Rabbi Joel Roth's 2006 responsum for the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, maintaining the traditional halakhic prohibition on same-sex relations and calling for celibacy, adopted the same session as the competing, more permissive Dorff, Nevins and Reisner responsum under the Conservative movement's own rule that both can stand as valid positions at once.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
A responsum adopted by the same halakhic authority, the same day, as the affirming Dorff, Nevins and Reisner responsum cited alongside it. Authoritative for what Conservative Judaism's own pluralistic process rules; not independent evidence about classical halakhah on its own. NotesRabbi Joel Roth's responsum, approved by the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards on 6 December 2006 by a vote of thirteen in favor, eight opposed and four abstaining, maintaining the traditional prohibition on male homosexual intercourse and calling for celibacy rather than ordination or a blessed union for a gay or lesbian Jew who is unmarried to a person of the other sex. Adopted the same session as the competing Dorff, Nevins and Reisner responsum (source 14752), which passed thirteen in favor and twelve opposed; under the Committee's own rules both stand as valid positions, leaving individual rabbis, congregations and seminaries to choose between them.
Citation
AuthorJoel Roth
PublisherRabbinical Assembly, Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
Publication Year2006
URLhttps://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/halakhah/teshuvot/20052010/roth_revisited.pdf
Source Typeprimary-text
Custodian
Custodian SourceYes
Custodian BodyRabbinical Assembly, Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
Custodian BasisA responsum adopted by the halakhic authority of a Jewish movement. Authoritative for what Conservative Judaism rules; it is not independent evidence about classical halakhah.
Claims Backed By This Source (11 claims)
This source backs 11 claims across the atlas. As facts: 11 well-attested.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 11 claims: 11 well-attested.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.