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Jewish comedian Modi Rosenfeld says he still has plenty of Orthodox fans after opening up about being gay
(JTA) — Sitting onstage at a comedy club filled mostly with his target audience of Orthodox Jews, comedian Modi Rosenfeld said that he’s still booking gigs at plenty of Orthodox synagogues — even after opening up about being gay.
“I performed at this beautiful shul, Anshei Emuna in Boca,” Rosenfeld said at the event last night at Stand Up NY, a venue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, referring to Boca Raton, Florida. “You heard of it? The woman who booked me for the event saw the article, she’s like, I would say, between 70 and — older woman, Florida — the whole thing. And it’s an Orthodox shul. And she’s walking around — ‘His husband’s here. Drop dead gorgeous. Drop dead gorgeous.’”
The club erupted in laughter.
The occasion was the first in-person taping of the Jewish interview podcast 18Forty. The podcast’s host, Orthodox Rabbi David Bashevkin, moderated the conversation (and revealed that he once took a standup comedy class and was promptly told to find another career). The episode that will emerge from the taping will be available to watch online and stream closer to Purim, the jovial Jewish holiday that falls this year on the evening of March 6.
Bashevkin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he originally booked Rosenfeld because comedy was the perfect topic for a Purim-themed episode. Then Rosenfeld gave an interview to Variety magazine in which he discussed being Orthodox and gay. Same-sex relationships are traditionally prohibited in Jewish law, and Orthodox communities have struggled with how and whether to accept and embrace LGBTQ community members.
Bashevkin revealed to the audience that he was a little nervous about speaking onstage with Rosenfeld now that the comedian’s sexual orientation is public knowledge, and mentioned that he received an email from someone questioning the propriety of the event.
The audience was supportive of Rosenfeld, clapping loudly when he discussed taking control of his own story, and when he offered advice to parents who find out their children are gay (don’t make it about yourself, and tell your child you love them, he said.)
Apple rates 18Forty as one of the most popular podcasts in the Judaism category, and after the show, Bashevkin hung around the entrance of the club as dozens of people stopped by to introduce themselves. Some mentioned how they knew him, or where they saw him on an airplane. Others complimented him on the show or expressed how much they love his podcast.
Ultimately, Bashevkin said, “I’m looking to raise up Jews and raise up our traditions.”
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The post Jewish comedian Modi Rosenfeld says he still has plenty of Orthodox fans after opening up about being gay appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Exclusive: Israeli Officials Harshly Critical of Steve Witkoff’s Influence on US Policy on Gaza, Iran, i24NEWS Told
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
i24 News – Amid growing disagreements with the Trump administration over the composition of the Board of Peace for Gaza and the question of a strike on Iran, officials in Israel point to a key figure behind decisions seen as running counter to Israeli interests: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
The officials mention sustained dissatisfaction with Witkoff. Sources close to the PM Netanyahu told i24NEWS on Saturday evening: “For several months now, the feeling has been that envoy Steve Witkoff has strong ties, for his own reasons, across the Middle East, and that at times the Israeli interest does not truly prevail in his decision-making.”
This criticism relates both to the proposed inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in Gaza’s governing bodies and to the Iranian threat. A senior Israeli official put it bluntly: “If it turns out that he is among those blocking a strike on Iran, that is far more than a coincidence.”
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EU Warns of Downward Spiral After Trump Threatens Tariffs Over Greenland
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on June 17, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Yves Herman
European Union leaders on Saturday warned of a “dangerous downward spiral” over US President Donald Trump‘s vow to implement increasing tariffs on European allies until the US is allowed to buy Greenland.
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa said in posts on X.
The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said tariffs would hurt prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic, while distracting the EU from its “core task” of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among allies,” Kallas said on X.
“Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity. If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO.”
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 countries will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting to discuss their response to the tariff threat.
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Israel Says US Gaza Executive Board Composition Against Its Policy
FILE PHOTO: Displaced Palestinians shelter at a tent camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Haseeb Alwazeer/File Photo
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that this week’s Trump administration announcement on the composition of a Gaza executive board was not coordinated with Israel and ran counter to government policy.
It said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would raise the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The statement did not specify what part of the board’s composition contradicted Israeli policy. An Israeli government spokesperson declined to comment.
The board, unveiled by the White House on Friday, includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Israel has repeatedly opposed any Turkish role in Gaza.
Other members of the executive board include Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process; an Israeli‑Cypriot billionaire; and a minister from the United Arab Emirates, which established relations with Israel in 2020.
Washington this week also announced the start of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s plan, announced in September, to end the war in Gaza. This includes creating a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in the enclave.
The first members of the so-called Board of Peace – to be chaired by Trump and tasked with supervising Gaza’s temporary governance – were also named. Members include Rubio, billionaire developer Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.