AND HERE’S MODI
AND HERE’S MODI is an inside look at the man behind the microphone. Hosted by comedian, Modi (@modi_live), AHM features a raw and unfiltered side of the comedian rarely seen on stage. He always finds the funny as he navigates the worlds of comedy, trending topics, his personal life and spirituality. AHM is co-hosted by Periel Aschenbrand (@perielaschenbrand) and Leo Veiga (@leo_veiga_).
AND HERE’S MODI
Jüdischen Kulturtage Berlin
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Episode 148: Modi and Periel are joined by Abraham Toubiana of the Jewish Cultural Festival of Berlin - where Modi will be performing November 20th!
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Meeting Avi and Festival Introduction
Speaker 1Welcome to and here's Modi . Hello everybody , and welcome back to and here is Modi . And we have a special guest in the house besides Perrielle Ashenbrand , hi , who's wearing a very , very cute kaputa . She's wearing a little black coat today . She looks very rebisha , not Rebbitinish . I love that coat . What is that ?
Speaker 2Helmet length .
Speaker 1Gorgeous . Her knees I don't know the jeans Looks like someone threw her out of a car and she's like oh my god , can we do one episode of a makeover on you ?
Speaker 2Yeah , can we do a ?
Speaker 1makeover on Periel .
Speaker 2You , can I get to choose ?
Speaker 1hair color and everything . I get to everything .
Speaker 2Hair color . Are you going to put me in a shidle ?
Speaker 1Put you in a shidle and okay , and we have a friend , a good , a Mashiach energy friend . Let me tell you we met this guy when was Avi ? His name is avi I always get distracted , avi and the last name is to be on now to be on now , now , to be on now , god right , yeah , to be on now . Um beautiful name and um he runs the . I'm gonna say in english the berlin jewish cultural week . I'm going to say it in English the Berlin Jewish Cultural Week . Is that right , correct ?
Speaker 3yes .
Speaker 1Right , which I performed at two years ago , and it was amazing . It was amazing and it was definitely one of the things I can put down in my life that I could say , wow , that was an amazing event . The comedy club that we performed at had no air conditioning . I sweated through the suit . I swear to God , I'd never seen the drops run down my coat . I've sweated through suits , so I wear dark suits because I sweat through them sometimes . This was a light suit and it just turned completely wet and there was just like drops coming off of the bottom of the . That's how hot it was . I did two shows , but it was amazing and the shows were just a part of it . We got to see Berlin Avi set us up . We had we went , me and Leo . I think we came from somewhere . We came from Israel or something . I don't remember . I don't remember .
Speaker 1I don't remember , but it was unbelievable and of course we got there and Mercedes-Benz was a sponsor .
Speaker 3Exactly , was a sponsor , was Not anymore . Actually , they're coming back in this year Because you are coming If you need me to make a phone call .
Speaker 1I will call Mercedes-Benz . I have two of their cars and I believe they should be sponsored , so they sent this Maybach for us . So we were driving around Berlin like Adolf Eichmann , literally , literally , and we told the driver we don't want to see anything specific , we're doing a general tour .
Speaker 2But you said , I remember also that you were driving through Berlin and then there were like these huge pictures of you .
Speaker 1No , well , you know . So some of the buildings we kept seeing in Berlin looked very World War II-y , you know like , still like , looked like when you look at films of the Nazis and World War II . Those buildings were still , some of them were still there . And Leo goes , that building looks very Reich-y , very like Third Reich-y . Yeah , and Leo goes , that building looks very .
Speaker 2Reichy very like Third Reichy .
Speaker 1And you're waiting to go see this big banner of a Nazi flag . But then he showed us where , like the main center of the show was , and it was a huge banner
Performing in Berlin: Mercedes-Benz and Banners
Speaker 1with my dumb face right on it . And I'm like the swastika was replaced by my face . I was so happy when I saw that .
Speaker 2That feels like very sweet revenge it was very sweet revenge .
Speaker 1There's Jewish comedians' faces where the banners of the Nazis used to post , and the festival was unbelievable . Tell us about the festival Well yeah , of course .
Speaker 3I mean . The festival is running since 1987 .
Speaker 1Wow , and you just had me only two years ago .
Speaker 3Yeah , exactly , I didn't know you before Chutzpah to have you here no just a second , I'm just running it for the last four years . This is going to be now my first years and yeah , it's now the 38th edition which we are running , and you're going to be there again , and again , again . I mean , we're doing it for 10 days and we're running more than 40 events in this 10 days tell us about the events , because some of them were amazing .
Speaker 1We saw them . We saw like other stuff too .
