A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Bob Alper graduated from Lehigh University and was ordained as a rabbi at Cincinnati's Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 1972. He served congregations in Buffalo and Philadelphia, and earned the Doctor of Ministry degree from the Princeton Theological Seminary.
With such impressive credentials, Bob quite naturally decided to embark on a second career as a comedian. He now performs internationally, billed as "the world's only practicing clergyman doing stand-up comedy . . . intentionally." He has appeared on "Showtime," "Comedy Central," "Extra" and ABC's "Good Morning America," plus hundreds of radio programs.
His fresh, contemporary and totally "unorthodox" style of comedy has been delighting audiences around the country. And his unique brand of humor appeals to everyone – from a synagogue crowd to a corporate event to a typical Saturday night comedy club.
Featured in dozens of newspaper and magazine articles and a frequent guest on television, Rabbi Bob Alper draws tremendous audience response wherever he performs. His act is clean, his humor is gentle, and he is a charming and affable performer. And one more thing – he's funny . . . very, very funny.
Yes, most of his audiences are Jewish, though he also kills at civic, Christian and corporate events. His humor is totally clean, non-threatening, non-controversial and unique! He is charming and affable. He is not a humorist, storyteller or raconteur. He is a stand-up comic!
Frequently, his weekend performance schedule is quite full. He generally does not perform on Friday nights or during the day Saturday, unless in the context of a synagogue event. He has no problem traveling on the Sabbath, however. He especially enjoys weekday engagements.
Bob Alper