It’s strips like these that solidify The Kichels as frum social commentary at its finest
Yechiel tries to assuage Nechama by reminding her that her family is her truest accomplishment and reflection of her innermost aspirations and that she is the pillar of the family. Yechiel’s pep talk doesn’t work. Dejected, Nechama wonders if she should do Ozempic.
Bracha Stein and Chani Judowitz, the layers are deep. It’s strips like these that solidify The Kichels as frum social commentary at its finest.
This strip addresses various messages and attitudes frum women receive, intentionally or not, about their roles and expectations. Let’s begin with self-fulfillment via the family unit. A mother’s greatest accomplishment is her family. Yechiel even suggests that the family is the pinnacle of a woman’s aspirations and desires. Yet none of these ideas are comforting to Nechama, even though she herself likely believes them.
Nechama is a stay-at-home mom singularly devoted to fulfilling the needs of her family. In the examples she gives of women doing more than her, she’s not pointing out women who own businesses or have secular careers. She mentions the women doing klal work: the mechaneches, the chinuch expert, the op-ed columnist, the author, the seminary head. These are women who are “changing the world” and contributing to Klal Yisrael, while ostensibly also being fulfilled mothers and wives.
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