Speaker 3Yes , of course . I mean we had like , we have like concerts , we have , uh , we had like , when you came , we had a fashion show . Fashion show , a jewish fashion show , what . At mercedes-benz . We , we are doing readings on the Bebelplatz , where the Nazis burned the books , so we are building their tent , wow , and we have readings there with Jewish , only Jewish , writers . We have movies , like it's really really huge .
Speaker 3And Diana and I I have to admit I'm not doing it by myself , it's my wife so we are running the festival since yeah , since I 22 we started and we changed it all over . I'm , I think , the first one who is running it as a jewish person , for before that , um , there was a non-jewish person running a jewish festival , and so we changed it and we made it more alive . And when they asked me if I could do it , I was telling them listen , if I'm gonna do it , I'm gonna do two things . I'm going to do two things . What I'm not going to do is like talking about the Holocaust and the Near East politics , I mean Israel and everything .
Speaker 3So , and you know , because I was born and raised in Germany and if you are outing yourself as a Jew , there are always two questions or two things . It's like they say oh , are you Jewish ? I'm sorry about the Holocaust . Like a German person , I'm sorry , but what are you doing in Israel ? It's not correct . So this I wanted to show them like another face of our culture , of our rich culture , and that's why I'm doing like with you comedy . What was really great . I remember when Leo told me listen , avi , from the beginning , bring a big venue . And I said no , no , it's not going to work in Germany they don't speak English . And we were sold out , I think after two hours .
Speaker 1Yeah , we did two shows in that same club . Yeah , and , like you said , he didn't mention the Holocaust , but I did , you did . The room was a thousand degrees and I said all the Jews are having flashbacks .
Speaker 1That was my opening line , and then we just did all the other stuff . It was we also met with , so you obviously have to raise money for this . And so we had a dinner with , we had a lunch with all of these people who were . A lot of them were hotel ownerships right All over Germany , right , am I right ? And some real estate Jews that were there . They were helping the festival , making donations or whatever it was .
Speaker 1Some of them , some of them . So we had lunch with them in this beautiful restaurant and across the street , avi says to me and you see that building across the street , I go . Yeah , he goes . That was Adolf Eichmann's office . Wow , right , you said it to me , or the other guy said it Maybe the other one , I didn't know . I was blown away . It was blown away .
Speaker 2It's wild Germany . I just got back . Coincidentally , I was just there for a week .
Speaker 1Nothing is coincidental Things coincide . Oh , I love that you come on and Avi's on the podcast . This is Avi's first podcast , so first of all , congratulations . Second of all , your camera is this one , so you'd be much better to look at me when you're answering the questions than at Periel , just so we can see your beautiful eyes Exactly . So just that's your camera . He's so sweet , he's so naive . His wife , though , she's the one that moves things along . You got to meet his wife .
Speaker 3No , I got the last word at home . Why are you laughing
Berlin Jewish Culture Week: Origins and Growth
Speaker 3? I'm always saying yes , you're right , that's it Absolutely .
Speaker 2I'll introduce you to my husband .
Speaker 1What did you do in Germany ?
Speaker 2I went to Dachau .
Speaker 3Oh , nice place Shopping .
Speaker 1Shopping , shopping .
Speaker 2Great stores , first of all , today's Yom HaShoah .
Speaker 1That's right . Today we're taping this on the Holocaust Remembrance Day , which is amazing .
Speaker 2And germans . I don't like to talk about the holocaust , but here we are . I mean , I don't blame you guys why are you not blaming me ?
Speaker 3I don't have a problem to talk about the holocaust no , but germans do I'm jewish you're jewish .
Speaker 2Well , fair enough . Um , I mean , maybe that should be a question . You said that . You said that for the festival . The first thing that you said was you're not going to make it about the Holocaust .
Speaker 3No , because they're placing you in . How do you say it ? In a box , in a box , yeah , a box . Jews Holocaust .
Speaker 2Yeah , I get it .
Speaker 3There are only like two things and I mean this is not our people . I know you've been to Israel . I mean we are wild , we love life .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 3And they to . We love life . Yeah and um . They see us as jews and only the holocaust and the gray dachau place and everything that's not us , and they love to see us in this place and I , I , I , that's again it's not us . I know , I grew up , I was born in germany and my father was a big guitar player and wow always um . You know , all my german friends came over , always in my own apartment , because they said hey , there's life , there's food , there's , this is who we are .
Speaker 2Wait a second , though . What about your family ? Your father was also born in Germany . No , Tunisia .
Speaker 3Oh okay . I'm half Sephardic , I'm sorry .
Speaker 1But you look so Ashkenazi .
Speaker 3What did you do ? My other half ?
