Nuchem and Libbi return to screen in ‘Shtisel’ prequel ‘Kugel’
It’s a reunion with the family angst, drama and Haredi ambience of the Antwerp branch
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
There’s much that’s wonderfully familiar in “Kugel,” Yehonatan Indursky’s prequel to the hit series “Shtisel,” currently playing in Israel on the Yes satellite network and coming to the Izzy streaming platform later this month.
The focus in “Kugel” is on Nuchem Shtisel (Sasson Gabbay) and Libbi Shtisel (Hadas Yaron), brother and niece to Shulem Shtisel of Jerusalem. This is Nuchem and Libbi’s backstory in the ultra-Orthodox environs of Antwerp, Belgium, before they head to Jerusalem, where Libbi met her future husband, Akiva Shtisel (Michael Aloni).
The series starts slowly as viewers are reintroduced to Nuchem, a charming jewelry dealer with some unsavory practices; his unmarried 22-year-old daughter Libbi; and Nuchem’s wife, Yides, played by Mili Avital.
Libbi, a talented writer, is eager to find her shidduch, her match, a task made harder by her parents’ failing marriage.
We learn about Libbi’s budding writing career, the yeshiva bochur or young man she gently flirts with on the tram, and the entire community’s love of Jerusalem kugel, a dark brown, sweet, peppery noodle pudding that has its own role in the eight-episode series.
There’s also plenty of relationship drama, family angst and minutiae of Haredi daily life, all played perfectly by a set of actors led by the masterful Gabbay, who embodies all the heart, soul and fears of Nuchem.
As the 45-minute episodes progress, viewers meet another main character, Pnina Baumbach, a recently widowed woman played with brisk efficiency by Israeli comedian Rotem Abouhab as Nuchem’s new love interest — he woos her by helping refine the popular Jerusalem kugel served at her restaurant.
Nuchem is something of an operator, viewing himself as a feinschmecker or connoisseur worthy of Antwerp’s latest addition, a sauna for Haredi men.
Libbi is quirky and real, the apple of her parents’ eyes. While Nuchem’s dealings are often less than honest, his love and respect for his only child are real, a sentiment that becomes clear as the show progresses.
It’s a heartwarming experience to meet these characters again and get to know them in their hometown before they’re entangled with the rest of the Shtisels in Jerusalem.
The eight-episode series, written by “Shtisel” co-creator Yehonatan Indursky and directed by Erez Kavel, will premiere on IZZY later this month. The series was co-produced as a collaboration between Abot Hameiri, parent company Fremantle, and Menuetto Film. Fremantle is selling the show internationally.
Created and written by Indursky and Ori Elon, “Shtisel” originally aired on Yes in 2013 and took off internationally after being bought by Netflix in 2018. The show ran for three seasons, ending in 2021. The series was then sold to multiple networks and streamers worldwide, including the IZZY platform.
