20 | SEPTEMBER 5 • 2024 
J
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O

z Pearlman, known as Oz 
the Mentalist, amazed view-
ers when he successfully 
appeared on America’s Got Talent,
winning third place in Season 10; 
made waves on social media for baf-
fling audiences with the trick he per-
formed on Aaron Rogers on the HBO 
documentary Hard Knocks featuring 
the New York Jets; and has astound-
ed audiences all across America as 
he reads people’s minds during his 
action-packed performances. 
He has performed for countless cor-

porations, celebrities and even several 
U.S. presidents. Oz generously gave 
us some insight into how he prepares 
to amaze audiences as he gets ready 
for his upcoming performance at the 
JARC Annual Fundraiser in Detroit on 
Sept. 18.

How has being originally from Israel 
inspired your work?
We moved to the United States 
from Israel when I was 3 years old. We 
eventually settled in Michigan, and 
I attended North Farmington High 

School in Farmington Hills and then 
the University of Michigan. Being from 
Israel has inspired me in many ways. I 
think that little bit of chutzpah — that 
ambition — is in my Israeli DNA, from 
a young age when my mom kind of 
made me “bootstrap” things. When I 
was 14, it wasn’t, “Oh, I’ll go buy you 
more magic tricks. It was if you want 
to do this, then go out there and get 
a job and start performing at kids’ 
parties and working at restaurants as 
a magician and make this happen for 
yourself. Don’t think that someone’s 
going to hand it to you. You need to 
earn it for yourself.
” 
And I think that’s something built 
into your DNA.

How do you prepare for a performance 
like the one you will do for JARC’s 

Annual Fundraiser?
One of the big things I do before 
performances is to study the organiza-
tion I’m performing for, knowing the 
attendees, knowing what motivates 
them, what interests them. 
In this case, especially with JARC, 
I have a strong personal connection 
as my mom, who lives in Israel, has 
worked for many years at a place 
called Kishorit — which is a very 
well-known and established commu-
nity, almost like a mini city, if you will 
— that’s for adults with special needs. 
I’ve visited there several times and 
have seen firsthand what an incred-
ible mission they have and the lives 
they change. I know that JARC is the 
same way, with people that are just so 
driven and dedicated to this cause. It’s 
shep nachas — which means joy that 
one gets from the work.

What are some of your hobbies and 
how have they influenced your work? 
 
I enjoy reading — memoirs, biogra-
phies, science fiction — just to escape 
a little bit. I also do ultra marathons 
(50-100 miles), which is my passion 
and I think corresponds and cor-
relates directly to my strength as a 
mentalist. Because the mind over mat-
ter involved in doing these long races, 
which are physical, but I would say 
more mental than physical, is pushing 
past your boundaries and what you 
think is possible. It allows me to do 
the same in my performances. I credit 
a lot of my mental discipline and for-
titude to athletics. And one kind of 
helps the other, so to speak. 

How has being a father influenced your 
performance?
Obviously, being a parent with four 
young kids consumes most of my 
time. I see the wonder in my kids’ 
eyes when they laugh, and when 
they’re happy it makes me the hap-
piest. And I try to do the same thing 
where I realize that what drives people 
the most is their family, their friends. 
If my performance surrounds 
something that they’re really attached 
to emotionally, my performance is 
more impactful. I might say, “You’re 
thinking of a place? Great — you’re 
thinking of Bora Bora?” 
But, if you’ve been to Bora Bora, 

A conversation with mentalist Oz Pearlman, 
who will perform at JARC’s Annual 
Fundraiser.

 It’s A 
Mind Game 

PAT BASKIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS 

OUR COMMUNITY

Oz Pearlman