Speaker 1Yeah , but when we were in Germany , we told you the story . First of all , when you walk around Berlin , they have on the floor those gold .
Speaker 3Stolpersteine . Show who Stolpersteine . It's kind of you know you are like .
Speaker 1Stolpersteine .
Speaker 3I just met her , no that you are like ?
Speaker 1how do you say if you are like ? It's a memorial plaque and it says , like in this house , that this is in front of is where Elza and Moshe were taken away in the year 1942 . And no one knows whatever happened to them afterwards .
Speaker 3Or they were killed somewhere , or they were killed , it tells you .
Speaker 1it just shows you where this and that's all over the city . So if you live in Berlin , you just see gold little plates all over the floor reminding you . And then Leo and I were just walking around to take in the city and all that , and this couple came over to us , blonde boy with blue eyes , and his girlfriend , who's Ethiopian . He's a Jewish kid that met his girlfriend , uh , who was Ethiopian , in Israel , and they live in in Berlin , and he says that we keep it very quietly . He goes , he grew up in Berlin and he they never advertised that they were Jewish . They went to a Jewish school and then when they went into the regular school , they just it was their first time being around non non-Jewish people . It was there . It's a very , still very . You guys are very hidden still within in berlin , which is why I was a hit , because I walk on , hey , I'm a big jew , hey , we control politics , hey , we control the money , we control everything . And they're like oh my god , this guy's saying it and it's like yes , they were shocked .
Speaker 3They were shocked , but they were shocked . But I was not born in Berlin , I'm from Düsseldorf , it's like the western part , and I had no Jewish school . I mean , when I was growing up in Germany , there were only 20,000 Jews all over Germany , wow . So it was nothing . And I mean , we've been to Jewish camps and there were only like 200 people my age all over Germany , wow . So we were just meeting once a year like for ski and for summer camps . But I had no problem to say in school that I'm Jewish .
Speaker 2But what happened to your family during the Holocaust , like where were they , how did they survive ?
Speaker 3It's a funny story actually . I mean , for my father's side , had like to go to how do you say , in caves in tunisia , because rommel was there and right . So they went in caves , so the two of them died because of typhus , but for my , uh , for my mother's side typhus yeah I have to used to speaking english .
Speaker 3I mean , you know I'm from germany , yeah , no , and from my mother's side . Actually , my grandfather was in germany until the 8th of november 38 , so one day before the , and then he left to palestine . I think they knew it um before and um , but the other family they went to Auschwitz . I had , like his cousin was at Mengele even . And no , it's awful , but there was a funny story when I moved .
Speaker 2It's hilarious so far , yeah .
Speaker 1Everything he says it's a funny story . Then he goes Mengele took out my grandfather's arm and then we put it into his nose and what happened ? Was he got a job in the circus ?
Speaker 3No , no no , it was not like this . I mean , really a few aunts and everything of my grandfather died in Auschwitz . But I moved to Berlin in 2003 . And well , berlin is really big . So I decided to move to Prenzlauer Berg at Korinastraße 52 .
Speaker 3So one year later my father is passing away in Israel and I wanted to know a little more about my grandfather , where he lived in Berlin and everything . So then I was going to his cousin and I'm asking okay , you as well from Berlin , where have you lived ? So she said , well , my apartment was at Korinastraße 35 . And I was asking okay , you're as well from Berlin , where have you lived ? So she said , well , my apartment was at Corinnastrasse 35 . And I was like , what I mean , from all the Berlin , I'm living right next to your house . And then they showed me a picture of my grandfather before he was leaving Berlin , at Schönhausen Allee , and this is where I'm living at this moment . I mean I had like goose , you say Goosebumps , go this moment . I mean I had like goose , you say goosebumps , goosebumps on it . I mean this is like how history is coming back . I mean berlin is really big .
Speaker 1We have almost four million people , not like new york , but um that's incredible is a berlin is that we had a great time there , outside the outside , the festival berlin's an amazing place , um .
Speaker 1That's why you're coming back I'm coming back because I took so much fun and I just love being in . I love performing in Germany . I don't know why there's something I get about Between the shows I've done in Frankfurt , düsseldorf and Berlin . I don't know why I love performing in Germany . I'm really looking forward to the shows we have in Warsaw and the shows we have coming up in Munich . I've never been to Munich we have a show coming up there and Geneva and Antwerp , and I don't know why I call it the reparations tour .
Speaker 1I just I just because I just I don't know why I feel such a great like . Here we are where , where they destroyed us , and we're coming back laughing .
Speaker 2It's so amazing , it's so amazing .
Speaker 1They're not there anymore and here we are getting together to laugh . Is that crazy ?
