A Rabbi, A Lawyer and a Chiropracter Walk Into a Comedy Contest,,,, with Bob Alper

Disclaimer: Unedited AI Transcript

Larry (00:07):

You are listening to specifically for Seniors, a podcast designed for a vibrant and diverse senior community. I'm your host, Dr. Larry Barsh. Join me in a lineup of experts as we discuss a wide variety of topics that will empower, inform, entertain, and inspire as we celebrate the richness and wisdom of this incredible stage of life.

Larry (00:39):

My guest today on specifically for Seniors, is a practicing rabbi and standup comedian, Bob Alper has been seen on Good Morning America, Showtime, the B-B-C-C-N-N, and he was featured on extra TV's top rated entertainment program immediately following a segment on the size of Jennifer Lopez's butt. I'm not sure really whether that's an appropriate way to introduce a Rabbi <laugh>, but it's too late now.

Rabbi Bob Alper (01:18):

But it's true. It's true. <Laugh>,

Larry (01:21):

Welcome to specifically for Seniors, Bob.

Rabbi Bob Alper (01:25):

Thank you, Larry. Nice to be here.

Larry (01:29):

How do I now segue into a serious question and ask you how you became a rabbi? What got you into the clergy?

Rabbi Bob Alper (01:37):

Well, you know, if I were Mel Brooks, I would say I, I put my hand on a rock and I said, I am a rabbi. But it was more complicated than that. Becoming a rabbi was a, a very natural career choice for me. I was always interested in people. I majored in what was called Social Relations at Lehigh, which is anthropology, sociology, and social psychology. I knew I, I wanted a people oriented career. My late uncle was a rabbi, a very important influence in my life. And so it was, it was natural. It was not a theological choice. It was a choice of I'm proud and, and always excited about being a Jew and always wanted to work with people. So, at the <laugh>, excuse me, by the end of my senior year in college, I toyed with the idea and I decided, you know, I'll, I'll go to seminary, try it out. If I like it, I'll stay. I didn't like it, but it was a means to an end. And six years later I was ordained as a rabbi.

Larry (02:40):

You said that your rabbinate was about making people laugh.

Rabbi Bob Alper (02:45):

Yeah, you know, I've been doing comedy since 1988, full, full time. People always ask, are you still a rabbi? And it took me a lot of years to realize and to articulate that there are lots of ways of, of functioning as a rabbi congregational life, of course, academic life, chaplaincy a scholarship all kinds of ways. And I realized my way of functioning as a rabbi was making people laugh. And there's a, there's a holiness to it. It's not just fun. It's not just diversion. There's a holiness to it. And the, the prime example I can give is my driver's license has a very funny picture on it. And with me mugging the camera and I got away with it. 'cause I lived in Vermont, and when I, yesterday I was in a, a, a market getting coffee, I think a seven 11 kind of store.

Rabbi Bob Alper (03:52):

And after I finished the very dour look, depressed looking clerk handed me my change. And I said, oh, and I wanna show you my driver's license. She said, I don't need to look at your, I said, no, I, I wanna show it to you. She alright. And I showed her this ridiculous looking picture of me and my driver's, and she brightened and she smiled, and she laughed. And she called her colleague over to look at it. And they had a little party. And I walked away feeling really good. And I, I do that all the time. And you know, it, it's, it's bringing joy to people's lives, whether it's through using my driver's license, whether it's making a joke lightning people up. Another quick example when I pull out of a, a car rental place, there's a man in a booth who looks at my paperwork, looks at my driver's license, and sends me in my way.

Rabbi Bob Alper (04:46):

And often they're middle-aged, Pakistani immigrants. And I know the guy's working in this, this minimal wage job to support his family. He probably has two master's degrees in engineering, which he can't use here. It's not a great life. And he's trying so hard. And I pull up just another guy coming through as hundreds and hundreds, and I show him my driver's license, and he looks at it, he does a double take, and he smiles and he laughs. And he says, may I show it to my friend in the next booth? I said, of course. And he takes it over, and the two of them have a laugh together, and he brings it back. And a lot of times people say, you made my day. And one time I was checking into a hotel late at night, and the young desk clerk looked at my license and he smiled, and he little, a little laugh.

