Turns out the magic shop offered a beginner’s class. The man asked the youngster if he’d like the trick for himself.

It was the first time Wind had ever seen one. At the age of 13, he wandered into a magic shop on Tel Aviv’s Allenby Street, where a store employee performed a card trick. “I complained every time they turned it on.” “There was no overt discrimination,” he remembered, “just a sense in the air that Ashkenazim were superior.” Sephardim often felt pressured to yishtaknez, or “Ashkenazify.” Wind, ashamed of his background, grew to loathe the Arabic music so beloved by his parents. Growing up in the Israel of the 1980s, Wind felt alienated by his Sephardic heritage. He was born Asi Betesh in Holon, Israel, the son of a Syrian father and an Iraqi mother. Names, both past and present, play an important role in Wind’s personal history. The nature of the evening’s card deck was such that the performance embraced the theme of names and the power they hold over their bearers. Wind singled out audience members to serve as assistants for his tricks, leaving them both stunned and laughing. Relying solely on this unique deck, the magician performed feats of illusion and seemingly inexplicable telepathy, cracking Israeli-accented jokes all the while. Upon arriving at the theater, each spectator had been handed a blank playing card and asked to write down their names. Since September 2022, fans have been converging on this venue off Washington Square Park to see “David Blaine Presents: Asi Wind’s Inner Circle.” Wind rocketed to the pinnacle of the magic industry after media appearances including “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” Illusionist Blaine, a close friend, described Wind as his favorite magician, and mentalist Shlomo Levinger called Wind “one of the most incredible magicians alive.” His current residency at the Judson, at 32 shows per month, was recently extended to January 2024 due to its popularity and strong reviews.įor the next 90 minutes, Wind treated his audience to a unique blend of illusion, comedy and psychological musings. His salt-and-pepper hair, black blazer, t-shirt and jeans recalled a Silicon Valley executive more than a magician. The lights brightened after several moments to reveal a beaming Wind standing at the central table, arms spread wide as if to welcome his guests.

The music stopped, the lights dimmed and the babble died away. Black-clad ushers mingled and chatted with the crowd as they awaited the performance by Israeli magician and mentalist Asi Wind. The downward slope of the seats culminated at a round table, backed by a tall black curtain, seating an additional 10 audience members. The audience, roughly 100 people, were situated in three semi-circular tiers of steeply inclined stadium seating. The crowd at Greenwich Village’s Judson Theatre chattered in anticipation, an eclectic mix of western pop and Arabic music playing in the background.

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