s a bridge, a tradition, and a way to bring warmth and togetherness wherever you are in the world.
So far, I’ve had the privilege of leading more than 170 events worldwide, and this is just the beginning. I’m committed to continuing this journey, spreading light, love, and creativity to every corner of the world
In the workshop I had the pleasure of participating last November in Costa Rica, you emphasized that the secret to a delicious challah is not in the recipe, but in the energy that each person puts into the kneading and braiding of the bread. How do you feel that this is true?
This is so true! The recipe is important, of course, but it’s the energy, intention, and mindfulness that truly shape the bread. When you’re in the moment, when you focus on the dough, it absorbs your energy. It’s like everything you put into the kneading of the care, the patience, the presence becomes a part of the challah.
It’s not just about the ingredients; it’s about the soul you infuse into it. That’s why every challah is different because the person making it is different.
Otherwise, how can you explain that two bakers can make the same recipe and get different results?
In your family, was there a tradition of making challah?
Not at all. My mom never baked challah she would just buy it from the bakery every Friday for Kiddush, and that was it. As a kid, I loved eating challah, mostly with hummus. That was basically my dinner. I could live on challah with hummus! But I never saw my mom making it, and I never thought of it as something special to bake.
In Israel, challah is everywhere; it’s just there, part of life. I guess that’s why I took it for granted. It wasn’t until much later that I realized how meaningful and powerful baking challah could be, especially outside of Israel.
Recently, you completed your studies in rebirthing therapy, and in several interviews, you’ve mentioned your view on the awakening of consciousness through meditation. I would like to ask you: what does this training involve, and how do you understand that this is the path to achieving it?
Rebirthing therapy is all about unlocking and releasing blockages in the body and mind through breathwork.
It’s a process of reconnecting with yourself on a deeper level. When you combine breathwork with meditation, it opens up a channel for personal growth and self-awareness.
I believe that this path of awakening is about being present with yourself, understanding your emotions, and embracing each moment fully. It’s an ongoing journey, and it has definitely helped me grow in ways I never imagined before.
If you had to write a phrase that represents you and carries a message for others, which one would you choose?
There’s a quote by Albert Einstein that really resonates with me: "Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else has ever thought." I love this because it perfectly captures what challah became for me. I took something so traditional, something that everyone knows, and looked at it differently.
This is something I would love to share and encourage others to explore just trying to see the world from different angles, to look at everyday things in a new way, in ways that make them feel excited, inspired, and connected.
When you shift your perspective, you open yourself up to so much creativity and possibilities.