Speaker 3No , not at all . This is exactly what I wanted to show with the festival , and you were like really saying what I was like feeling . And here we are , we are still here and that's it . I mean deal with it . And I mean the people were really proud after you left , after the show . They were really proud to be part of this festival . I mean to be to laugh and I mean this is the most exciting thing . I mean later , I mean three weeks later , it was before the 7th of October , and then boom , it's crashed all over again , so I was there before October 7th .
Speaker 1Yeah , you know , since October 7th Two weeks , I think , before .
Speaker 3It was crazy , was it ? Yes , yes , end of September you performed in Berlin .
Speaker 1And 7th of October . Oh , wow , so maybe we were flying to Israel after that . Maybe that's what it was . Wow , you know , since October 7th , I sing Hatikvah at the end of every show .
Speaker 1I can't wait to sing it in Berlin . I cannot wait to sing it in Berlin . I'm going to have chills , you know . I want to give a shout out to also to last night I saw the Children of October 7 , the movie , which was amazing . Montana Tucker Montana Tucker did this movie with Paramount and MTV , the Children of October 7 , and it was amazing . And the Holocaust hasn't
Family History and Holocaust Connections
Speaker 1ended . The Holocaust hasn't ended . It really it hasn't ended . I know they closed down the camps , the auschwitz and buchenwald , and then trablink and all that , but the holocaust has not ended . Um , and it's um , it's unbelievable . When you , I saw that , and what was amazing about the whole the movie was the correlation between the . It was its own Holocaust on a smaller level , but I don't know . Whenever I'm in Europe , you feel maybe it's because all the movies we watch , is that what it is ?
Speaker 2Did you grow up with these stories from your parents ? Where were your grandparents from Like ? What was that history ?
Speaker 1My grandparents went to Israel before the war .
Speaker 2From where ?
Speaker 1From Belarus , romania . The borders changed all the time at the places that they lived , so we didn't have those stories . But we had another set of grandparents my aunt's parents who lived with . They were like my grandparents and they had the number and they had Wow . Also , we didn't grow up with the stories . The whole telling of the Holocaust stories is it's not new , but it wasn't around when we were growing up . The grandparents didn't just sit at the table and say , hey , elie Wiesel with his book Night , I think , really ignited that thought and then when the movie started coming out , good movies began the conversation . And now we're having the conversation with survivors who are in their late in life , whereas now this movie yesterday that I saw was the Children of October 7th . The kids are coming out of a Holocaust and they're interviewing them right away .
Speaker 2At the end of .
Speaker 1World War II . There was no podcasts , so a survivor or a hostage or whatever you want to call them , didn't have a platform to tell what just happened to him or her .
Speaker 3They didn't want to talk about it . They didn't want to talk about it .
Speaker 1They didn't want to talk about it . That's right too . They were very… .
Speaker 3I don't know how it was in the States , but you know , I grew up and I was born in Germany and at synagogue I saw all the old people with the numbers on their arms . Wow , and they never… they didn't want to harm us , they wanted to protect us and they always . I mean I've never seen such beautiful people . I mean they always were positive about life and to laugh and everything . And I mean I I remember this . I mean I was seven or eight years old and I was asking , like this guy , what is this number ? And he was making fun of it . This is my phone number if I forget it or something . And they always made jokes about it and and my grandparents never talked about it . I mean it was like you don't talk about the Holocaust , I mean , as you said . I mean there was Schindler's List and then the movies , and then we started to research about it , but nobody talked about the .
Speaker 1Holocaust Right , it wasn't . Like it is today , where we give survivors that are still alive a platform to talk about it and here tell us what happened when they got out of there . They were in shock and they were . They just wanted to get on with their lives and move on with it . And um , and I don't know if you know , but um , we're doing a uh I I hate to bring , even though that you began with , I don't want to talk about the Holocaust we ended up here we're doing an interview with Omer Shemtov , one of the hostages that was released , a live interview with him , and I just can't wait to get into that conversation with him as a nowadays survivor . But back to you and Berlin and the festival .
Speaker 3But I can tell you as well with the hostage .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 3So our opening will be like we're doing our own production this year , I'm bringing a symphony orchestra , wow . And we are telling the Jewish story with movies of , like Munich , prince of Egypt . We are telling the story with soundtracks , I mean from John Williams , stevens , stephen spielberg , the whole thing . So the opening will be munich , you know , remember the movie from steven spielberg ? Yeah , yeah . And this will stay like um of all the terror attacks of everyone , and agamberger one of the hostages yeah , of course , yeah survive will do the opening for us .
Speaker 2Oh , that's beautiful . She's playing the violin .
