Rabbi Alter is a teacher at heart, committed to the idea that greater understanding can inspire passion for our tradition and a sense of agency within it. He believes that through Torah study we can discover ourselves and our place with God. This is why Jewish learning belongs to us all.
Rabbi Alter’s educational approach shapes many of his interactions with the CBINT community. For example, he and Hazzan Stein offer brief teachings in nearly every prayer service to assure that participants are always learning something new, and he works individually with all b’nei mitzvah to prepare their teachings for the congregation.
Periodically each year Rabbi Alter offers formal courses of study for the congregation. In the fall of 2020, he facilitated a JTS course on Jewish Ethics. Future offerings will include courses on Jewish thought as well as more text-based learning in Bible and Rabbinic literature. Rabbi Alter invites other instructors to offer still more adult education offerings to the CBINT community.
Rabbi Alter and Hazzan Stein teach some Torah at virtually every service, morning and evening.
In Spring 2026, Rabbi Alter is offering two multi-part courses: “A Spiritual Tour of the Jewish Holidays” (begins April 12) and Introduction to Midrash (begins May 26). Register from the home page of the website or at the Adult Education tab.
Earlier this year he offered an eight-part introduction to Jewish prayer. All sessions were recorded and are available here.