English-Speaking Mentalist for Events in Israel

Updated: November 2026 · Written by Yaron Frezi, an Israeli mentalist who has performed in Hebrew and English for 24 years

I perform in Hebrew and in English. My English is fluent, close to native, and I've performed for audiences in Los Angeles, New York, India, Italy, Bulgaria and Cyprus, as well as for English-speaking audiences here in Israel. If you're organizing an event in Israel for people who don't speak Hebrew, this guide explains what to expect from a mentalism show in English, which format fits your event, and what to ask before you book anyone, including me.

Who books an English-speaking mentalist in Israel?

The question I hear most often from English-speaking clients is "Will this work for our crowd?" These are the groups I perform for in English, and what each one needs from the show:

The Tel Aviv University conference is a good example of the second group. It was held in English with guests from abroad, at the NYX hotel in Herzliya, and it was the third time I was invited to perform at the university's conferences. I wrote about it here (in Hebrew). If you're planning a multi-day program for a foreign group, my planner's guide to corporate entertainment in Israel covers the calendar, kosher catering and venues.

Three show formats, and how to choose

These are the same three formats I list on my English page. Many events combine the first two.

Close-up strolling is one of the formats I'm booked for most often. At trade shows, the goal is different: bring people to your booth and leave them with your message. Past examples include doctors playing "Where's the louse" with me to promote a new anti-lice spray, and Duty Free James Richardson launching four new perfumes with magic tailored to each perfume's character. More on that on my trade show page (in Hebrew).

What does an English mentalism show actually look like?

The stage show runs about an hour and is built like a journey. The structure is the same in English and in Hebrew:

1. Opening with the whole audienceA short introduction and an interactive exercise everyone takes part in. Whoever does best becomes the first volunteer.
2. Numbers, thoughts and predictionsGuessing numbers and thoughts, and "predictions" about things that are about to happen. Fast, sharp and funny.
3. The card routineCards travel from my hand into a volunteer's pocket. He counts before and after, and finds he has more cards. This is the routine that won me Israel's championship of magic and telepathy in 2012.
4. Emotional momentsMoving segments performed together with audience members.
5. Russian roulette finaleI put myself at risk in front of everyone and try to avoid hurting my hand on a sharp nail.

Almost every segment uses volunteers from the audience, with a lot of humor and at eye level. Even in front of hundreds of people, I keep a personal dynamic with part of the crowd. It's all built on techniques, illusions, psychology and mental exercises, not on any supernatural claims.

Strolling at events, in English (2016): close-up magic among the guests.

Will the humor land? Language, accent and mixed audiences

This is the right question to ask any performer who isn't a native speaker. A few honest points:

• Fluency matters more than accent. A performer who has to think about every sentence can't improvise with volunteers. Ask to see a long, unedited English video, not just a short edit. I make a point of sharing long, unedited videos from real shows, on my videos page and my English page.
• A little Israeli edge is part of the charm. As my English page puts it, an "outsider" will add a fresh feeling to your event. For a foreign group visiting Israel, that's part of the experience.
• Pick one main language. If the room is mixed, decide with the performer in advance which language leads. Switching back and forth all evening tires everyone.
• Visual moments carry the show. When a prediction written in advance matches what a volunteer chose, guests whose English is a second language feel it just as strongly.
• Tell the performer who's in the room. Nationalities, sensitivities, the CEO's sense of humor. The online meeting before the event exists exactly for this.

How to set up the room for a show in English

An English show doesn't need anything different from a Hebrew one. What it needs is the same seven conditions that decide whether any show works. Planners from abroad often aren't used to Israeli venues, so here is the list I go over with organizers before the event:

• No food on the tables during the show. Cutlery, chewing and waiters walking around hurt attention more than anything.
• Theater-style seating if possible. Around tables, ask guests with their backs to the stage to turn their chairs.
• Audience close to the performer. No "dead zone" like an empty dance floor between the stage and the first row.
• Early in the evening. After a day of meetings or touring and a heavy dinner, even the best audience gets tired.
• Agree on the schedule. Speeches, presentations and courses: decide together what comes before and after.
• Clear sightlines and good sound. Move objects that block the view, lower background music, avoid glaring lights.
• Photographers to the side. Not standing in the audience's line of sight.

For an event of several hundred people, tiered seating or a stage, even a small one, helps everyone see to the last row. I bring my equipment, and a sound system when needed. If the venue has its own sound system, I'll connect to it in coordination with the venue's technician.

Remote teams abroad: the Zoom show

When part of the team is overseas, or the whole event is online, there is a version of the show built specifically for Zoom, with its own English site: zoom-magic-show.com. I adapted my adult telepathy show for Zoom: some segments were dropped, others were adapted, and two new segments were added that don't exist in the live show. In every segment a volunteer joins me in split screen, and I broadcast from a studio set up in my office in Shoham, with a dedicated camera, microphone and lighting.

A showreel of the Zoom show, in English (2021).

Companies that booked the online show include Rewire and SmartShift. More details are on the Zoom show page (in Hebrew).

How to book an English-speaking mentalist in Israel

Whether you're a planner abroad or a family in Israel, the process is the same:

1. Send the basicsDate, city or venue, number of guests, the audience's language, and the type of event. I reply to every message within 24 hours at most.
2. Short call and a tailored quotePrice depends on the type of event, the length of the show and the location. For bar mitzvahs there are three fixed packages, from ₪3,450 to ₪4,850, detailed on my bar mitzvah page (in Hebrew). Prices may change from time to time, especially around holidays.
3. Choose the formatStrolling, stage show, trade show, or a combination.
4. Tailor the contentFor companies, an online meeting to adapt the script. For families, a short briefing on the guest of honor and the schedule.
5. On the dayI arrive 30 to 60 minutes before, depending on the type of show, and set up so the show is ready before guests arrive. Payment is at the end of the event.

For events where the conditions are checked and agreed together in advance (good visibility, good sound, suitable seating, no food on the tables and no other distractions), I offer a simple commitment: not satisfied? Don't pay.

Yaron Frezi is an Israeli mentalist and Israel's champion of magic and telepathy (Israeli magicians' society, 2012). He performed at the "Magic of Israel" week at the Magic Castle in Hollywood (2010) and has done more than 4,200 shows over 24 years, for 185 companies and organizations, in Hebrew and in fluent English. More about Yaron in English.

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