#114 – With Bob Alper – They Really Let You Do That?

#114 – With Bob Alper – They Really Let You Do That?

From Were You Still Talking? by Joel Albrecht

February 16, 2026 · 53 min · Season 2 · Episode 114

About this episode

A fun conversation with Rabbi Bob Alper about his unique career as a practicing rabbi and stand-up comic.

Episode #114 – With Rabbi Bob Alper – They Really Let You Do That? Fun conversation with Bob Alper, world's only practicing rabbi/stand-up comic (really). We talked about his start in comedy, the Jewish comedy of the year contest, totally clean comedy and much more. From Bob: Key Message / Core Story: Maya Angelou wrote that people forget what you say, and they forget what you do, but they never forget how you make them feel. My calling – and my rabbinate – is trying to make people feel good, whether through my formal performances, often before hundreds, or when I encounter someone checking papers and licenses at a car rental lot. I enter their lives for a few moments and hope to lift their spirits through my humor. There's a reason why Sirius/XM satellite radio plays Rabbi Bob Alper's comedy bits many times daily, often sandwiched between Bob Newhart and Jerry Seinfeld. Bob's background – he served large congregations for fourteen years and holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary which prepared him well for a thirty-five year comedy career with delicious material presented in a way that's intelligent, hilarious, and 100% clean. The New York Times put it succinctly…

People in this episode

Host: Joel Albrecht

Guest: Bob Alper

Topics covered

  • comedy
  • Judaism
  • stand-up

Keywords

  • clean comedy
  • Jewish comedy
  • humor

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Were You Still Talking?

Places: Hollywood, Toronto

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