Rabbi Bob Alper (05:44):

And then he looked at me with a very sad expression. He said, I've had a really rough day. He said, thanks, I needed that. And by the way, the name of my second book is Thanks. I needed that. And I tell that story. So that's my rabbit. It it's, it's helping people laugh. And I, I'm very, very grateful that I, I sort of accidentally got into this you know, even if I weren't doing professional standup, I would still always try and make people laugh appropriately. There are times when you don't make people laugh, of course. But there are appropriate times when you do.

Larry (06:23):

So how did that get you into standup comedy professionally?

Rabbi Bob Alper (06:30):

You know, it, while I was still serving a congregation, a couple of my friends and I went to a comedy club on a weeknight just for the heck of it, you know, we had time and the admission, I think it was $5, but if you agreed to it was amateur night, if you agreed to get up on stage and do five minutes, you got in free. Well, okay, I, I, I knew some jokes, and so I did it. I, I got up there and I, I told some jokes, and then I saw the red light blinking, which means get off the stage. And I didn't do great, but I got free admission. So, you know, but it wasn't in the back of my mind. I left my congregation, I earned a doctorate. I was gonna do counseling. I opened an office, shared space with a psychiatrist.

Rabbi Bob Alper (07:20):

It was all set in 1986. And that summer, the Jewish exponent in Philadelphia, where I was, had a little, little tiny ad, maybe three inches high saying, do you think you're funny? If so enter the Jewish Comic of the Year contest. Tell us in 50 words why you're funny. So I sent it in my entry. They had a hundred people who entered, knocked it down to 50. They called me and said, tell us a joke. I mean, on the spot. I, I told 'em a joke. I was one of 13 finalists, and we had to do five minutes of standup at a Philadelphia comedy club going bananas. And the place was full supporters of the various contestants. And I got, they knew I was a rabbi. I was only a rabbi. I walked out on the stage wearing a pulpit robe, spread my arms as wide as I could, and said, try not to think of me as a rabbi.

Rabbi Bob Alper (08:22):

And that's how I began my comedy career. I ultimately, I ultimately came in third behind a chiropractor and a lawyer. But the chiropractor was dirty. The lawyer went over his time. So I felt I was the legitimate winner. And one of the celebrity judges was a woman named Liz Starr. She was the hostess of AM Philadelphia, the top rated morning TV show. She thought I should have won. And she told me, and she ultimately had me on her show. And prior to that, she had a, a camera crew come and, and film me performing at a comedy club. And I think I did 10 minutes of which a a minute was worthwhile <laugh>. But there we were. And that really launched what became within a couple years, a, a, a career.

Larry (09:10):

So a rabbi, a chiropractor, and a lawyer, walk into a comedy club and take it from there, <laugh>.

Rabbi Bob Alper (09:20):

Right. And they compete. And and, and of, of the three, only one of them is a full-time professional comedian, <laugh>.

Larry (09:31):

I asked because my granddaughter is beginning to do standup in clubs. Okay. And she's just starting, so she's going through some of the same stuff.

Rabbi Bob Alper (09:42):

Yeah,

Larry (09:43):

It's interesting.

Rabbi Bob Alper (09:44):

It's, it's a dream. I've got a se like a 75-year-old. My cousin's husband, he just retired from a university position. He's his PhD. And what's his, what does he wanna do? He wants to become a standup comic. <Laugh>. A lot of people want, but, but tell your granddaughter, you know, I mean, I'm sure she knows she's gonna fail, that's part of the game. But to keep at it and to, and to, oh yeah. To tell her, use her material. Try every chance she gets when she's in a supermarket, if she runs into somebody she knows, she's gotta tell that person the joke or try every chance she gets, because it, it, it builds up, you know, the, the timing the delivery, the editing, editing, editing, editing of, of her jokes to make sure they're as succinct as possible. Young, I've got a lot of advice for young comedians.

