Bob Alper – “A rabbi and a comedian walk into a deli… they’re the same guy.”

Bob Alper (Lehigh ’66) is the world’s only practicing rabbi/stand-up comic… seriously. Bob built a career that combines both spirituality and humor in ways that resonate with and amuse audiences with his witty, heart-felt and clean material.

Bob has remained true to his mission of providing thoughtful and funny content that appeals to a wide range of audiences, whether performing at comedy clubs, synagogues, churches, conventions, corporate events, or private parties.

Bob has been featured on TV shows and news outlets, including The Tamron Hall Show, Good Morning America, CNN, and The Today Show. For over 15 years his comedy has been heard regularly on SiriusXM radio, often playing between icons like Bob Newhart and Jerry Seinfeld. He is also the unofficial “honorary comedic advisor to the Pope.” (See video above).

Check out his website for his schedule of events and availability.

Spirituality and Laughter

Bob said there are many ways to worship, and he always believed that making people laugh is a major element of his rabbinate. He would open his sermons with a joke to relax people and get their attention, and then continue with his serious message. 

He said, “Maya Angelou wrote that ‘people forget what you say, and they forget what you do, but they never forget how you make them feel.’ Making people laugh is a way to help people feel good.”

After 14 years as a rabbi for large congregations in Buffalo and Philadelphia, he said, “I was successful, but having earned a doctorate at The Princeton Theological Seminary, I decided to create an independent rabbinate, organizing high holiday services and officiating at life cycle events in the greater Philadelphia community. Then, surprisingly, comedy reared its ugly head.”

In 1986, Bob saw an ad for a “Jewish Comic of the Year Contest.” He entered and was among the finalists, earning him a five-minute stand-up routine at a comedy club in Philadelphia. Though he didn’t win the competition, he got the attention of local TV host of AM Philadelphia who arranged for a camera crew to film his act, and helped his comedy career get off the ground.

For Bob, comedy became a joy that was inspirational to others, letting them forget their troubles for a short time. He said, “After I did one of my stand-up routines, a woman with terminal cancer came over to me and told me, ‘For an hour and a half, I forgot I was sick.’ I was so touched.”

Uniting people through the Laugh in Peace comedy show

Bob was always committed to breaking down religious barriers through laughter. One of the cornerstones of Bob’s career was the Laugh in Peace comedy show which brought together Jewish, Muslim, and Christian comedians on the same stage, modeling coexistence through humor.

The tour, which lasted for 20 years, softened boundaries between communities, and created shared memories that were positive, not fearful or adversarial.

Sharing a rant with Lewis Black

Bob shared a stage with fellow Pilam, Lewis Black when honoring comedian and Baptist pastor, Susan Sparks who was receiving the UNC Arts Award. Bob worked with Sparks through the Laugh in Peace comedy show.

He said, “One of the thrills of my life was meeting Lewis again in Chautauqua, NY. I was sitting there eating ice cream when Lewis walked over and said, ‘Hi Bob.’” Alper was surprised he remembered his name. He continued, “We got together for dinner and he was nothing like his on-stage persona. He was really quiet and gentle.”

When Lewis Black began sharing fan-submitted rants in his stand-up routine, Bob sent his own rant to Black, who read it at one of his shows, “I’m a rabbi who lives in Vermont, and from October through April, all my friends in Arizona and Florida ask me, ‘Hey how’s the weather up there? Cold enough for you?’”

“As a rabbi, I can’t tell them to shut the f#@k up. So would you please do it for me?” Black’s audience went nuts with laughter.

The only man who had fun at the DMV

Bob takes every opportunity to make people laugh, even at the DMV, the worst place in the world. Take a look at his drivers license. And yes, they let him do this. 

Comedy influences

Bob said his sense of humor came from his dad, but he had other comedians who influenced his act. His favorite was the legendary Bob Newhart. Alper said, “He was clean, never offensive, and lived a very positive personal life.” Bob wrote a tribute to Newhart for Forward.com.

He also loved Mel Brooks, who was more edgy, but shaped his love of comedy with some of his classic skits, like the 2000 year-old man. Other cerebral comics who influenced Bob include Mitch Hedberg, and Gary Goldman.

Pilam connections

Bob was a legacy at Lehigh, where his father attended and joined Pilam. He followed in his dad’s footsteps and joined Pilam, where he made some good friends. But here’s a creepy comedic twist — one of his brothers, Robert Durst, who was a year ahead of Bob, was convicted of murder later in life and suspected to be a serial killer. Bob joked, “Durst was much nicer than our pledge master.”

In a chance encounter with a brother, Bob went to get a vasectomy. The resident who came to observe the procedure turned out to be his Pilam classmate. Bob said, “Half the time I was talking to Steve while the doctor was describing the procedure to him, ‘you fold this down, put the stitch here,’ while my fraternity brother was asking, ‘have you heard about Charlie?’” 

Bob is still in contact with a number of his classmates from all over the country. They still share emails and keep up with each other.