Boaz Cohen
Encyclopedia
Boaz Cohen was a leading scholar of Talmud
, a legal decisor (posek
), and a professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
.
Cohen was born and educated in Bridgeport, Connecticut
. He was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
(JTS) in 1924. Following his ordination, he was appointed Assistant Librarian of JTS. In 1925, he was appointed an instructor of Talmud
, and went on to serve on the JTS faculty for four decades. In 1927, he received his Ph.D. from Columbia University
. During his career he published extensively on the Talmud
and Jewish law, while also authoring many comparative studies between Jewish law and other legal systems. Many of those studies were published in a collection titled Jewish and Roman Law (New York, 1966).
Cohen also served as Chair of the Committee on Jewish Law
of the Rabbinical Assembly
, and he issued thousands of legal rulings.
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, a legal decisor (posek
Posek
Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
), and a professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
.
Cohen was born and educated in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
. He was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
(JTS) in 1924. Following his ordination, he was appointed Assistant Librarian of JTS. In 1925, he was appointed an instructor of Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, and went on to serve on the JTS faculty for four decades. In 1927, he received his Ph.D. from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. During his career he published extensively on the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
and Jewish law, while also authoring many comparative studies between Jewish law and other legal systems. Many of those studies were published in a collection titled Jewish and Roman Law (New York, 1966).
Cohen also served as Chair of the Committee on Jewish Law
Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on halakha within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active and widely known committees on the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly. Within the movement it is known as the CJLS...
of the Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...
, and he issued thousands of legal rulings.