Rabbi Bob Alper (10:35):

But I was that, that a Vermont comedy contest a year ago a Vermont comedy festival. I lived in Vermont, of course, a Vermont comedy festival where as part of the festival, they had a contest. And there were 20 comedians plus myself. And we all had to do one minute, and each successive round until the, the files and these, these young comedians, and I was like 50 years older than the, the next youngest, next oldest comedian. They all were so full of themselves. They'd get up on stage. Well, I don't know what I'm gonna talk about. I, I think I'll talk about how my girlfriend, you know, no, that, that just doesn't work. That's lazy. And I came up with my prepared material. And of the 21 of us I won the contest <laugh>. And, and because it takes, you have to look like you're just winging it, just doing in improv. But actually, you need to be prepared. Edit and, and share that with your, your granddaughter. 'cause I, I know, you know, those are some of the tricks of the trade.

Larry (11:46):

I watched a couple of videos of you performing in contrast to a, a lot of standups. Now your humor is gentle. How do you find your material? How do you make gentle funny?

Rabbi Bob Alper (12:04):

You know, I, I think first of all, because I've lived a long life and had a lot of experiences my material comes from places that no one else can touch. When you listen to comedy club com comics, the themes just keep repeating themselves. I just broke up with my girlfriend. I don't have any money. I live with my parents. Here's the difference between New York and la. I have a broken down car. I got drunk the other day, the same over and over and over again. Told differently my material. I can talk and draw from being an adult. Being married for 55 years, having grown children, having raised teenage children, being a rabbi, conducting services, weddings, funerals traveling to Israel having a, a dog that came from Puerto Rico. I've got a lot of material so I can pick, choose.

Rabbi Bob Alper (13:08):

And I'm always aware of the fact that I, I want everyone to enjoy themselves. And I don't want 'em to leave the event saying, I laughed, but I felt guilty. And when a comedian is really dirty, people laugh, but they'll feel guilty. I don't want that to happen. Hmm. I want people to just, just feel good. Another, another thing I, I would cite is I'm very concerned about everyone in the audience. And years ago, I, I had a manager. I, I stopped using her after a while, but I was doing a show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the nineties. And the man, my manager told me, she was speaking with the chairmen, chairperson, chairwoman of the event. And she said, oh, is Bob gonna do his joke about the wedding procession? And my manager knew exactly what was going on, told me about it.

Rabbi Bob Alper (14:04):

And here's the thing. I used to do a joke where I'd say, I would officiate at so many weddings, and almost all the couples would choose the song from Fiddler on the roof, sunrise, sunset. And it always amused me to see a 250 pound bride walk down the aisle to, is this the little girl I carried? And, you know, it got a good laugh. It's a funny joke. But when my manager said the woman she talked to, whom she'd never met, asked about that joke, I knew exactly that this was a woman with a weight problem. And she found that joke to be not funny. Maybe painful, probably painful. And she wasn't demanding. She was just asking. Well, you know, from the point of when I heard that from my manager, I never ever did that joke again. And when it came time to take my, my cassette, which I had recorded, and transfer it over to a DVD, I edited out that joke.

Rabbi Bob Alper (15:08):

'Cause I don't want anybody to feel bad. I just want people to laugh. And the, the best example of what I do and, and what I really call the holiness of laughter took place after a show when a woman who I knew was dying of cancer came up to me. She said, you know, she said, for an hour and a half, I forgot I was sick. And, you know, to be in a position to be able to help a woman who's dying of cancer not feel sick for an hour and a half, what a privilege.

Larry (15:45):

So there is a holiness in laughter.

