Modi, a gay Orthodox Jewish comedian, listens to the stories of people in his community who constantly struggle with their sexuality.
The Israeli-born comedian, whose real name is Mordeki Rosenfeld, exclusively told Page Six that he frequently receives messages of gratitude.
Mr. Modi, 55, said he would receive messages saying, “Hello, I’m gay. I’m Orthodox. I was born into a family like this. And you’ve really helped me. And we’re very grateful.”
“We also understand that we are speaking to that audience now,” he explained.
Although he had been coming out in his private life for decades, he came out professionally in 2023 in an article in Variety magazine, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
The stand-up comic describes his story as “a Jewish comedian who goes to synagogue, keeps kosher, applies tefillin every day, and happens to have a gay husband, and that’s what it is, not one or the other.”
Surprisingly, he has faced little backlash from the Orthodox world and is still employed by “very religious groups because I am providing them with what they need.”
“My last special was titled ‘Know Your Audience,’ so I know what my audience needs and I’m delivering it,” he told us.
Modi, who married his girlfriend Leo Veiga in 2020, says Jewish mothers who are fans of his comedy somehow ignore the fact that he is gay and instead refer to Veiga as her “gay husband.”
“They literally don’t seem to have it together,” he noted with a laugh.
Veiga, who also serves as Prime Minister Modi’s manager, has helped boost the comedian’s popularity, which has exploded during the coronavirus pandemic, with PM Modi joking that Veiga has become another famous manager, Kris Jenner.
The podcast co-hosts are also working on a book and an upcoming documentary, and Modi recently made his first appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.”
Prime Minister Modi also believes strongly in what he calls “moshiach energy,” which he describes as living life “with kindness and passion, as if the Messiah were here.”
The former investment banker believes his purpose is to bring people together through laughter, and he plans to do just that on April 30th at Radio City Music Hall.
“When you see everyone laughing in unison, that’s the Moshiach energy,” he shared, adding, “Anyone can create that positive energy just by smiling at someone. Smiling, as you know, is something that everyone has.”
