Comedy Night with Modi draws big, buzzing crowd

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

It was one of the biggest Lehigh Valley Jewish community events since COVID-19: the Jewish Federation’s Main Event featuring the nationally in-demand comedian Modi at the JCC on May 4.

“This is the first time since the pandemic that we are all together,” said Vicki Wax, cochair of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Annual

Campaign for Jewish Needs. “We’re back in business in person!”

The JCC’s Kline Auditorium was abuzz with schmoozing before and after Modi began performing. The place was transformed for the night into a New York comedy club, complete with stage backdrop featuring a realistic brickwork motif. The lighting added to the effect.

Modi took the stage wearing a dark suit and bright gold belt buckle, no tie, kvetching, as a comedian will. He poked fun at his makeshift dressing room. “They gave me a room with no curtains to get changed,” he said. Anyone who’s been in the JCC’s offices knows the exterior walls of the rooms facing 22nd Street are mostly glass (although, as those of us who work here might point out, brand-new roller blinds had just been installed).

More than once during the one-hour act, noise from Tilghman Street, behind Modi, caught his attention. There was an emergency vehicle siren. There was also a revving engine that demonstrated the Doppler effect as it came and went. “What,” asked Modi, “is there a NASCAR track here?”

He did thank his Jewish Federation host for the short video it showed before his performance, depicting happy people interacting with other happy people in clips of the Federation doing its work to help those in need. “I’m so used to following sad movies,” he said.

Modi joked about a lot of topics easily relatable to the Jewish audience: Ashkenazi vs. Sephardic Jews, honorees, shiva. The crowd ate it all up, including a non-Jewish member of the audience who he singled out (good-naturedly) a few times. His bit on organization cochairs

Hot dogs! Kosher hot dogs here!

peaked with a punchline about how long a volunteer would selflessly suffer in the unwanted position: “I wasn’t going to do it this year, but they begged me.”

By coincidence, the community member chosen to take the stage to wrap up the night was none other than Vicki Wax, who announced, “I’m the cochair.”

Jewish Heritage Night at the IronPigs returns for its 8th year

Jewish Heritage Night at the Lehigh Valley IronPigs is back again. Jewish Day School kids will sing “Hatikva” before the game and kosher food will be served when the Philadelphia Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate plays the Toledo Mud Hens on Tuesday, June 13.

Admission includes a Jewish Heritage Night cap or backpack made especially for this occasion. Glatt kosher hot dogs will be available. First pitch is 7:05 p.m., but get there early for the pregame festivities; doors open at 6. Community members will be among those lining up at the mound to throw the game’s “first pitch” (i.e., there are lots of “first” pitches). The JDS kids will assemble at home plate to sing Jewish songs, leading up to the Israeli national anthem.

“A classic returns, bring- ing together America’s two favorite pastimes: watching baseball and eating hot dogs,” said Aaron Gorodzinsky, director of campaign and security planning for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, sponsor of the event. “It’s a rare opportunity for members of our Jewish community to be able to attend a game and have a kosher hot dog.”

$22 tickets include a field- level seat, a voucher for a glatt kosher hot dog certified by the Lehigh Valley Kashrut Commission, and a Jewish Heritage Night backpack or hat; $16 tickets include a field-level seat, a $2 ballpark credit, and a backpack or hat. (Please, no mixing of different-price tickets within a family.)

Most Lehigh Valley synagogues are selling the tickets, as are the JCC and JDS. Or you can buy them at jewishlehighvalley.org/calendar.

JEWISH