Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff

Elliot N. Dorff is a Conservative rabbi, professor of Jewish theology and Rector at the American Jewish University (formerly the University of Judaism). He also is Chair of the Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, and has served on the editorial committee of Etz Hayim, the new Torah commentary for the Conservative Movement.

A resident of Los Angeles, he is widely respected for his knowledge and expertise regarding religious ethics and practices, bioethics and other critical topics related to Jewish life in the 21st century.

Rabbi Dorff was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1970, and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University in 1971. He is Chairman of the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, and a Past Chair of the Academy of Jewish Philosophy, the Jewish Law Association, and the Society of Jewish Ethics. He also is Immediate Past President of the Academy of Judaic, Christian and Islamic Studies, as well as a recipient of the Journal of Law and Religion’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

In addition to many other affiliations and involvements in local, regional and national organizations, Rabbi Dorff served on the National Human Resources Protections and Advisory Commission, charged with reviewing and revising federal guidelines for protecting human subjects in research projects. He also testified before the President’s National Bioethics Advisory Committee, applying Jewish tradition to the subjects of human cloning and stem cell research.

A prolific author, Rabbi Dorff has published 17 books and 200 articles on Jewish thought, law and ethics.