Rabbi Bob Alper (15:48):

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Larry (15:51):

Like many standups, you, you've gotta get some hecklers once in a while. How do you handle that

Rabbi Bob Alper (15:58):

<Laugh>? Fortunately, I don't. Oh, really? I, I, I do, I do pre heckle work, which means when I do a show I get to the venue beforehand and make sure the room is set up properly. And many a time I've been in a synagogue auditorium and they've set up the tables far apart from each other, maybe with a buffet in the middle. And I say, I can't perform this way, let's move the tables. Then I'll start moving the tables. I get good exercise doing that, pulling the tables so they're close together. I always send out instructions ahead of time that the people should be sitting close to one another and close to me. If I'm doing standup and there's, somebody comes in late and they sit in the back, no matter how funny I am, no matter how great a sense of humor they have, they will not laugh if they're sitting alone.

Rabbi Bob Alper (16:57):

It just doesn't happen. So people need to sit, the room needs to be set up properly. And if it's not set up properly, that's as painful as a heckler, because you can do whatever you want, and you're not, the, the stuff is not gonna work. So I, I, I prearranged that. Second thing is I would do comedy clubs. You don't have that, that ability. But usually the comedy club owners managers will set it up so that people are sitting in the right place. But, you know, in comedy clubs, sometimes people are drunk. I have one hecka line, if somebody's hecka, and I have, if I say, excuse me, sir would you mind leading us in the silent prayer? So, so I've used that maybe twice, and it works. But if the guy continues, I'm dead. 'cause I don't have, I don't have a backup line.

Rabbi Bob Alper (17:50):

So heckler's a I I, I've not had heckler's, although I've had situations that have been dreadful. And it's because of the, the room set up. I, I call those shows. A pat Your Chest show. I was doing a corporate event, and I worked with the secretary of the owner of the corporation to set up the room. And I talked to her maybe 10 times. And I got there, and it was completely wrong. They had four little tables in the front, a huge wide space behind me, and an open bar in the back, and nothing was working. And that's what I call a pat your chest show. Which means I'm in the middle, I'm doing my act, I'm going straight down the toilet. And any other comedian doing would do the same thing. And I would, I, I, at one point, I just pat my chest and I can feel in the inside pocket of my blazer, the envelope with, with my check. It's right there, <laugh>. So I'm being paid for this. And that makes it somewhat All right. But I've, I've heard, I heard about Robert Klein once did a huge show. He got out there and the place was totally wrong. And people were talking and he said, nah, I'm not gonna do this. And he gave him a check back. So it, it's, it's, the room setup is critical. And that's the, that's what I call the hecklers. So

Larry (19:15):

One of your books, life doesn't get any better than this. The Holiness of Little Daily dramas. One of the chapters begins talking about how to segue into a rabbinate from the introduction. My father used to take showers with the Lady Next Door, <laugh>,

Rabbi Bob Alper (19:36):

I knew you took that <laugh>.

Larry (19:39):

How's that one of the chapters?

Rabbi Bob Alper (19:43):

Yeah. I'll, I'll tell you what the chapter's all about, and then I'll talk about how, you know, the grabber in my preaching. You know, I, I, I'll, I'll start with this. When I give sermons, you know, I don't use humor all the way through. I give very serious sermons. But I, you have to get people's attention. It's important to get people. And so I often, but not always, would start like this. I, I, after I left my congregation in Philadelphia, I conducted high holiday services for about 400 people for 33 years in Philadelphia. One year, Rosh Hashanah, I began the sermon for the last two weeks. My wife and son were in Peru on vacation. I stayed home to write sermons and prepare for the high Holy Days, your welcome <laugh>. So place cracked up. And then, then, then I, I launch into my serious sermon.

Rabbi Bob Alper (20:44):

But that's how I communicate. And most of my stories start with something that's going to get people's attention and they're gonna wanna read. Now, that story, my father used to take showers with a Lady next door is a story. It's a, a holiday story. Talks about how we lived in a house in Providence, Rhode Island, where I grew up what was called a duplex. They'd call them townhouses. Now, three floors in a basement on each side of one house. And it turns out that the, the Wynn family, and Ruth Wynn and her family moved in next door. And my father and Ruth Wynn realized that they were taking their morning showers at the same time in the bathrooms that were back to back separated by a wall. So occasionally they'd knock on the wall. And that's how my father took showers with the Lady Next Door.

