Comedian Nadav Abuksis Recounts Childhood Experiences at Funerals

Israeli actor and comedian Nadav Abuksis, a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, recently shared intimate details about his childhood and family background during an appearance on the Kan 11 program "Meeting with Roni Kovan." Abuksis revealed that his late father worked as a gravedigger for 40 years, coming from a family lineage of gravediggers. He described how his father would take him and his siblings to funerals during the 1980s, recounting long walks to the ceremonies and witnessing the grief of mourners.

Abuksis, known for his stand-up performances and television appearances, stated that he often incorporates his childhood experiences, including the unusual and sometimes difficult situations he encountered due to his father's profession, into his shows. He shared an anecdote about a joke he tells concerning the death of an aunt. He described a dramatic reaction from a relative at the funeral who expressed concern about his well-being, contrasting it with the more restrained mourning observed at an Ashkenazi funeral he attended shortly after, highlighting perceived differences between Mizrahi and Ashkenazi funeral customs.

Nadav Abuksis, who was born and raised in Hazor HaGlilit, is one of nine siblings. He received a religious education at a yeshiva and served as a combat soldier in the Golani Brigade of the IDF. Abuksis publicly came out as gay in 2013 and currently resides in Ramat Gan. He is a father to two children through a co-parenting arrangement.