Spirited entertainer Dov Katz wasn’t always “Digital Dov,” but he has always been the king of bringing the fun to any simcha. Since his teenage years, Katz has been performing at shabbatons, weddings and other events, utilizing both his musical talents and love for games to build a successful entertainment business with his bands Krohma and OnKore. But when the pandemic hit, Katz pivoted to make himself an on-screen success—and transformed the simcha landscape in the process.

The last time Katz spoke with The Jewish Link was just the beginning of the “Digital Dov” empire. While planning to perform at Young Israel of New Rochelle’s annual Purim party, the entire community was blindsided by a COVID-19 outbreak in early March 2020, making them the first in the region to be affected significantly by the pandemic.

“The party organizers made it their mission to bring joy to a community that was going through something that no one else really knew about,” Katz explained. “That’s when I offered to come up with something virtual for them—and it was a smashing success.”

With the help of his creative daughter, Katz transformed overnight into “Digital Dov,” and word of his engaging virtual events spread like wildfire, especially as more communities became affected by the pandemic.

“We came up with a way to make things fun and interactive over Zoom,” Katz shared about his rapidly-growing popularity. “One of the hardest things to do is to get people to engage with each other [during virtual events] and make them feel like they’re actually taking part in something, instead of just talking to a screen.”

Though Katz remarked that his digital debut in New Rochelle was only his second time ever using Zoom, he quickly learned how to integrate technology into simcha entertainment. Now, Katz can expertly craft an entertaining event for any audience, using both original content and game show applications. And as many shift back to celebrating in-person, “Digital Dov” is continuing to bring that same sense of fun and creativity to the live events.

“Many people don’t realize that the time commitment for events goes well beyond an appearance,” Katz said. “Everything I do is customized, and it takes hours of preparation. I do a tremendous amount of research in advance of any event; and I learn a lot about my clientele in the process.” Part of that process, he continued, is getting to know his audience—whether that’s speaking with an entire family while creating a trivia game for a birthday party, or learning the history of an organization ahead of a corporate event, the entertainer is always prepared to engage anyone and everyone.

The recent digital revolution in the Jewish entertainment industry is one of many transformations that Katz has observed in his decades of experience—and is certainly not the last. “Back in the day, there were maybe one or two major players, and the only way you knew about them was from reading an article or listening to a tape,” he shared. “Now, it’s all about the personalities… People like Mordechai Shapiro, Simcha Leiner, Yishai Ribo and Nissim Black have all created these personas, built their own genres and transformed Jewish music.” Katz explained that this is largely due to the rise of social media, and is something that continues to shift the industry as it evolves. “That’s something that started several years ago and is going to continue.”

Another transformation that Katz has observed is the business of engaging bar mitzvah entertainment; while weddings have largely stayed the same over the past few years, parents throwing bar mitzvah parties have changed their tune drastically. “I get phone calls literally every single day from parents looking for something ‘fun and different’ for their kids,” Katz said. “No one cared how engaged kids were before, but now, people want bar mitzvahs to be interactive for guests of all ages.”

Katz continued that wanting something different for bar mitzvahs, and similarly most major simchas, is a direct result of the pandemic. “A lot of times, people in our community do things because that’s how they’ve always been done,” he explained. “The rules of celebration have changed during this pandemic, and people are now relishing the freedom to choose how they want their events to look, and what they do to have a good time. They’re embracing that change, and that’s a good thing.”

The new face of the Jewish entertainment landscape has left the master emcee with a lot on his plate—but he does it all with a smile on his face. “I really love everything that I do, and I feel blessed to be able to do it,” Katz expressed. “Everything I do involves making people happy.”

Make your next simcha a celebration to remember with a “Digital Dov” flare by
visiting digitaldov.com.