Rabbi Bob Alper (21:38):

The story goes on to talk about my friendship with their son. And how during the December during Hanukkah, I, I'd walk to school with Cooper, his name, and tell him about the, the gifts I got the night before. Every, every night at the eight night, eight nights which was great until Christmas morning. And I'd go over to their house and I'd see their living room strewn with, with presence, you know, and that's, that's how kids were back then. The story goes on to talk about Hanukkah as we celebrated good times and, and particularly bad times, and how my my father was unemployed one year, and we, my parents explained to me probably eight years old that I wouldn't be getting presents this year. I just couldn't afford it. But on the last night, on the last night of Hanukkah, they said, you've been so understanding.

Rabbi Bob Alper (22:31):

And they gave me a gift, a a little model toy boat, which probably cost a dollar 95 for my toy model collection. And I I said, of all the presents all over the years, that's the one I remember. And it meant a lot to me back then. And still, when I think about it all these years later, it means a lot to me. So, it, it's a serious story. It's a poignant story, but it begins by getting the reader's attention. And by the way, both of my books are available through Amazon. Just go to Amazon and put Robert Alper, and you'll see all my books. Happy to, happy to sell the books.

Larry (23:14):

You really want to sell books.

Rabbi Bob Alper (23:17):

<Laugh>

Larry (23:18):

Something, just something you said earlier just clicked in my mind. The Puerto Rican dog.

Rabbi Bob Alper (23:24):

Yeah, yeah. 

Larry (23:26):

Speak Spanish.

Rabbi Bob Alper (23:28):

Actually. He, he, he spoke English and we got him from for a dog rescue. We, you know, our old dog died, and we decided to to get another used dog, as I say in my act, another used dog. And <laugh>. We looked through the pictures and saw Barney, who looked a lot like our old dog about a 50 50 pound mongrel. And he came from Puerto Rico. We, his history was, he was the litter was found, the mother had been killed. A group rescued the litter and took care of them for a few months, and then they shipped them off to New Hampshire to be fostered. And when they were about six months old, they put them up for adoption. So we drove, we picked him out, he looked great, and we drove an hour and a half to New Hampshire. And we got 'em. And he was, he was a, he died a couple years ago. He was a wonderful dog. But as I say in my comedy act the problem was when he arrived, he came with a name Jesus. And, you know, Jewish family dog named Jesus. So we decided to compromise, and we called him Zeus. Zeus. And then if we had to get his attention, we'd say, Hey, Zeus, <laugh> <laugh>.

Rabbi Bob Alper (24:46):

But

Larry (24:47):

I asked be I asked, because our dog is his mother was a Russian show dog. Oh, really? So he is wherever, standing up and walking around the apartment <laugh>.

Rabbi Bob Alper (24:59):

So, yeah, well, Barney Barney was a, he was a great dog. We call, we didn't call him, so it was called him Barney. And he had this great trick, which is, which is on YouTube actually, if you go, if you go to YouTube and put in Rabbi Bob Alper, there's like 50 different YouTubes that you people can watch. But there's one where I, I have my dog and I say it turns out he's from Puerto Rico, but it turns out he's Jewish. Because he observes Jewish dietary rules. And I have a standing in front of me, I take out a a a a biscuit, and I put it in front of his face, and he starts going for it. And I said, now, now Barney, that's tra which means not kosher. That's tra. And he, he sort of puts his head down.

Rabbi Bob Alper (25:43):

Then I look at the biscuit again, said, oh, wait a minute, it's kosher. And he gobbles it down. And, and then I continue, I say, and he also respects other religions, for example, Islam. And I hold out a biscuit. I say, Haram means not permitted. They hold a little biscuit, goes for it. I say, now, Barney, that's, that's Haram. And he turns his face away. They say, oh, wait a minute, it's halal. And he eats it <laugh>. And then I finally finish the bit by saying, and even Christianity. And I hold out a biscuit, and he goes for it. And I say, now, Barney, that's, that's tasty <laugh>. He turns away. I say, wait a minute, it's bland <laugh>. And then he eats it.

