UNITED STATES
The Jerusalem Post
By MAYA SHWAYDER IN NEW YORK
10/15/2013
Hebrew instructor was hired for the 2013-2014 school year despite having a previous sexually criminal background.
NEW YORK – The leaders of the New York Jewish community have thus far remained silent over allegations that a teacher hired by Yeshiva University had a previous criminal background of inappropriate behavior with students he was tutoring for their bnei mitzva.
Akiva Roth, a Hebrew instructor who previously taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary, was hired for the 2013-2014 school year despite having a previous sexually criminal background, including convictions for inappropriate behavior with boys.
A spokeswoman for Hillel had no comment beyond confirmation that Roth was never a Hillel employee, although he worked as director of the Hillel at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, from 1999 to 2006, The Forward reported.
AIPAC, with which Roth previously worked as the Northeast region synagogue initiative director, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Susan Green, the director of administration for the Jewish Community Relations Council, confirmed that Roth was hired at the JCRC from January to June of 2012 for “a short-term project” that involved “working with synagogues and organizational leadership to encourage activity and engagement in Israelrelated projects.” Green would not comment on whether the JCRC knew about Roth’s previous convictions.
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