‘Babka King’ Holds Court in Toco Hills

On Thursday evening, July 31, hundreds of Jewish men, women, and their children gathered to meet, learn, laugh, and take pictures with a genial 41-year-old, non-Jewish media personality. The crowd was also treated to samples of all kinds of babkas, provided by the evening’s hosts, The Spicy Peach kosher grocery in Toco Hills.

The object of attention was Chris Campbell, a social media influencer with nearly a million followers, who is often dubbed in Jewish circles as the “Babka King.” He is popular among his Jewish followers because he praises our food, and because he is a loud voice supporting Israel and has a close affinity for Jews everywhere.

Campbell was the invited guest of The Spicy Peach, which frequently offers novel experiences to the local Jewish community. The Babka King chatted amiably with fans for more than two hours, told personal anecdotes, answered countless questions, and talked about his journey to become a lover of Jewish cuisine, the land of Israel, and, well, Jews. On the broad walkway in front of the grocery, three festive tables were set with heaping platters of several kinds of babkas, and many pedestrians who were casually strolling past the store, stopped by to taste the generous babka slices, then stayed to join the large group of Campbell’s fans. He comfortably peppered his conversation with Hebrew phrases and revealed his pride in being called a mensch when, after being confused by the descriptive referent that he often received from Jews but didn’t understand, he finally discovered that it was a huge compliment.

Campbell surprised many in the crowd when he told them that he attends a synagogue and enjoys Shabbat meals almost every week, wherever he is. The wide Jewish community appreciates his candor, sensitivity and support, and shows it. “I’m invited to Shabbat dinners and to rabbis’ homes,” he notes. “The warmth I’ve gotten from the Jewish community is so great.” Along with them, he sees the increase in antisemitism as “very open and crazy,” and he has personally received a real death threat. (For the record, Campbell does not intend to convert.)

A visit to Israel, where he is well-known, was covered widely by the media there, too. He traveled to Israel to personally connect to fans, sample the country’s wide variety of ethnic foods, and — as always — to promote the breaking down of food barriers that people often perceive. His slangy catchphrase of “Why you gatekeeping?” challenges all culturally distinct groups. He promotes more conscious sharing of their often unfamiliar iconic foods. Jokingly, he says he wants Jewish people to quit “gatekeeping all your good food.”

Campbell is familiar with many laws of kashrut, and on one of his videos, which documents amusing eating experiences in Brooklyn, he seriously questioned a Jewish friend’s decision to take him for food at a kosher dairy restaurant, and then to immediately follow eating the dairy food by taking him to sample sandwiches at a kosher deli. His friend explained that the required time separation that Campbell had learned about and expected between eating milk and meat applies only to Jews like his friend, not to non-Jews. When he was interviewed by the Times of Israel, one reporter jocularly asked, what if he were stranded on a deserted island, but somehow had in his possession one Jewish main dish, one side dish, and one dessert, he answered, “a pastrami sandwich for the main, cholent for the side, and babka for dessert.” (It’s debatable if most Jews consider cholent to be a side dish.)

So far, the only Jewish food he doesn’t love is gefilte fish.

The meet-and-greet event at Spicy Peach in July underscored the Babka King’s popularity among all ages and backgrounds. Happy fans got to meet him in person, share thoughts, and snap a photo with him. The guest of honor did not publicly declare his favorite babka, but many of his fans believe, from his media messages, that it’s definitely chocolate.

Campbell first became famous for tasting and celebrating diverse cultural cuisines on TikTok and Instagram, eventually earning his “our crowd” royal title of Babka King after raving about a delicious chocolate babka sent to him by a New York bakery. His sampling of traditional Jewish foods like rugelach, blintzes, babka, and black and white cookies led him to learn more about our food (schnitzel, pastrami, etc.), our culture, and even our religious practices. Beyond his culinary adventures, Campbell, who says he once weighed 417 pounds and now weighs 175 pounds, is a popular personal growth coach and speaker. He wants to help people deal with social anxiety, build resilience, and grow emotionally.