The Jewish Home | APRIL 14, 2022
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“My Comedy is Real Life” The Irrepressible Malkie Knopfler By Malky lowinger
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OctOber 29, 2015 | the Jewish Home
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any of us are familiar with the influencers, the bloggers, the recipe developers, the Instagram “stars,” and the many characters who populate the world that lives in our phones. These are the people who we may never have met but who we are very familiar with. In that bizarre world we call social media, they’ve become our friends. Among all of these celebrities, Malkie Knopfler, aka the Comic Cook, stands out. She is both irrepressible and irresistible. With her spot-on observations on the life of the Jewish woman, her willingness to share her struggles, and her sharp but funny satire, she has weaved her way into the hearts of thousands of followers. In a community that is reluctant to expose its vulnerabilities, Malkie’s comedy is a welcome relief. She’s not perfect – and neither are we. Clearly, she must be doing something right. Malkie has performed in countless women-only productions. She has 32,000 followers on her Instagram account as the_comic_cook. She is the marketing genius behind many successful brands. And her most recent endeavor, “The Malkie Show,” is a historic first. It’s a talk show for women, by women, and about women, with an outstanding lineup of talented and fascinating guests. With her trademark good humor, Malkie keeps the episodes engaging, intriguing, and entertaining. It’s a super ambitious project that Malkie says is totally a full-time job. Why is it that Malkie makes us smile even before she starts to say anything? What is it about her work that is so endearing? How does she make even the jaded among us laugh?
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alkie grew up in Boro Park, a Bais Yaakov girl through and through. She had the typical heimish childhood. But inside that little girl with the trademark ponytail and the pleated uniform skirt, the girl who wore all the right headbands and had the proper family background, there was a free spirit waiting to bloom.
“I was not the best student,” admits Malkie in that way that you know she wasn’t the second-best either. “I was more into comedy and drama, all the extracurriculars.” Today, she would have been the star of her school’s productions, but back then, she wasn’t able to participate in the extracurriculars her Bais Yaakov offered. So, as Malkie puts it, “I spent a lot of time with my friends in the hallways where we made up our own extracurriculars.” Aha. OK, got it. Clearly, those years were challenging for Malkie, and she speaks about them with passion. “I wish I would have known then what I know now,” she says. “That if we don’t do well in school, we are still valuable, and we will one day find ourselves.” Years later, Malkie wrote a poem which she has since recorded as a music video called “Dear Young Me.” The song, set to music by Tehila Ehrlich, is dedicated to all the girls and women out there who may struggle academically or even socially but are really superstars in their own way. The video, which was posted just a few weeks ago, can be seen on YouTube and has already been viewed close to five thousand times. “I can’t tell you how that song resonates with both kids and adults,” said Malkie. “The feedback is incredible.” Malkie’s serious side is certainly intriguing. But her career as a comic performer highlights her keen sense of humor and her irrepressible giggle. She makes it look easy, but Malkie says that comedy is an art that requires lots of focused energy and insight, especially when performing for a community where the subject matter is restricted and sensitivity is paramount. “I do good, old-fashioned Jewish humor,” she points out. “I make fun of bloggers but it’s tongue in cheek because I’m a blogger myself. I make sure my act is totally good-natured and not mean-spirited in any way.” It’s not easy to walk that fine line between being appropriate yet unpredictable, funny yet also inspiring, quirky and comical but never disrespectful. Malkie manages to keep it consistently clean, kosher, and still entertaining. “People like to ask me if I’m funny all the time,” she says. “I tell them that being funny is an amazing talent which I am grateful to have. Hashem gave me this gift, but I’m really just
