In a world that desperately needs more laughter, Mordechi “Modi” Rosenfeld is here to deliver.
Known professionally as Modi, not to be confused with the Prime Minister of India, the 53-year-old comedian was voted one of the top 10 comics in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter.
Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Modi’s family moved to New York when he was seven. He was raised in Long Island and, although he performs at fundraisers and comedy clubs around the world, Modi continues to call New York City home.
A natural storyteller with a quick wit, Modi initially pursued a career in finance after graduating from Boston University in 1992. He worked as a Wall Street international banker for Merrill Lynch until a friend encouraged him to try his hand at comedy.
“I had a knack for doing impersonations and my friend encouraged me to perform at an open mic night,” Modi says. “I quickly realized that stand-up comedy was my true calling.”
Modi continued to juggle his finance career with comedy from 1994 to 1999, before deciding to become a full-time performer. He also maintains a popular podcast, “And Here’s Modi,” that he co-hosts with author and comic, Periel Aschenbrand. Leo Veiga, his husband and manager, also appears on the podcast.
Although he has a large fanbase among both Reform and Orthodox Jews, Modi believes his shows appeal to all backgrounds and beliefs. As the Los Angeles Times described him, “Modi is versatile and quick on his feet. He can read an audience in a beat and improvise so nimbly that he keeps any audience, regardless of age, race, and gender, laughing.”
“We’re all united in our laughter,” Modi says. “For those in the audience who aren’t Jewish, I think my show offers them a glimpse into the Jewish world.”
Tall, dark and handsome, Modi’s charismatic personality and knack for observational comedy have made him a fan favorite. In an interview with Variety magazine, Jamie Masada, owner and founder of The Laugh Factory chain of comedy clubs, attributes Modi’s popularity to the fact that he connects with the audience and is lovable.
“I’ve been running this club for over 40 years and the only three people I’ve seen with this energy and audience response were Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, and Modi Rosenfeld,” Masada told Variety.
Part of Modi’s popularity can be attributed to his authenticity and the fact that he doesn’t shy away from discussing important topics such as the rise of antisemitism. A recent survey by the American Jewish Committee found that 80% of Jewish adults in the U.S. say antisemitism has increased over the last five years, with 69% of American Jews and 82% of the general U.S. population, noting antisemitism is prevalent online.
Photo Courtesy of Team Modi
In his routine, Modi asks, “Why does the world hate us? We’re the only religion not looking to recruit people. Every other religion’s main goal is that you join. We’re the opposite: Our main goal is, ‘just leave us alone!’”
He also jokes about his recent 23andMe results, “Nazis and Kanye are my number one health risks.”
The New York Times dubbed Modi, “the next Jackie Mason,” a comic he says he was privileged to meet when Mason came to see one of his shows. He considers both Mason and comic Alan King, to be two of his comedy inspirations.
“Alan King was a class act and I learned comedic timing watching him perform,” says Modi, who met King years ago in New York, adding that he appreciated King’s ability to perform as a proud Jewish comedian who laughed with the Jewish people, not at them.
It’s a concept that Modi, who writes his own material, also believes in, saying comedy shouldn’t come from a hateful place. Even when he’s performing at roasts for former Connecticut senator, Joe Lieberman.
“They say you only roast those who you love and honor,” Modi says.
Another of Modi’s passions is exercise. His regimen includes lifting weights each day.
“I love working out and celebrating what my body is capable of doing,” he says. “Sometimes, during a workout, I’ll also get ideas for new material to use in my act.”
Over the years, Modi’s moved beyond impersonations to perfect his own comedic voice, resulting in successful appearances on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern and E! Entertainment.
He’s also dabbled in acting, appearing on HBO’s “The Sopranos” and “Crashing” and Netflix’s “When Jews Were Funny” as well as films like “Waiting for Woody Allen” and “Stand Up.”
Creating Moshiach Energy On Stage
Ask Modi about his secret ingredient for performing and he’ll tell you he channels Moshiach energy, a concept he says is akin to the Jewish principle of loving your neighbor as yourself and then putting that energy into the universe. In an interview with The Times of Israel, Modi says Moshiach energy is an attitude also embodied by the Modern Orthodox synagogue he attends in New York City, where he also occasionally serves as a cantor.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an example of Moshiach energy, Modi tells his audiences.
“The Russian Army is being held back by a Jewish comedian,” Modi says in his comedy routine. “If that’s not Moshiach energy, I don’t know what is!”
He continues, “I’m a comedian, I’m Jewish and I’m Israeli. I performed in front of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) years ago and someone asked, ‘If Israel needed you to fight in a war, would you fight?’”
Modi replied, “If Israel is looking for me, they’ve already lost the war.”
Photo by Nathan Posner
Entertaining Audiences In South Florida
Modi performed several shows in South Florida in January and February and says Boca Raton is an area both he and Veiga, who grew up in Pembroke Pines, enjoy visiting.
In his Florida shows, he joked about how you can always tell how to identify the Floridians who relocated from New York.
“Whenever you ask them what the temperature is, they also tell you what it is in New York,” Modi says. “‘It’s 78 here, New York is 31. Siberia! You could drop dead there!’ They also have to tell you why they moved here, like they’re still working out why they moved to Florida.”
Married since 2020, Modi says he’s always been open about being gay. He hopes he can encourage others who are gay and Jewish, especially from strict Orthodox backgrounds, to feel comfortable coming out.
“I know there are people who are struggling to come out,” Modi says. “I’d tell them to be a proud Jew and to be themselves.”
On a recent episode of the “18Forty” podcast with David Bashevkin, Modi also offered some advice to parents if their child comes out as gay.
“Your first response should be, ‘I love you,’” Modi says. “Don’t make it about you, make it about them.”
Whether he’s having a serious conversation about coming out or telling jokes on stage, Modi’s straightforward honesty is an undeniable part of his appeal.
For Modi, the best part of his job is making people laugh. He’s mastered the art of reading an audience and can tailor his material to meet the needs of the crowd.
“Having someone tell me after a show they were having a bad day and that I was able to make them laugh and cheer them up means a lot to me,” he says.
For a list of Modi’s upcoming performances, visit modilive.com.