Modi, a gay, orthodox Jewish comedian, hears from members of his community who are struggling with their sexuality all the time.
The Israeli-born comedian, whose real name is Mordechi Rosenfeld, exclusively told Page Six he receives messages of thanks often.
Modi, 55, told us he will get messages that say, “Hi. I’m gay. I’m orthodox. I was born in this kind of a family. And you really helped. And we we’re very appreciative.”
“We understand that we are speaking to that audience as well right now,” he explained.
Although he had been out for decades in his private life, it wasn’t until a 2023 Variety article that he came out professionally, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
The standup comic described his narrative as “a guy who’s a Jewish comedian, goes to synagogue, keeps kosher, puts on Tefillin every day, and happens to have a gay husband, and that’s what it is, it’s not one or the other.”
Surprisingly, he says that he has received very little pushback from the orthodox world and is still hired by “very, very religious organizations because, you know, I deliver what they need.”
“My last special was called ‘Know Your Audience,’ so I know what the audience needs and I deliver it,” he told us.
Modi, who married his boyfriend, Leo Veiga, in 2020, says that Jewish mothers who are fans of his comedy somehow manage to ignore that he’s gay and instead refer to Veiga as his “gay husband.”
“It’s like they literally don’t put it together,” he noted with a laugh.
Veiga, who also acts as Modi’s manager, is responsible for the comedian’s growing popularity, which really began to explode during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Modi joked that it has turned Veiga into another famous manager: Kris Jenner.
Modi also strongly believes in something he calls “Moschiach (messianic) energy,” which he explains is living life “as though the Messiah is here, with kindness and passion.”
The former investment banker sees his purpose as bringing people together through laughter, something he’ll be doing on April 30 at Radio City Music Hall.
“When you see everybody laughing at once, that is Moshiach energy,” he shared, adding that anyone can create that positive energy, “by even smiling at somebody. A smile, you know, it’s for everyone.”
