Unless it’s a horror movie, characters don’t usually come back from the dead.
For fans of the hit show “Shtisel,” which followed a Hasidic family in Israel over three seasons on Netflix, it was a tough blow to learn that there would be no fourth season. Adding to the frustration, the show never explained how Libbi Shtisel (Hadas Yaron) died.
In the second season, Libbi and Kive (Michael Aloni) experienced a turbulent romance that her father, Nuchem (Sasson Gabai), initially opposed. Now, fans can revisit the “Shtisel” universe with “Kugel: The Shtisels Return,” a prequel in which Libbi searches for love while her parents navigate a major conflict.
“I was very happy about it,” Yaron told Unpacked, reflecting on how her character was given a new chapter.
After the huge success of ‘Shtisel,’ did Yaron feel pressure on “Kugel?”
“Shtisel” became a global phenomenon, inspiring a dedicated fanbase, including a Facebook group with over 33,000 followers. The show depicted Hasidic Jews in a nuanced way, presenting their universal struggles and desires, such as marriage and family life.
Yaron admitted she initially felt pressure while filming “Kugel,” but that anxiety eased as the cast and creators found the right tone.
Read more: Finished Shtisel? Here are 5 shows about Orthodox communities to watch next
“There was a feeling that we’re doing ‘Shtisel’ but it’s not ‘Shtisel’ but it’s hard to also let go of the idea of it,” Yaron said. “When we first started shooting, I was like, oh this is so different. The photography, the way they’re doing it. Is it going to make it better? Is it going to make it worse?”
Ultimately, she believes the show struck the right balance. While still part of the “Shtisel” universe, “Kugel” stands on its own. This time, the story unfolds in Antwerp, Belgium, rather than Israel. Nuchem makes a controversial decision that enrages his wife, Yiddis (Mili Avital), who chooses to keep it a secret from their daughter.
Why is the show called “Kugel?”
Food played a significant role in “Shtisel.” Kive often ate at a restaurant that served kugel, a beloved staple of kosher cuisine. Kugel, sometimes described as a potato or noodle pudding, resembles a casserole.
In the second episode, titled “The Burnt Part of the Kugel,” a man tells Nuchem, “You need kugel if you want the burnt part,” while another character suggests that secrets are hidden in a single slice of kugel. The dish symbolizes tradition and the idea that sacrifice and struggle can lead to comfort and reward.
Read more: Fans of Shtisel: Here are recipes inspired by the show
For Yaron, working on “Kugel” allowed her to delve more deeply into the Ashkenazi staple.
“The way I knew kugel until we did this show was always the sweet kugel,” Yaron said. “My grandmother used to make noodle kugel with raisins. I used to love the first layer. It was always more crunchy because it was burnt. It was so good. In Antwerp for the first time, I tried potato kugel and savory ones. But I do prefer the sweet ones.”
Mili Avital as a mother having a mid-life crisis
Avital, who won an Ophir Award for Best Supporting Actress for Me’ever Layam (Over the Ocean) in 1991, has starred alongside actors like David Schwimmer and Johnny Depp. She was a huge fan of “Shtisel” before joining “Kugel.”
While filming “Kugel,” she was also working on “Mary,” in which she played the wife of Anthony Hopkins. Despite this, she found that her friends were often more excited about her role in “Kugel” than her collaboration with Hopkins.
When asked about the notable age gap between her and Gabai (he is 77, while she is 52), Avital emphasized that their on-screen chemistry mattered most.
“Sasson is ageless, and they made me slightly older,” Avital told Unpacked. “At the end of the day, it’s about chemistry…I’ve always connected to who he is inside. And I think that sort of true love I have for him is what made us look like a couple. I truly enjoyed every minute in his company.”
Avital’s biggest challenge was learning Yiddish and integrating into an already-established world where her co-stars knew their characters inside and out. She was encouraged to let go of any reservations.
“I was dying to be a yenta,” she said.
To prepare, she met with Hasidic women from the Israeli-European community. She also praised the show’s writer and creator, Yehonatan Indursky, for his masterful storytelling.
“People respond to a great story,” Avital said. “… A story that is unique and moving is extremely hard to find. You think, are you watching a fable or are you a realistic show or are you watching reality or people from the past? He’s always between these realms.”
She added that working on “Kugel” gave her a new appreciation for ultra-Orthodox European women, who she said should not be underestimated.
“They are not dainty,” Avital said. “These are not wallflowers. They are balabustas. They walk that way. They have a certain assurance. They’re tough because they run the ship…”
“A game-changer for Izzy”
Nati Dinnar, CEO and founder of Izzy, a streaming platform for Israeli and Jewish content, believes “Kugel” will be Izzy’s biggest show.
When Netflix declined to continue “Shtisel,” Dinnar was intrigued by the idea of a prequel. At the time, Izzy was still a young platform, but negotiations led to a deal.
“I jumped on board before I even saw an episode,” Dinnar told Unpacked. “At some point, they said you wanna watch it. I said I’ll get to watch it, but I know it’s good…”
He said that Gabbai and Yaron were such strong actors and that coupled with the attraction to the brand of the show made him confident that it would be a hit.
Netflix rarely releases viewing statistics, but when it did, Dinnar saw that each “Shtisel” season averaged 300,000 views, proving that fans were deeply engaged.
“I knew there were diehard fans out there that emotionally connect with this family,” Dinnar said. “That’s why I thought this could be a game-changer for Izzy. It became super important to me after October 7, that we build Izzy to be the platform for Israeli content so that Israeli content would find itself rejected by an international platform and will not be able to find an audience.”
The platform also streams “Shtisel” and more than 600 films and shows.
“Kugel”: A show about heart and family
Asked about the series, which finished airing in Israel two months ago, Yaron said one message from a woman greatly impacted her.
“She wrote to me on Instagram that her husband was killed in the war, and she watched kugel and it made her feel like she wants to fall in love again,” Yaron said. “I think that’s the most moving thing I’ve ever heard. I’m an actress, I go, I do my lines, I have fun, I have a good time. I’m very privileged to do that. I know that stories are important. But you forget about it because you do a job, and you like it. And then when you hear that it actually touched someone’s life in that way, I felt like, oh, that’s why people do these things and maybe there is meaning to what we do.”
In “Shtisel,” Libbi had problems with Kive being a painter, though she respected his talent. In “Kugel” she wants to write a novel and then a set of stories for a religious magazine. Yaron said she wondered if her character was supposed to be the Kive of this show, as she goes on dates and hopes to be married and deal with her father’s antics, much like Kive would deal with his father, Shulem.
She said she is excited that people in the United will get to see her new show and hopes “Kugel” will provide the same emotional depth and joy that made “Shtisel” so beloved.
“I hope they will enjoy it,” Yaron said. “I hope it will give them relief and make them laugh just like ‘Shtisel’ did. It was kind of like, you watch it and you feel life. It sounds very grandiose. But there is something about ‘Shtisel’ and also ‘Kugel’ that you see it and you feel the sadness of life, you feel the joy of life, and all the little in-betweens…”
