When you deliver a punch line they don’t expect, that element of surprise makes people laugh. You say a story, pause, and give people a chance to think they know what you are about to say. Can you share a trick or tip of delivering a good joke? And I don’t use jokes to get out of tickets, it mostly doesn’t help. If you give a compliment in a way that makes someone laugh, that can help. Truth is, it’s not really humor that’s my focus, it’s making people feel good, feel happy. The other baal simchah paid so these people could laugh! Do you use humor to get out of sticky situations? My rebbi, said “ Nu, Yoely, badchan.” There wasn’t even a mike! I badchaned and the olam laughed until they cried. The guests were enjoying their gefilte fish with chrain - it was like a siyum. Turns out it was the sheva brachos of one of my favorite rebbis from cheder. When I was through I decided to check the other simchah. By nature he was stiff, so the guests uncomfortable and laughed quietly. The chasunah was stunning - the lighting, flowers - but as soon as I started, I realized the baal simchah was distracted, busy, talking to his guests. I arrived at a simchah hall that had two simchahs, one I quickly passed knowing I was badchaning at the other. Can you share an interesting experience you had as a badchan? My family comes first and that helps keep me balanced. I’m a husband, father, and then a performer. At night I’m mesamei’ach chassan v’kallah and by day I visit the hospital and the homebound. I would encourage everyone to visit a hospital at least once a month. How do you balance being serious and being funny? Some of those “unique voices” have turned into my most beloved and memorable characters. You know how sometimes someone comes across annoying? I try to find the humor in it. I always listen carefully to the way people speak. How do you go from a funny voice to creating a recognizable character that is all your own? Do what you love and you will see that fear is only an illusion. My advice for people is, if you are good at something, don’t let fear stop you. I still get nerves but I push through and they disappear as soon as people laugh. I never thought I would become a badchan, but when I saw how people responded, I knew I had to do it. You might not believe it, but when they announce my name on the mike I still blush. Does stage fright affect you as a badchan? How do you deal with it? Soon people I didn’t know started hiring me for their simchahs. Fifteen minutes later I realized I had just given my first comedy show.Īfter a few chasunahs, someone called me back for their sheva brachos. I grabbed the mike and started to be maspid the “dead” drunk. This was a silent act and the big kuntz was falling. They fight and one is knocked “dead.” Petrified, the other tries to revive him. In it, one man has a drink and the other wants it. In my days, the techiyas hameisim tantz was popular at weddings. Every Yid needs simchah.” How does one go from being plain funny to commercially funny - how did you get started as a badchan? My father shlita also encouraged me saying, “Making a Yid happy is the biggest mitzvah, even bigger than making him do teshuvah. I had a few rebbis in cheder who realized my gift and encouraged me, with warnings that I should make sure not to hurt people. If we all laughed until our stomachs hurt it would be better pain than the one we were going through.Īs I grew, I saw lots of people suffering, and I saw I could make them happy, change their lives. My siblings realized early on that humor would help us get through it. Seriously, when did you figure out you were funny? And another thing, all of the sudden everyone else becomes funny and I’m the normal one, and that’s boring. I usually pull something out of my closet, improvise, and hope it works. People dress up so funny, I can’t compete. What’s the most difficult part of Purim for you? On Purim it’s like it says in Tehillim “ Az yimalei sechok pinu,” people who are usually serious allow themselves to laugh until they cry. What’s your favorite part of Purim?ĭuring the year people don’t let themselves be truly happy. When I’m not spending time with my family, I try to visit to people I know need cheering up. I get to bring simchah to many Purim seudahs and hospital patients. Aside for from my usual busy badchan schedule, this is the time I write all my new material. Purim’s approaching, what have you been busy with?Īctually, I’m heading over to Kol Mevaser (Yiddish-language news hotline) to record the Purim segment, for the ninth year. It’s Purim time and who knows more about simchah than the Pester Rebbe aka Yoely Lebovits? This world-renowned badchan and comedian shows us there’s more to humor than meets the eye.
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