Joel Roth

Joel Roth (born May 15, 1940) is an American rabbi in the Rabbinical Assembly, which is the rabbinical body of Conservative Judaism. He is a former member and chair of the assembly's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) which deals with questions of Jewish law and tradition, and serves as the Louis Finkelstein Emeritus Professor of Talmud and Jewish Law at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTSA or JTS) in New York City, where he formerly served as dean of the Rabbinical School. He is also Rosh Yeshiva (head of school) Emeritus of the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem, an institution founded and maintained by the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism and under the academic auspices of JTS. In 2006, Roth took over as chair of the Hebrew Language department at JTS.

Education

Roth received a BA from Wayne State University in his hometown of Detroit. He received his master's degree at JTS, where he was ordained in 1968. That same year, Roth was appointed to the faculty of JTS as he continued his studies toward a PhD in Talmud, which he received in 1973. In the early 1970s Roth taught at the Prozdor of the Highland Park (N.J.) Conservative Temple and Center. Upon receiving his Ph.D., he was made an associate professor at JTS. Roth has held four key administrative positions, serving as dean of students of List College (then called Seminary College), director of the Melton Research Center for Jewish Education, and both associate dean and dean of the rabbinical school.

Career Roth served as dean of the rabbinical school from 1981 to 1984 as well as in 1992–1993, resigning both times after a major scandal. Roth resigned in 1984 as part of a settlement of a potential lawsuit by the family of a student whom Roth had allegedly sexually harassed.