Larry (26:23):

That's a good intro to a couple of questions. I wanted to ask you about your programs. You have a couple that interested me. The first was called Spirituality of Laughter, why Jews are so funny,

Rabbi Bob Alper (26:39):

Right? Yeah, I, I, I do, I mean, my, my two major programs is an evening of standup comedy. I mean, for example, I did it at last fall at, at the Villages in, in Florida. It's the largest retirement community in the world. I had about 650 people at the Villages at the Sharon Morrise Performing Arts Center is a great audience, and what a magnificent place to perform. A week before I was there, they had G Leno and the week after the Cat Ka Kathleen, Kathleen Madigan. So I was in good company. So I do a, an 80 minute or 70, 80 minute standup standup comedy. And then the other program, which I actually did the next day at a synagogue nearby, is that Spirituality of Laughter, which is a lecture about humor. It's a lecture, but it's not a dry when it's, it's at least two belly laughs a minute.

Rabbi Bob Alper (27:40):

So it's infused with humor, but I talk about why Jews are funny, humor in the Bible, humor in the Talmud the value of humor even humor during the Holocaust. You know, I, I touch all kinds of subjects, why Jews are funny, why, why Protestants are not funny. I talk about that <laugh>, and that's a, that's a funny bit, actually. Turns out they are funny. But that's, that's part of the lecture. Talk about why Muslims are not funny or are funny. I, I quote my Muslim colleagues who I worked with a bunch of very funny Muslim comedians and talk about some, do some of their material. So it's, it's a you know, an hour, an hour and a half program called The Spirituality of Laughter. And I love doing both of them either.

Larry (28:32):

And, and you did a show with the audience had 2000 Muslims?

Rabbi Bob Alper (28:39):

Yeah. because of my work, which started in 2002, doing shows with Arab and Muslim comedians, which we called a Laugh and Peace tour. I think they're on 2012 or something. I was invited to perform in Toronto at Toronto's Muslim Fest. It was, I think it was the first one they did. They, they keep doing it every year. And they had a few young, younger Muslim comedians did some time, and then I was like the headliner, and it was about 2000 people. So I, I'm out there, I'm a rabbi in Toronto on a stage with a mic in front of 2000 Muslims. And I began, I looked out at the audience, I said I feel so alone here. Totally strange, very much out of place. I said, think of it, all of you, all of you are Canadians, and I'm American <laugh>, and the place rocked terrific audience.

Larry (29:46):

We we need more of that.

Rabbi Bob Alper (29:48):

Yeah. 

Larry (29:49):

Especially

Rabbi Bob Alper (29:50):

Now,

Larry (29:50):

My wife and I were fortunate enough to go to China, and when you interact with the people, it's so different than when governments interact.

Rabbi Bob Alper (30:03):

Yeah.

Larry (30:06):

We're, we're pretty much all the same.

Rabbi Bob Alper (30:12):

Yeah. I, I, I did tons of, you know, it's not happening now, unfortunately, because of things have changed terribly. But I did tons and tons of college shows with my Muslim colleagues, and they were wonderful. You know, we did a show in Riverside Riverside, California, California, university of California, Riverside Campus. And they told us that the week before, there was some graffiti around campus. It's maybe 10 years ago, and some, some bad feelings going on between Jews and Muslims. We did the show, and it was co-sponsored by Jews and Muslims, and the Muslim kids were selling tickets, and the Jewish kids were giving out the food. And, and I looked out, and I see girls in hijabs and boys in the armor could sitting together and laughing together and, and partying together. Laughter brings people together. It, it really does. Another time we did a show at Georgia Tech, and before the show, we were backstage and the president of the Muslim Student Association and the president of Hillel were talking within my hearing, and they were talking about where they were gonna go for dinner that night together. And I found out, they told me later on, that even though their offices were next door to each other in the student union before they started working on this show, they'd never spoken to one another. And now they're gonna hang out for dinner. It, and it's, it's laughter that, that can bring people together. You know, we use a phrase when people laugh together, they can't hate each other.