Speaker 3Yeah , it's a violin which survived Auschwitz , a violin which is 130 years old . And yeah , so she's doing the opening .
Speaker 2She's amazing , Agam .
Speaker 1What else is in the festival ? What else is going to be at the festival ?
Speaker 3So you are coming . Obviously I'm headlining the festival . What else is happening ? We have jazz , we have the movies , we have like a party with Dag Nachash , which is a band from Israel , and we have readings again . I mean , there was a big writer , Leon De Winter is coming . Is he going to be in that synagogue that ?
Speaker 1beautiful synagogue , there's a synagogue that he took us to . So is it going to be in that synagogue , that beautiful synagogue ? There's a synagogue that he took us to which is so beautiful and massive and huge , and he told us that during the war that's where the Nazis stored their horses . Wow . And then I asked him why didn't they just burn the synagogue down ? Because the synagogue was built too close to the other buildings .
Speaker 1It would have burnt down the residential buildings as well , and just to be in that synagogue was , and just to think that there were horses running around there , and now that synagogue is so beautiful , it's such a great space , is that where the show I'm doing is Good . I love performing in a synagogue , you do . I love performing in a synagogue .
Speaker 3Well it'll . I love performing in a synagogue . You do .
Speaker 1I love performing in a synagogue Will be a great show . Yeah , it's going to be .
Speaker 3I will . I will be there .
Speaker 1And how is the fundraising going ?
Speaker 3It's not easy . It's one of the reasons why I'm as well here in New York . So if you know some sponsors , let me know .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 3It's always hard because , you know , and I can't say , I mean people are always now a lot of doing sponsors or doing etc . To israel and I mean this is more important . I understand , but it's always important for our festival to raise it or to make it bigger , and this is what we did to the four , four years , the last four years and um where can people go to find more information about the festival ?
Speaker 1Yeah , and Jüdische Kulturterre , remember it's so hard , it's so hard , it's so hard .
Speaker 2What was that ? What happened ?
Speaker 1Jüdische Kulturterre . Jüdische Kulturterre , kulturterre is Kultur . Kulturterre Wachen Dreecher .
Speaker 2Best of luck with that .
Speaker 3You guys will find it's jktberlin jktberlin jktberlin perfect , wwwjktberlin very good folks .
Speaker 1That's Mashiach Energy . Send money , send help , be a part of it . If you need a reason to go to Berlin , this is it . Berlin's an amazing , amazing city , the history . We had such a great tour the guy gave us without getting out of the car it was me , no you were one day your tour was good , but the other guy gave us were you in the car with us ? I ? Was driving in the car , it's Berlin's Holocaust museums and sex dungeons , isn't it no ?
Speaker 3Book me a flight .
Speaker 1Book me in both . Book me in both .
Speaker 1That sounds perfect , maybe edit that out , but okay , but that's the we got like . It's really an amazing city . I'll be there and I would love for people to come to . If you need a reason to fly somewhere to Berlin , that's a great reason People come to Paris , I'm there . Let's make a weekend of it . Berlin is definitely an amazing , amazing place for it and that venue is so beautiful that synagogue and I'd be crazy if I didn't ask you what's the vibe now since October 7th with anti-Semitism ? I don't know . On my Instagram I'm seeing crazy feeds of police and Palestinian
Post-October 7th: Anti-Semitism and Resilience
Speaker 1clashing , really clashing . Tell us what's happening there .
Speaker 3It's not nice . What should I tell you ? I mean , after 7th of October , I think all the Jews all over the world , we are facing I mean an anti-Semitic wave . It's unbelievable , and in Berlin as well , we feel it . We feel it from neighbors , we feel it from the students , we feel it . We feel it from neighbors , we feel from the students , we feel it everywhere was it shocking in Germany like was it surprising ?
Speaker 3um , well , I think everybody was shocked after 7th of October . I don't know how you felt that , the guys here all over , uh , in the United States . But , um , I mean my wife and I it was Saturday , it was Shabbos I mean we didn't know what's happening . I just heard my phone always like ding , ding , ding , ding and I , my wife and I it was Saturday , it was Shabbos I mean we didn't know what's happening . I just heard my phone always like ding , ding , ding , ding , and I said my wife , Diana , something is happening here . I have to switch on my . I have to look what's happening . In this moment my neighbor is knocking my door and I remember she said listen , I don't know if you know what's happening , but you have to burn Gaza down . She's saying this was like a support . I mean I said what's happening ? I don't know . So this was in the beginning . Everything was really positive and everybody was supporting Israel . But after one week everything was like yeah it's changing .
