"Don't Take Life Too Seriously": Secrets of a Charedi Cartoonist

Keren Keet grew up in a traditional but non-observant Jewish family in England. From a young age, Keren stood out for her sense of humor: "I've always loved making people laugh," she says. In kindergarten and school, Keren could always be found participating in every comedic play, and among friends, she was one of those who easily spread spontaneous jokes. However, despite her humorous nature, Keren did not shy away from engaging with the more serious side of life. For instance, before beginning her English literature studies at the University of Birmingham, Keren made a decision with incredibly serious implications: she chose to spend a year in Israel.

Keren's brother became observant shortly before and studied at Aish HaTorah Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Keren was interested in his new lifestyle but preferred to learn about Judaism in general, not through a religious framework. She enrolled in a course focused on Jewish history that included visits to archaeological sites from the periods they studied. "Observing tangible realities from such distant periods in our history deepened my faith," she explains.

Cartoonist Keren Keet

Which Chassidus Do You Belong To?

And how was the relationship with your brother who became religious?

"Excellent. My brother would occasionally tell me about things he learned, and they resonated with me. Initially, I felt threatened by a religious lifestyle, but as I began to understand the reasons behind different mitzvot, and the logic of the Jewish belief system, I felt that this was the lifestyle I had always been searching for."

One of the things that particularly drew Keren Keet to Judaism was the Jewish approach to love and marriage. "I'm quite romantic and really wanted to ensure my marriage would be successful. The Torah framework for marriage seemed very logical to me, and the best way to ensure my future marriage would last. The rules of modesty also appealed to me – I saw them as a way to protect my dignity and femininity in a world that devalues such important values."

Keren returned to England and studied for a year at the University of Birmingham – a difficult and lonely year. Birmingham had little to offer a Jewish girl discovering her spiritual heritage. At the end of that year, Keren transferred to the University of London. The British metropolis was a much more favorable environment for her: she regularly attended Jewish classes and was hosted almost every Shabbat by local religious families.

Weightlifting – The Religious Counterpoint

As someone with a great sense of humor, did you find humor in the Charedi community to your liking?

"When I started having Shabbat meals with Charedi families, I was immediately struck by their warmth and humor, which helped me feel at home. I also had the privilege of hearing excellent and humorous lectures from rabbis like Rabbi David Orlofsky and Rabbi David Kaplan, who make extensive use of humor to teach Torah values."

Shortly before her graduation, Keren married her husband Aaron, a South African ba'al teshuva who studied at Ohr Somayach Yeshiva. The couple soon moved to Gateshead, where Aaron studied in a kollel, and Keren worked as a secretary in a kiruv organization. The couple resided there for nine years, and they remember the warm and embracing community fondly.

When did you actually start drawing cartoons?

"I've always loved art, and at a certain point, I started using my downtime at work to doodle humorous illustrations. My professional breakthrough came when I sent some samples of my work to Aish HaTorah's English humor website."

The Keet Family

Her cartoons were unique even then: charming and amusing illustrations focusing on various aspects of Jewish family life, such as the determined search for chametz crumbs before Passover or the overindulgence at the Friday night Shabbat meal.

The editors of the website loved Keren's work, and since then, she has been regularly publishing comics and cartoons there. She also started another artistic endeavor: creating humorous greeting cards and distributing them in London, where she currently lives. "I thought to myself: we Jews certainly love jokes, so why do all the greeting cards we sell just settle for being pretty and don't try to be amusing as well?"

Tenth for a Minyan – The Jewish Superman

From your experience, what type of jokes do people love the most?

"I see that people particularly enjoy comics that focus on modern technology – it's a very fertile ground and a great way to find a new angle on traditional Jewish humor topics like the 'worried mother.' It's also funny sometimes to discover what interpretations people give to my illustrations. For example, on a cartoon of two non-Jews lifting weights opposite a Jew lifting a Torah scroll for 'Hagbaha,' a friend told me there's a deep message in the illustration: non-Jews believe their strength comes from themselves and their physical prowess, while we believe our strength comes from Torah – definitely a reasonable interpretation, but I'm not sure I intended such a sublime idea!"

Is there a cartoon you've drawn that you particularly love?

"It's hard to pick one. Multi-part comics are more complex, and I enjoy the ability to create tension – 'Tenth for a Minyan,' for example, depicting the tenth for a minyan arriving in flight, in a Superman suit, to save the day and allow the congregation to pray. But I also love cartoons where I am particularly satisfied with the level of illustration or those that have little or no text at all!"

Finally, we ask Keren for some words of advice for other drawing enthusiasts who wish to specialize in humorous cartoons and illustrations. "Make sure you have a steady job aside from this," she advises. "And to be good at what you do, don't take life too seriously, and remember how ridiculous we can all look sometimes to an outsider. It usually helps to find the humorous angle."