Larry (31:52):

My dog in the back.

Rabbi Bob Alper (31:54):

Okay.

Larry (31:56):

He, he's, he's gotta supervise all podcasts.

Rabbi Bob Alper (32:00):

Okay.

Larry (32:03):

You know, and we probably should talk about what's going on with, with the protests in New York and the antisemitic vandalism that's going on now. Yeah. How, how do you stop this?

Rabbi Bob Alper (32:21):

It's very scary. It's very scary. I mean, the, the, the the exhibit in New York with the, the remnants of the Nova Fest down in Wall Street, my wife and I went to that, and it's very, very painful to see very moving. And people should go there. They extended it. How useful idiots can stand outside and protest something like that. I have, I, I have no idea how that happens. You know, it's, it's comforting to know that most people, you know, understand that these are useful idiots who have no idea what they're talking about. You know, I've seen interviewers interview some of the, the students, and they said, you're, you're yelling from the river to the sea. What river and what sea? And the girls looked the ian, yeah. They have no idea what they're talking about. A friend of mine did a video at Columbia, and she walked, she lives right there.

Rabbi Bob Alper (33:28):

I mean, her, her apartment windows are literally above the encampment on 16th and Amsterdam. And she was walking around with her camera while they were protesting and got to one young woman who's wearing a hijab and a mask, and she's filming her. And the young woman looks at, at my friend, she said, I would ask you not to film me. And my friend said, wait a minute. You're out here protesting in public. This is a public area. And the girl, and the, she says, it makes me uncomfortable. Well, <laugh>, she's standing there beating a drum under the window of a person who lives it, but it to be photo makes her uncomfortable. I mean, this is the, the mindset. Anyway you know, I don't have the answer, but, you know, I, and it's very worrisome. And to me, one of the most worrisome things, I'm a Vermonter, and my senator is Bernie Sanders.

Rabbi Bob Alper (34:29):

And I always say, when the, when Bernie was running for president, and there were a lot of Democrats running for president, Bernie was my second favorite. And people say, who are your fa Who was your favorite? And I said, all the others, you know, here's the guy who I'm gonna get in my, my high horse here, but here's a guy who cannot open his mouth, but that's talking about how he's Jewish. Yeah. He, that's, that's his, his get outta jail free card. I'm Jewish. He's, he's Jewish. But I've written to him, I think four or five times, emailed, written letters, say, said, Bernie, you're calling for a ceasefire. That's great. We all believe in a ceasefire. What does Israel do then, when Hamas has said, we will destroy you, every man, woman, and child in Israel. That's our goal. And if you thought October 7th was terrible, we're gonna give you October 7th, after October 7th, after October 7th. How does Israel deal with that? And he never, never answers me, because he knows he, he doesn't have the answer. Anyway, that's

Larry (35:40):

My son. Anyway. You recently returned from a trip to Albania.

Rabbi Bob Alper (35:45):

Right.

Larry (35:46):

Interesting story. As Albania was a contender for a Jewish state before World War ii.

Rabbi Bob Alper (35:53):

Yeah. People don't know that there were strong, positive negotiations going on for Jews from Europe to go to Albania as a place of, of refuge and to, to, to, to become Albanians. It fell apart, of course, when the war started. But here's a couple things that every, every person I've asked, no one, no one knows this, but of all the countries in Europe, every country behaved differently. During the war, Norway saved almost all of its Jews. France, the police were complicit. They loved rounding up Jews. Croatia, 85% of the Jews who were killed in Croatia were killed, not by the Nazis, but by their neighbors. Latvia. Lithuania, horrible. Every, the stories are horrible. Albania is the only country in Europe whose Jewish population was tiny. They had about 200 Jews living in Albania at the beginning of the war. At the end of the war, they had some two to 3000 Jews living in Albania, because all the Jews who came to Albania from neighboring Kosovo, Greece, Italy, they were saved.