Speaker 3I mean , I'm going in a little synagogue and after one week we had like a Molotov cocktail which was thrown on us . Hamas , on the 13th of October , told that they're going to make an attack at Jewish restaurants or schools . So my children are in Jewish schools and I sent them to school and from 600 people , only 23 people came .
Speaker 1Wow , because all the parents were really like afraid to send them to school and from 600 people , only 23 people came . Wow , because all the parents were really like afraid to send them to school . Is there security ? Are the police helping out ? Is there ? Is there a showman ? Is there some kind of there ? Is Israelis ?
Speaker 3with guns and there's police , but people are afraid . I mean , yes , okay , the schools are protected , but you know , if the children are going to school , what's going to be after ? I mean , they're going out of the school , somebody just have to go after them . And people are afraid . And the students in the universities , they were like Israelis beating up on the streets . It's a nice situation , I can tell you . But you know , I don't know how it is like here , but I saw as well at Columbia University . It's not great . It's not great . It's not great , it's not great at all . So , but it's moving us Jewish people together . What should I tell you ? And I didn't know if I wanted to do another festival . I can tell you , really , yes , because it was . How can you do a festival after such an event ? You have to do a festival .
Speaker 3I did . But in the first three months I was shocked . They said how can I do something positive with such an ?
Speaker 1We left Israel on Saturday when the war began and on Monday we had a show planned in Paris and we just had to continue . Otherwise , they win . Otherwise , if you didn't do a festival the next year or the next scheduling because of that , it's a win for them . It's a win for them . It's a win for them .
Speaker 3I understand totally , but you know we had not like a positive feeling to do something like yeah , everything is fine , et cetera .
Speaker 1But my tour now is called Pause for Laughter , because you have to pause for laughter . Yes , you have this horrendous thing happen and we should help in whatever we can to the hostages' families , to the hostages' forum , to Israel , to IDF , to all of that . But also take a minute and catch your breath and have a laugh . Go listen to somebody play the violin , go be with the community , even if it's not something they want to see maybe they don't want to see a fashion show or a violin but you're just sitting in a room with people who are , you're with your community for a little while . You know it's just , it's just really important .
Speaker 3this is what we did . I mean we did like um on babel spots where the jewish people , where the nazis burned the book , and right next to the university where the students were like pro-Palestinian . We completed a Torah roll there , on this place , and the last letters , each letter we were giving not only for the hostages , for the victims of the 7th of October , and we invited the whole city to be part of it . And then in a convoy there was like a Hasidic player , shlomi Gertner . I know Shlomi Gertner .
Speaker 1You know Shlomi Gertner , Of course I know him yes .
Speaker 3So I was placing it on a truck and said , listen , we're doing , samer , we're going to bring this Torah to the synagogue , to this little shul . And there came , thousands of people came there , wow , and everybody was thanking me . I said , listen , I mean , there was jewish people and they were saying , listen , since the 7th of october , this is such a good vibe , and everything and um . And then I said I was satisfied , like after this event , because I didn't know how it will end in the end , and um , but there were . It was really a good protector from the , from the , from the police . I think there have been more police officers than people who attended . No , it was not , but no , yesterday I did uh .
Speaker 1Yesterday I did a um , a podcast with these two girls . It's called video judaica in uh in brussels I'm sorry in Belgium for the show that I'm doing in Antwerp and she said that she was at my show in Brussels and when I sang Hatikvah since it was the first time she heard it as a community , as people together she goes . It was such a moving moment in my life . She told me , you know , just because you just had the show , it was 900 people and it was altogether Jewish and there was a protest , a very there was a very peaceful protest up the block from it . It didn't affect us . You know , it's funny because when I do perform , it's Modi . It doesn't say the Jewish comedy of Modi or Modi Rosenfeld , it just says Modi . So it's not like anybody has to go , but over here I'm performing under the Jewish , all of that .
Speaker 3German is very good .
Speaker 1No , we walk whenever we're in Germany . Whenever we're in Germany , I speak to everybody in Yiddish and sometimes they have no idea what the hell I'm saying and Liam's like they don't know what you're saying . Stop talking to them in Yiddish . They don't know what you're saying . You speak Yiddish .
Speaker 3I speak , yeah .
Speaker 2He does speak .
Speaker 1Yiddish . We get in the car and I go Wie weit To get to the hotel , and he's not doing what I'm saying , but in Yiddish wie weit , how far .
Speaker 3That's right . He said in German wie weit is es , wie weit is it Right , it's pretty close .
Speaker 2It's good so yeah .
Speaker 3I ate a lot of sausage when I was in Germany just now and you know who I kept A kosher ones right Of course , and you know who I kept thinking of .
Speaker 1Who .
