Internationally Known Comedian MODI Heads to ATL
MODI encourages donations to help Israel as he, himself, radiates Moshiach energy.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Voted one of the Top 10 Comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter, MODI will perform in Atlanta with a tour stopping in Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Brussels. He has also recently returned (pre-war) from Israel. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment, MODI has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY, and The New York Post.
MODI will appear at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta for a one-night performance on Dec. 14. This will be his first Atlanta performance not under the umbrella of an organization.
Born in Israel, MODI immigrated to the United States at the age of seven and was raised on Long Island. After graduating from Boston University, he worked as an investment banker until his first open-mic night made him realize that stand-up was his true calling.
Equipped with a sharp wit and a knack for reading an audience, MODI has gone on to become a successful fixture in New York’s comedy scene. With bits like contrasting Ashkenazi to Sephardic Jews, saying/emoting, “Shabbat Shalom,” to his lifeguard gibberish gig, and his Yiddish accent explanation of “The Crown,” Queen Elizabeth, and her “family,” while clad in payis (side curls),
MODI is uproaringly side-splitting while speaking as Yoely. “After all the Queen does dress (sneis) modestly with long gloves and wears pearls,” but not necessarily from the yihud room, as he stated. This reporter has watched this Joely Crown commentary on YouTube a dozen times and shared it with countless others.
Now a regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs, MODI is a co-founder of The Chosen Comedy Festival, a celebration of Jewish humor that was launched in 2022. The festival features comedy acts and has brought laughter to thousands of people in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.
His podcast, “AND HERE’S MODI,” gives an inside look at the man behind the microphone, featuring a raw and unfiltered side of the comedian not seen on stage.
MODI sits down with a variety of guests from actors like Michael Rappaport and Mayim Bialik to rabbis, artists, influencers — a la Alan Dershowitz, to chat about current events, holiday traditions, cancel culture and combating antisemitism.
With Bialik, he got into a bit about saying the Shehecheyanu out loud when coming out of a medical procedure, hopefully if the doctor is Jewish.
As with many great comedians, expect some edginess as he questions sending an anti-Semite to a Holocaust Museum for training, “which might excite him as a good thing.” An observant Jew who is married to his manager, a man, MODI will not be put in a box and identifies as a kosher Shabbat observing Jew. He repeatedly refers to “Moshiach energy,” which speaks for itself.
MODI has played himself on HBO’s “Crashing” and Netflix’s “When Jews Were Funny.” He’s also appeared in feature films and played leading roles in two: “Waiting for Woody Allen,” which won the LA Film Festival, and “Stand Up,” a feature-length film. In 2018, Mayor Bill De Blasio declared June 26th as Mordechi Modi Rosenfeld Day in New York City.
Looking forward to coming to his Atlanta show, MODI told the AJT, “I always work under the mission statement, “Know your audience.” You have to be able to feel out the audience and determine what they need from you that evening.”
In terms of the recent events in Israel, he stated, “My material is always changing, but now I have been singing Hatikvah at the end of each show with the audience – which has been very moving.”
Some have compared MODI to older generations’ Borscht Belt comics. Rosenfeld relayed to the AJT that his favorite comedians have always been Alan King, Jackie Mason, and George Carlin. He takes inspiration from his term, “observational comedy – whenever I see my friends laugh at something I say, I turn that into a premise and work it out on stage.”
When asked with what comedian, living or deceased, would he like to have dinner with, MODI answered, “Don Rickles – I’m sure that would have been a fun time!”
When MODI kicks off his national tour, he will donate a portion of the proceeds to raise awareness for several organizations with which he has personally worked.
He said, “All these charities have impacted my life and bring hope and healing to those who need it most. ‘Moshiach energy’ is more important than ever during this challenging time.”
UNITED HATZALAH
A community-based volunteer emergency medical services organization committed to providing the fastest response to medical emergencies across Israel.
www.israelrescue.org
MAGEN DAVID ADOM
Israel’s national emergency pre-hospital medical and blood services organization
www.mdais.org
FRIENDS OF ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES
An organization that provides for the well-being of the soldiers of IDF, veterans and family members.
www.israelrescue.org
KOBY MANDELL FOUNDATION
The largest provider of emotional support services for the thousands of bereaved Israelis who have lost an immediate family member to terror via multi-faceted therapeutic programs.
www.kobymandell.org
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