Baruch Alter HaCohen Taub (Hebrew: ברוך אלתר הכהן טאוב) is the founding rabbi and Rabbi Emeritus of the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Congregation (BAYT), the largest Orthodox congregation in Canada.[1] He also served as the de facto chief rabbi of Vaughan, Ontario,[2] and is the former National Director of NCSY. He currently lives in Netanya, Israel.
Rabbi Baruch Taub | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Born | Baruch Taub |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Spouse | Judy Blustein Malkah |
| Children | Shimon Moshe Naomi Shmuel Gitty |
| Alma mater | Yeshivas Ner Yisroel Loyola College of Maryland Maimonides College of Ontario Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin |
| Jewish leader | |
| Successor | Rabbi Daniel Korobkin |
| Position | Founding rabbi and rabbi emeritus |
| Synagogue | Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Congregation |
| Began | 1980 |
| Ended | 2010 |
| Other | National Director of NCSY (1976–1980) |
| Residence | Netanya, Israel |
| Semikhah | Yeshivas Ner Yisroel |
Biography edit
Rabbi Taub received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshivas Ner Yisroel of Baltimore, MD. He holds a master's degree from Loyola College of Maryland and a Doctorate of Philosophy from the Maimonides College of Ontario.
He became National Director of NCSY in 1976, following the departure of Rabbi Pinchas Stolper to become Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union. He served in this post until 1980, when he left to become the spiritual leader of the BAYT Congregation.[3]
His selection as founding rabbi of the BAYT Congregation came about through his introduction to Canadian philanthropist Joseph Tannenbaum by Rabbi Nota Schiller of Yeshivat Ohr Somayach. Tannenbaum was interested in starting a synagogue in northern Toronto, and Schiller introduced him to the dynamic Ner Yisroel graduate then living in New York with his wife and five children.[4] Rabbi Taub started the BAYT Congregation in his living room with 13 families in 1980,[5] and continued shepherding it as the sole rabbi.[4] By the time of his retirement in 2010, the congregation had grown to 600 to 700 families,[5] making it the largest Orthodox congregation in Canada.[1]
Rabbi Taub is a noted speaker on Orthodox Jewish outreach and the teshuva movement. He delivered the keynote speech to the 1996 AJOP Convention on the subject "The Teshuvah Movement: The next generation".[6] During his tenure as Rabbi of BAYT, he spoke at Israel solidarity rallies[7] and led his congregation on annual solidarity missions to Israel.[8][9] He led the 11th Siyum HaShas at Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin in Lublin, Poland.[10]
Personal edit
Rabbi Taub's first wife, Judy Blustein, died in October 2001. A guidance centre was dedicated in her memory in the Beit El Israeli settlement in the West Bank – BAYT's twin city – in November 2002.[11]
Rabbi Taub and his second wife, Malkah, made aliyah to Netanya, Israel, in December 2010.[9][12]
His son Moshe was the rabbi of Young Israel of Greater Buffalo[13] since September 2003 and is the supervising rabbi of the Vaad Hakashrut (Kosher-Supervising Board) of Buffalo, New York,[14] as well as the rabbinic editor & weekly contributor for Ami Magazine. He is now the Rabbi of Young Israel of Holliswood.[15] Another son, Shimon, is a Torah scholar and author of The Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser: A comprehensive guide, published by ArtScroll.[16]
Selected bibliography edit
- Shabbaton Manual. National Conference of Synagogue Youth. 1977.
- Preface to Kaplan, Aryeh. The Aryeh Kaplan Anthology: Illuminating expositions on Jewish thought and practice by a revered teacher. Mesorah Publications Ltd., 1991, pp. 15–16. ISBN 0-89906-866-9.
- "Parashat Balak" in Torah insights: Divrei Torah on the Parshiot Hashavua by leading rabbis and teachers, Bertram Leff and Yisrael Epstein, eds. Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, 2000, pp. 245–246. ISBN 1-57819-542-X.
- Gedola HaTeshuva (Hebrew)
- And The Dove Found Rest: Essays on the weekly Torah Portion Volume 1, 2017
- And The Dove Found Rest: Essays on the weekly Torah Portion Volume 2, 2018
- Kanfei Yona: Essays on the weekly Torah Portion (Hebrew), 2021.
References edit
- ^ a b Beck, Atara (1 December 2010). "Heart-warming tribute to outgoing BAYT Rabbi Baruch Taub". The Canadian Jewish Tribune. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Major issue at BAYT threatens dissent" (PDF). The Canadian Jewish Tribune. 19 September 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "About Us". cbaj-albany.org. 2005. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ a b Teller, Hanoch (January 1990). Bridges of Steel, Ladders of Gold: Joseph Tanenbaum, builder of bridges to Torah. Feldheim Publishers. pp. 170–172. ISBN 0-87306-526-3.
- ^ a b Kraft, Frances (2 December 2010). "BAYT's Rabbi Taub retires after 30 years". Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Keynote Address: The Teshuvah Movement: The next generation". Torahmedia.com. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Thousands Come Out For Israel (news release)". B'nai Brith Canada. 11 October 2000. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "2009 Mission (advertisement)" (PDF). The Canadian Jewish Tribune. 22 January 2009. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 September 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Thirty-Year Pulpit Rabbi Makes Aliyah, Honored in Beit El". Israel National News. 19 December 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Rabbi Baruch Taub". Orthodox Union. 2012. Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ^ Stein, Stacey (17 June 2003). "BAYT solidarity mission dedicates guidance centre". Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ Gordon, Baruch (17 December 2010). "Litmus Test For The Diaspora Rabbi". Israel National News. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Rabbi Moshe Taub". The Young Israel of Greater Buffalo. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Rabbi Moshe Taub". Buffalo Vaad Hakashrut. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ "Home". yiholliswood.org.
- ^ The Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser: A comprehensive guide. Mesorah Publications Ltd. 2001. ISBN 1-57819-589-6.
shimon taub.