Passover Seder with Comedian
Modi Rosenfeld
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Passover is supposed to be orderly. The Passover Seder has structure. Four cups. And yet somehow, every year, it still turns into beautiful chaos.
Which is exactly why Modi feels like the right person to talk to. With his sharp eye for the tiny, hilarious truths of Jewish life, the family dynamics, the unsolicited opinions, the way a simple dinner can spiral off the rails, he captures the Seder exactly as it really is.
So we pulled up a virtual chair to talk Seders, stories… and, of course, wine.
A Seat at the Seder Table with Modi
If anyone understands how fast a Seder can unravel, it’s Modi.
“You start the Seder trying to get a rhythm going,” Modi says. “You’re reading, going around the table, thinking, okay, maybe we’ll actually get through this.”
Then the wine comes out. He gestures dramatically.
“Don’t pour for yourself. Don’t forget to lean…”
And suddenly the whole table is distracted by wine stories, he says, slipping into character mimicking pride.
The One-Uppers
One person says, “I brought this Psagot. It has a coin on it that they found in the desert, and they put it on this wine bottle. Best merlot you'll ever have in your life.”
And with that, the wine conversation distracts from everything else going on at the table.
“We were in wine country, and they had the Herzog Classic Collection…”
Then the one-uppers with “We found this wine…” start piling on.
“We found this wine while we were in Capri, and Kosher Wine Warehouse was able to get it for us.”
“You can lose 20 minutes in the Seder from somebody starting to pontificate about wines,” Modi laughs.
The Elijah Cup Moment
“And then there’s the big cup for Elijah, right?” Modi continues, leaning back. “I needed to fill it up, so I grabbed one of these bottles of wine, no idea. I pop it open and pour like… a gallon.”
The host reacts: “‘Are you… is someone drinking that?”
“Yeah,” Modi says, shrugging, “‘there’s a prophet gonna walk through the door. He’s gonna drink it.”
The room pauses. “Really? Because that was $180!”
Maybe I should have used Kedem grape juice.
Passover Wine Break!
So yes, we were taking notes on the bottles Modi mentioned in his stories, because who doesn’t love a subtle product placement moment during the show? Here are a few kosher for Passover wines inspired by Modi’s very passionate Seder table connoisseurs:
The Derailments at the Seder
What moment in the Seder do you realize things are about to be thrown off?
“Refilling the cups. Instant derailment. You try getting everyone back to the table after the meal. Derailment.
Modi takes a breath, because the list is long:
“Washing hands. Massive derailment.
Building the matzah sandwich. Derailment.
Someone disappears to check on dessert. Derailment.
Your aunt cuts in right in the middle of the Haggadah ‘So… how’s college?’
He throws his hands up. “How’s college now? Are you insane?!”
And when you’re trying to have a spiritual moment, and you hear, “Oh, that's so great, I need order because my housekeeper's just not coming regularly.
Modern Plagues
If you could add one modern plague to the list?
“Income tax. Imagine if it were like living in New York City.”
He leans closer mischievously.
“Moses goes, ‘If you don’t let my people go, we’re going to tax you like you live in New York City.’”
He gestures with his hands for emphasis.
“They would’ve freed us immediately. We never would’ve gotten to the firstborn. Pharaohs would say, Take them. Go. Move to Florida.”
If Passover Came with a Warning Label…
“What would it say?” Modi smirks.
“Don’t come in on four cups of wine already. I’ve seen that from personal experience.”
And yet… for all the chaos, the interruptions, and the wine speeches, Modi softens as he delivers his final thoughts.
“Don’t miss this opportunity, this moment to really bring a little order into your life. The Seder is a chance to focus on what matters, to find a little structure amid the chaos. So the craziest thing you could do is… not take that opportunity.”
In the Mood for More MODI?
Stay connected with upcoming events and all things MODI at modilive.com.
And if you’re in New York this April 2026, catch him live at Radio City Music Hall. You really don’t want to hear about it secondhand at someone else’s Seder, do you?