Modi Rosenfeld
| Modi Rosenfeld | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Mordechi Rosenfeld |
| Native name | מודי רוזנפלד |
| Born | April 29, 1970 Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Medium |
|
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Genres | |
| Subject(s) | |
| Spouse | Leo Veiga (m. 2020) |
Modi Rosenfeld (Hebrew: מודי רוזנפלד; born April 29, 1970, as Mordechi Rosenfeld), known professionally as Modi[1] (stylized as MODI) is an Israeli-American stand-up comedian and actor.[2] He is known for his Jewish humor and has become a mainstay among Orthodox audiences.[3]
Early years
Rosenfeld was born in Tel Aviv and moved to Woodmere, New York, with his family when he was seven years old.[1][4]His parents only spoke Hebrew at home and the family spent their summers in Israel.[5] He graduated from George W. Hewlett High School in 1988 and Boston University in 1992, majoring in psychology and minoring in voice.[4]
Rosenfeld studied cantorial music at Yeshiva University's Belz School of Music and continues to sing as a hobby at the synagogue where he prays.[1][6] He was a Wall Street international banker for Merrill Lynch before entering comedy.[1][7]
Career
Modi is an established headliner at comedy clubs across the United States and is a regular fixture on the comedy scene in both New York and Los Angeles.[8] His home club is the Comedy Cellar. Modi's background and ability to adapt to a variety of audiences has allowed him to create a niche within the Jewish community, performing for Orthodox, Reform and other non-Orthodox audiences around the world.[9][5] He performed at the launch party of the late Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon in Houston before takeoff.[1]
Rosenfeld is known for having a particularly large following among Orthodox audiences, performing at yeshivas, National Council of Young Israel affiliates, Hatzalah, Chabad telethons and Eshel.[10][11] He has also performed for special Shabbat dinners for the Council of Fashion Designers of America.[12]
Rosenfeld has contributed to US Weekly as a member of the fashion police[13][14] and was also semi-finalist on the fourth season of Last Comic Standing.[15]
According to Rosenfeld, his comedic inspirations are Don Rickles, Jackie Mason, George Carlin, and Louis CK.[8] He attributes his comedic timing to Alan King.[6]
He was honored by the City of New York through a proclamation declaring June 26, 2018 "Mordechi 'Modi' Rosenfeld Day."[16]
Rosenfeld is the co-founder and producer of the Chosen Comedy Festival, along with comedians Elon Gold and Dani Zoldan.[6][17] The festival premiered in Coney Island in summer 2022.[18]
In 2023, he was featured in the "36 to Watch" list by New York Jewish Week, which honors Jewish personalities for their contributions to the city's Jewish community.[18] In 2024, he was inducted into Anu – Museum of the Jewish People's Hall of Fame for Jewish Humor.[19]
He is the host of his own podcast called And Here's Modi.[20] He has also been a guest on a number of podcasts such as Unorthodox, WTF with Marc Maron and Headliners with Nihal Arthanayake for the BBC.[21][22][23]
Personal life
Modi is Jewish and is a member of the Sixth Street Community Synagogue, Modern Orthodox congregation in Manhattan, where comedian Sandra Bernhard is also a member.[6][17]
He is gay and legally married his partner, Leo Veiga in 2020.[10] Veiga was raised Catholic is also his manager.[17][10]
Filmography
| Year | Film/Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Friday Night | Modi | TV series; episode: "Sunset Beach - Behind the Scenes" |
| 2002 | The Sopranos | Etan | TV series; episode: "Mergers and Acquisitions" |
| 2003 | Connecting Dots | Tom | |
| 2004 | Waiting for Woody Allen | Mendel | Short film |
| Der Kosh | Rabbi | ||
| Our Italian Husband | Pasquale | ||
| 2006 | Ira & Abby | Marvin the Limo Driver | |
| Agent Emes 5: Agent Emes and the Happy Chanukah | Rocky Rabinowitz | Video | |
| 2007 | Stand Up | Avi | |
| A Perfect Holiday | Father in Line | ||
| 2008 | One, Two, Many | Jermaine | |
| 2009 | CSI: NY | David Klein | TV series; episode: "Yahrzeit" |
| 2010 | Horrorween | Shlomo | |
| 2014–2015 | Deadbeat | Menachem Mendel | 5 episodes |
| 2017 | Madam Secretary | Oded Dahan | TV series; episode: "The Essentials" |
| 2019 | Crashing | Himself | TV series; episode: "The Temple Gig" |
Video games
| Year | Game | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Grand Theft Auto IV | Issac Roth | |
| 2009 | Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned | Archive footage | |
| Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Husband: Leo Veiga Comedy is Calling, Jewlarious.com
- ^ Modi Rosenfeld at IMDb
- ^ Hajdenberg, Jackie (26 March 2024). Modi, a comedian popular with Orthodox crowds, has a new special. He wants non-Jews to watch, too. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved on 29 March 2025
- ^ a b Malul, Dor (7 July 2024). Modi Rosenfeld, Jewish comedian who took US by storm, headed to Israel Israel Hayom. Retrieved on 29 March 2025
- ^ a b Aschenbrand, Periel (11 February 2017). The Chosen Ones: An Interview With MODI Tablet. Retrieved on 29 March 2025
- ^ a b c d "Interview with Modi Rosenfeld". Interviews with Max Raskin. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ^ Backstage Show me the Funny: Making Money in Stand-up Comedy Archived 2005-11-07 at the Wayback Machine, May 21, 1999
- ^ a b Baltimore Jewish Times Something to Laugh About, March 27, 2014
- ^ Laugh Factory.com
- ^ a b c Hajdenberg, Jackie (24 January 2024). Jewish comedian Modi Rosenfeld, a mainstay for Orthodox audiences, is gay. So what? Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved on 29 March 2025
- ^ Gergely, Julia (31 May 2024). Jewish Pride Month events in New York City 2024, from galas to Shabbat services New York Jewish Week. Retrieved on 29 March 2025
- ^ Hajdenberg, Jackie (7 February 2025). Swanky, secular Shabbat parties keep popping up in NYC New York Jewish Week. Retrieved on 29 March 2025
- ^ US Weekly Fashion police Archived 2005-11-07 at the Wayback Machine, 2001
- ^ US Weekly Fashion police Archived 2005-11-07 at the Wayback Machine, 2003
- ^ Hollywood Reporter Lynch part of the family for CBS Pilot[permanent dead link], September 26, 2006
- ^ "Jewish Heritage Reception 2018". NYC Mayor's Office of Special Projects and Community Events. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ^ a b c Saval, Malina (2023-01-13). "Modi Rosenfeld, Gay Jewish Comedian, Talks 'Moshiach' Energy, Celebrating Shabbat and Comparisons to Robin Williams and Richard Pryor". Variety. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
- ^ a b (16 May 2023). Modi Rosenfeld, 53, comedian and actor New York Jewish Week. Retrieved on 29 March 2025
- ^ Barr, Neria (9 September 2024). American comedian Modi to be inducted in ANU’s Jewish humor hall of fame The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved on 29 March 2025
- ^ "And Here's Modi". Buzzsprout. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ^ (8 June 2023). Stepping Out Talet Mag. Retrieved on 8 April 2025
- ^ Episode 1629 - Modi Rosenfeld WTF with Marc Maron. Retrieved on 27 March 2025
- ^ [
External links
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