Rabbi Bob Alper (37:12):

The people rescued them. They, they welcomed them. They put them up in their homes. They dressed them in peasant garb. So the, the Italians who were occupying Albania at the beginning, the Germans who occupied Albania at the end of the war, would not find them. The Nazis demanded lists of Jews. The Albanian said, no, we're not giving them to you. There's a, a phrase an Albanian concept called Besa, which means if somebody comes to you seeking refuge, you must take care of them. You must. And there's a book called Besa. It's still available. And it's a picture book of about 70 or 80 rescuers of Jews or their descendants. And in each of them, they talk about besa. And here's the other thing that I think is so fascinating, that I really wish the world could know of all the countries in Europe, the one country where the Jews were saved, thrived, and welcomed as a place of refuge.

Rabbi Bob Alper (38:14):

The one country, Albania is the only majority Muslim country in Europe. Hmm. Think about that. You know, I, I, and so I went to Albania. We have very dear Albanian friends and, and their family took wonderful care of me while I was there for the week. And among other things, I went to the, there's a little tiny Jewish museum in a town called Barat. And there's a monument in the, the biggest park in Tiran of the, the capital city with three sections. One is in Albanian, one is in Hebrew, and one is in English. Talking about how in Albania, all of the Jews were kept safe, and many, many more, 10 times more were saved and rescued. So it's a story. It's such an uplifting story, and particularly when talking about Jewish Muslim relations, it's, it's an uplifting story. People need to know. And my goal is to tell more people. Thank you for, for letting me tell it on your, your podcast.

Larry (39:21):

I'm glad you did. Anything we miss talking about?

Rabbi Bob Alper (39:26):

Well, you know, I, I always talk in my, in my act. One of the things, another thing I mention always is that I live in Vermont. I'm really lucky to live here. And gives me a lot more material. And one of the, one of the jokes I use is here in Vermont, we have Jewish farmers. They're pretty easy to spot in the summer. They drive tractors with Florida license plates, <laugh>, or the, I say you know, we're able to ski during the weekdays, you know, if we live here full time. And even if when you're alone, you have to, you have to double up on the lifts. So I skied up one time, and I, I yelled single, single, and I heard a voice behind me, say, ever wonder why <laugh> and I, and for your, your, your older listeners. I always begin, especially in comedy clubs I say you may be seeing history made here because I might beat the oldest comedian ever to perform on this stage. He said, I'm, I'm 79 years old. My hero is Harrison Ford. He's 80, 82. He'll be 82 next month. He's making another movie. It's gonna be called Indiana Jones and The Enlarged Prostate.

Rabbi Bob Alper (40:45):

And that's how we, that's how we start off the, the, the joke continues, by the way, there's two more parts to it. I say they're gonna test market that title. If that doesn't resonate with the audience, the backup title is Indiana Jones and the Reverse Mortgage <laugh>. And then, then they say, and he's got another project after that film wraps remember The Fugitive, the movie The Fugitive? So in this newest episode, Dr. Richard Kimball, fleas assisted living,

Larry (41:15):

<Laugh> assisted living, you can get out of not as easily as independent, but <laugh>.

Rabbi Bob Alper (41:23):

Right, right.

Larry (41:24):

There is a way to go. Yeah. Bob, this has been terrific. I really appreciate you being on the podcast. It's been fun, it's been enlightening, and I thank you again.

Rabbi Bob Alper (41:36):

Thank you very much for having me. You're a great interviewer. And, and I, you know, I, I, I've had different, some, I had one interview, the guy wouldn't stop talking. <Laugh>, the only wants, you know, I, I got a few words edgewise, but I, I really appreciate when a, a person is skilled and is able to draw out the, the great <laugh> the quick things that I know the answers to. And it's been a, an absolute pleasure. I really appreciate it.

Larry (41:59):

This, this show isn't about me, it's about you. It's about the guests. So I learned that from watching Johnny Carson in the old days.

Rabbi Bob Alper (42:09):

<Laugh>,

Larry (42:10):

Thanks again, Bob.

Rabbi Bob Alper (42:12):

You're welcome. Thank you. Take Care

Speaker 5 (42:16):

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