Speaker 2Seth Seth .
Speaker 1She ate kosher sausages .
Speaker 2Almost as good . No , not almost .
Speaker 1There's no way anything could be as good as the sausages and the kosher meats of A&H Provisions , especially the hot dogs .
Speaker 3Especially the hot dogs . He's one of our sponsors yes , the best ones .
Speaker 1We should tell him to sponsor you guys as well . Seth has A&H . It's amazing .
Speaker 2He should join .
Speaker 1It's amazing food , people love it and for 30% off of your first order , you use the promo code Mody and go to their website kosherdogsnet I'm telling you , avi , best hot dogs you ever had . And our other sponsor is Weitz Luxembourg . It's a law firm that not only does well , they do good , they're very philanthropic and they are great . And Arthur
Community Response and Torah Celebration
Speaker 1was on one of the podcasts recently and we had a whole conversation about pretzels Weitzluxcom . Weitzluxcom . They're our sponsors and they're great and we love them and thank you very much for that , so they should join .
Speaker 3I mean , I'm running a kosher street food festival on the 6th of July . There was , like in the last three years we had like one day 12,000 people were joining . Wow , 30 stands with kosher food Wow .
Speaker 2That's so cool , you should join .
Speaker 1We'll let them know . Good , All the stuff that you're doing . It's unbelievable . You're bringing Moshiach energy into Berlin .
Speaker 3Am I ? I don't know . No , they were all joking about me , about the Kosher Street Food Festival . So we did it like the first time three years ago and they said nobody will join , nobody will come . And the first year there were like 4 000 people came there and then like , and we took restaurants who are not doing kosher the whole year and everybody turning the whole kitchen kosher and everything . In the second year there were like 8 000 people , 30 at 12 000 .
Speaker 1so this year on the 6th of july we'll see how many will come that's really cool the hotel we stayed at didn't have a israeli restaurant downstairs right they had , they still have it's amazing it was , it was . It was a great little apartment like we had there was . It was very cute already reserved for you is it ? Yes , it is okay good , good , good . I spoke already with leo about it good , I don't know anything and I'm so happy the hotel is already , it's already booked . Yes , if you need me to speak to Mercedes , I'll get on the phone with them . I have cars of theirs .
Speaker 3I have the cars .
Speaker 1I don't have the drivers oh , we'll get a driver then , perry Ellicott . I'll be your driver no , I've never been to an autobahn so I take you next time .
Speaker 3What's that autobahn ? Perry Ellicott , I'll be your driver . No , I've never been to an Autobahn , so I take you next time . What's that Autobahn ? It's the highway Unlimited .
Speaker 2Yes , I was on that highway just now . You guys are insane . There's no speed limit on this highway . Why , insane ? It's normal , it's so terrifying . There's no speed limit .
Speaker 1Right . So just zooming right , I don't like that no , no , no , it's great .
Speaker 3No , it's not , it's terrifying when I took you how much is it 95 miles an hour no 55 or 65 , that's it yes it was like slow motion . I mean , if we are going Germany , we are going like 220 , 230 kilometers an hour . How much is it miles ? No one knows . Whatever it was .
Speaker 2it was so terrifying . My nephew , who's 24 , was driving me around in their Mercedes , of course and I thought we were going to die like at any given moment . It was really scary .
Speaker 3Should I take you before the show or after the show ?
Speaker 1I'm not going on any .
Speaker 3I'm not going driving fast anywhere I don't like that , don't worry , I have to drive .
Speaker 1I like to . I drive to doing the normal speed limit yeah , I don't I'm not a speeder , I'm not a . No , you will be , don't worry I mean everybody's zooming through and all that .
Speaker 2It's crazy and the other thing that's going on in germany is that people are consuming the most obscene amounts of beer just like nonchalantly in , like pints that are like this big children are like no from 16 .
Speaker 3I mean , you know , I was working for bmw when I was I , I was learning , I I am .
Speaker 3I did apprenticeship as a mechanic , you know really parents said yes , my parents said , listen , you have to do something with your hands . So I was working for bmw so we had like an in munich . Usually you have like this how do you say the , the automag where you got the cans from the coca-cola ? Yes , so they have beer . I mean there's things where you can take . It's unbelievable . So then I was like living in the states . I said you have to be 21 . I said what , what 21 ?
Speaker 2I mean we are drinking their beer and also you're allowed to drink and drive there , right ?
Speaker 3no , you're not smoke and drive , not drink and drive . Alright , no , no , no , okay , oh my god , until now here . No , no , no , you're not allowed to drink , but we're doing it anyway , yeah good , and your wife how is ? I don't know , I'm here , right now , what does she do ?
