After studying under many prominent Hebrew scholars,[1] he immigrated to America in his early forties, serving as rabbi at Temple Beth El in Detroit, the oldest Jewish congregation in Michigan, before assuming the pulpit of Kehillath Anshe Maarabh ("K.A.M.")

[3][4] In History of the Jews of Chicago (1924), Hyman L. Meites wrote that Adler was "one of the most beloved rabbis to be found in the country", explaining: "At last K.A.M.

He preached many a memorable sermon against slavery, some of which were printed and distributed, and gave a striking proof of the sincerity and depth of his war spirit by sending his son, Dankmar Adler, a mere lad, to the front.

"[5]Adler's fame extended to his writing, as he frequently contributed to Jewish journals and wrote many scholarly articles on a variety of subjects.

[7] His son, Dankmar Adler, was a noted architect and civil engineer who designed several historically important skyscrapers in the 1890s and mentored Frank Lloyd Wright.