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Former Detroiter Rabbi
Joel Roth will become
rosh yeshiva next year at
The United Synagogue
Yeshiva in Israel.

DAVID SACHS
Editorial Assistant

jr

oel Roth was about 8 years old,
living in his Dexter neighbor-
hood near Congregation B'nai
Moshe in Detroit, when he
decided he wanted to be a rabbi.
"He would have loved to become a
professional baseball player," said his
brother, Dr. Mark Roth of Farmington
Hills, "but he couldn't resolve the dilem-
ma of not working on Shabbos."
So the young Joel gave up his fantasy
of playing ball in favor of a life dedicat-
ed to Judaism. And he went on to
resolve other issues involving Jewish law,
on a much more profound scale.
Joel Roth not only became a rabbi,
but one of the top scholars of the
Conservative movement. In a 35-year
teaching career at the Jewish
Theological Seminary in New York
City, Rabbi Roth, the Louis Finkelstein
Professor of Talmud and Jewish Law,
trained an entire generation of
Conservative rabbis and became an
expert in the Conservative movement's
application of Halacha (Jewish law).

David Sachs can be reached at (248)
354-6060, ext. 262, or by e-mail at
efrachs@thtjewishnews.com

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Detroit-grown scholar to leave seminary to
head Conservative yeshiva in Jerusalem.

It was Rabbi Roth who wrote the
paper permitting the admission of
female rabbinical candidates to the
seminary in 1983.
On Jan. 1, 2001, Rabbi Roth will
go on leave from the seminary and
begin a 2'/2 -year stint as rosh yeshiva
(academic and spiritual head) of the
Conservative movement's United
Synagogue Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
"It's a big coup for the yeshiva in
Israel," said Rabbi Michele Faudem of
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan
Detroit. Rabbi Faudem, a student and
protege of Rabbi Roth, graduated
from the seminary in 1991 and now is
head of the upper school Judaic
department at the Farmington Hills
school. She said Rabbi Roth encour-
ages both the intellectual and emo-
tional pursuit of Judaism.
"He's always available. He really
opens himself up to answer questions, to
be a role model, to be a mentor," said
Rabbi Faudem, who like Rabbi Roth,
grew up in Detroit.
"We both like Vernor's," she added.
"Whenever I went back to New York, I
would always bring him diet Vernor's."
Rabbi David Nelson of Congregation
Beth Shalom, who was a seminary class-
mate of Rabbi Roth in the 1960s, said,
"People sometimes talk about Detroit as
the place that produced Rabbi Joel
Roth. It's wonderful for Detroit to have
that reputation as a place of Torah."
Joel, as a child, was taken under the
wing of B'nai Moshe Rabbi Moses
Lehrman. He also took private lessons
for 20 years from Rabbi Isaac Paneth.
The future rabbi attended after-school
classes at United Hebrew Schools and
the Midrasha College of Jewish
Studies, later teaching at UHS.
A 1958 graduate of Central High
School, Rabbi Roth left for the Jewish

required of women is the lighting of
Theological Seminary after earning his
candles on Shabbat and holidays.
psychology degree from Wayne State
Women
are excused from many other
University in 1962. He began teaching
time-bound
obligations, to facilitate
at the seminary in 1965 and earned a
child rearing.
faculty appointment there by 1968.
Rabbi Roth disputed the traditional
Rabbi Roth, who resides in Teaneck,
position that a woman could not have
N.J., is married to the former Barbara
an aliya [a call to read the Torah]. He
Kramer, also an ex-Detroiter. Their son,
found that the primary talmudic prohi-
Akiva, is working on his doctorate in
bition was based upon the sociological
education at Rutgers University in New
claim that it would offend the honor of
Jersey. Another son, Ari, is finishing col-
the community -- not upon religious
lege in Jerusalem and will be attending
law. He reasoned that as societal sensi-
graduate school in the U.S. Their
tivities change, so could these customs.
daughter, Tamar, will be completing her
"I have very little halachic problem
duty in the Israeli army this summer
with women reading from the
and begin college in Israel in the fall.
Torah," said Rabbi Roth. "But I have
The issue of women serving in the
serious reservations about the way
clergy rose to the forefront at the sem-
women are counted in the minyan in
inary in the early 1980s.
many communities.
"It was a very exciting time, a very
"I'm in favor of those things that
tense time," recalled Rabbi Roth. "It
I think are halachically acceptable
was a time of considerable anxiety in
and justified, and I am opposed to
the institution as to what [the deci-
those which are not."
sion] would do to the different wings
Rabbi Stephen Weiss of
of the movement.
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, a semi-
"Some of those anxieties and fears
nary graduate in 1989, said that Rabbi
were well-founded because significant
Roth, as well as being an insightful
elements of the right wing of the
teacher, also helps students with per-
Conservative movement have sort of
sonal issues in addition to their reli-
departed from it — professors, rabbis
gious education.
and congregants. I continue to feel
"I think that he's very skilled in
that their departure is a great loss."
helping people work through their
Rabbi Roth, author of the book,
own spiritual growth," Rabbi Weiss
The Halachic. Process, said he believes
said. "I think that is an area where he
in the Conservative tenet that Jewish
has a tremendous amount to con-
law could be changed if proper
tribute to the students at the yeshiva."
halachic procedure is followed.
The United Synagogue Yeshiva
He reasoned that women who vol-
attracts primarily Americans, where the
untarily assumed the obligation of all
Conservative movement is strongest.
the "positive, time-bound" command-
"The student body of the yeshiva is
ments required of men, such as pray-
geared to young adults post-college, who
ing three times a day, would be eligi-
are eager to spend a year or two in
ble to serve as rabbis and be counted
intensive learning," said Rabbi Roth.
in minyans [prayer quorums].
"My position there will be teaching,
Under Jewish law, the primary posi-
spiritual guidance and tone setting." ❑
tive, time-bound commandment