Speaker 1She does an interesting job .
Speaker 3No , she's actually one of the . I mean , it's a lot of work to organize such a festival and I have a main job . This is not what I'm doing all over the year , but I can tell you we are doing now another festival in Osnabrück I don't know if you know the city . No , it's a smaller city , so we're doing as well . This year , the first time in september , we're doing the jewish festival as well . And so she said we have to continue . And I'm saying listen , it's , it's hard . I mean with all the managers , with israelis , it's hard to to , to do the marketing , social media , etc . I have no idea what social media marketing . So she's behind it and she's like the force which are which , I mean , she's the how do you say , the good vibe for the festival . And this is the reason why we are continuing , because of her , not because of me .
Speaker 1She's a real Eshet Chayil , a real woman of valor . I'm singing it every Friday . You sing it every Friday .
Speaker 2yes , I am really you know the song or no ? No , your husband doesn't sing Es . I am really you know the song or no ?
Speaker 1your husband doesn't sing what do you think ? No , I don't know . I don't know with your husband . Sometimes he puts on tefillin , but he doesn't sing he puts on tefillin every day . Shabbos as well ? I don't think you're supposed to on Shabbat we had three days of those jokes , three days of those jokes we had with him . His wife ignores him when he does those jokes .
Speaker 3Always , she ignores every one of his jokes , but sometimes she's laughing . And I said , why are you laughing ? He said , oh , this one I didn't know , but it's not . I mean , it took me eight years to propose to her . Eight years , yes , eight years . I said she was asking her . Eight years , yes , eight years . I said she was asking . Why eight years ? I said I want to make sure that you know all my jokes . Oh , it took you eight years to get the jokes out . No , to tell them all the jokes .
Speaker 1Oh my
Upcoming Festival Plans and Performances
Speaker 1god . Leo has been posting um . We got footage of me doing comedy from like 100 years ago , from 30 years ago , and leo is obsessed with these video and he's posting them now .
Speaker 2They're amazing , they're amazing .
Speaker 1I was I had . I didn't realize how , like I , we have to talk about that in another episode , but they're , they're pretty crazy .
Speaker 2Everybody should immediately go to your Instagram and watch those videos .
Speaker 1In the recent clips we've been putting it's like shows from 1997 and right after 9-11 . What were you laughing ?
Speaker 2I was watching them . I was dying . They're unbelievable . They look for their from like . Another time it's another time . And they're like grainy a little bit .
Speaker 1Grainy and the font he put on them fits that time of font and he's a man of valor . He's great . So that's it . We can start to wrap this up . I cannot tell you how great it is to see you . What an absolute tanug and just a fun Joy , A joy that you popped up into the .
Speaker 1You were in New York and we're doing the festival and I'm looking forward to it . We have so much before then , we have so much before it . We're going to be and everything's available on modicom . We're going to be in Warsaw , Poland , on the 14th of May . Everything is in May Warsaw , Manchester , Munich , Frankfurt , Geneva and Antwerp . Tell your friends or , if you're there , get your tickets at modilivecom . Be the friend that brings the friends to the comedy show . Get some tickets for your friends . We also have the Not Sleepaway Camp , the Laughaway Camp . We have shows that are going to be in comedy clubs really fun in Omaha , Nebraska . I don't have all the dates with me right now , but get them . Everything's on modilivecom . See there , and please , please help . The berlin uh jewish cultural festival and the website is j t no , j k t j k t dot berlin , dot berlin , b-e-r-l-i-n .
Speaker 1Exactly , and it's and it's . That's just , even if you have nothing to do with it and you're in the middle of nowhere . Send some money there , send some energy . Money is energy . Just send some energy to Berlin for this festival . It really gives people hope . That festival just gives people hope and like , wow , we're here , we did it , we're alive , we're surviving , we're laughing .
Speaker 2Hope is the good word for today , I think , and like wow , we're here , we did it , we're alive , we're surviving , we're laughing .
Speaker 3Hope is the good word for today . I think . Anyom HaShoah , it really is . Our theme is as well . It says Atit , it's future .
Speaker 2Atit . Yeah , also Hatikvah , that's hope . Right , tikvah
Wrap-Up and Future Tour Dates
Speaker 2is hope .
Speaker 1Right , we just keep going . Hamashkanta the mortgage . Whatever you want , we can always make it like oh my God , avi , it's so , so good to see you . Amazing and success with the festival , and we're going to have the best time in Berlin . We will , okay . Thank you all very much for listening . Modilifecom . Stay in touch . We love you .
Speaker 2Auf Wiedersehen , auf Wiedersehen .
Speaker 1Guten Tag .