When comedian Eli Lebowicz first performed at Stand Up NY 14 years ago, things were very different. Still a student at Yeshiva University, Lebowicz was dipping his toes into the world of stand-up comedy—and had no idea where that would lead him. In January of this year, the Riverdale-based comedian announced he would be leaving his “day job” forever in pursuit of being a full-time funny man. Now, there’s no stopping Lebowicz as he looks forward to his comedy special, “Remind Me After Shabbos,” a one-night performance at Stand Up NY on Thursday, March 16.

Born and raised in Chicago, Lebowicz has explored his fair share of full-time jobs outside of comedy, including several years at both the Orthodox Union and B&H Electronics (“to gather more material,” he joked). As his comedy career began to take off, Lebowicz became increasingly aware that the lack of flexibility from working full-time was holding him back from really pursuing his passions.

“Do I really have other skills? I say that in jest, but I also kind of mean it,” Lebowicz shared. “This is what I’m good at. For the past several years, I’ve been making money incrementally doing comedy, managing 50 to 60 shows per year. I realized that if I really want to pursue this, I need to go full-force.”

But what did “going full-force” entail for the stand-up comedian? “It involves actively working on my material and doing more marketing and social media promotion…and of course, being flexible about events no matter when or where they are.” Lebowicz explained that he knew he would really be able to turn comedy into a career if he put his energy into it, especially without another job. “The ability to say ‘yes’ to things, like doing sketches with other comedians and recording podcasts, has furthered my comedic career.”

And so far, so good for Lebowicz, as he prepares for his March 16 show at Stand Up NY. “The first time I ever performed [at Stand Up NY] was in 2009, and it was a fundraiser for Sderot,” Lebowicz recalled. “It was a mixed crowd—some Jewish, some not—and I was the last comedian in the lineup. I said something like ‘I’m sure you’re sick of Jewish comedians by now,’ and then asked a woman in the front row where she was from. When she replied ‘Germany,’ I went ‘OK, then!’ and it was a hit. I got really lucky right off the bat.”

Lebowicz described his upcoming show as a “compilation” of jokes from over the years, including some recent material, all relevant for an Orthodox audience. “If the words, ‘remind me after Shabbos’ mean anything to you, then my material is definitely for you,” he said. Lebowicz shared that he hopes to have this comedy special filmed, which will help him not only with getting his name out there as a tour de force in Jewish comedy, but also with getting the video released so he can “be done with it.”

“I think this will force me to start anew and come up with fresh material,” Lebowicz explained. “It will capture all of the jokes I already have and then push me to work on brand new stuff after burning through this material.”

“I have a COVID joke; I’m a Levi but I don’t really sing or play instruments, so I’ll be the guy at the Beit Hamikdash standing on the steps to take people’s temperatures before they come in.” Lebowicz continued that while this joke did very well a year ago, he’s eager to have it “filmed and released” so he can move on to workshopping newer material.

It’s rare for Lebowicz to perform at a ticketed event like the March 16 show; the stand-up comedian usually spends his time at events for non-profit organizations and shuls, which are not always open to the public. Out of 110 tickets available, “Remind Me After Shabbos” has already sold 80 of those—and counting.

“This is really my own production. I even have some friends opening for me,” he shared. “This is going to be 70 minutes of material that many have never even heard before.”

Information about comedian Eli Lebowicz is available at http://www.elicomedy.com/. Tickets for “Remind Me After Shabbos,” on March 16 at Stand Up NY, are available at https://standupny.com/show/eli-lebowicz-remind-me-after-shabbos/.

By Channa Fischer