Shul Chronicles is the weekly column of Rabbi Moshe Taub — rav of the Young Israel of Holliswood, rabbinic editor of Ami Magazine, and author of Jews in the New World (Mosaica Press) — appearing in Ami Magazine for close to two decades. This archive collects hundreds of columns on halacha, Jewish history, minhag, and the rabbinate, organized by topic.
Click Here For ‘Halacha Portal’
American Jewish History
- George Washington’s Menorah
- The Rambam & the Mayflower
- Jews and Judaism’s Role in America
- The Amazing Conversion of Warder Cresson
- Buffalo’s Rabbinical History, 1847–1927
- Houdini, Magic, and Rabbi Drachman’s Unique Bond
- Julius Berman: American Jewish Architect
- Jackie Mason’s Last Interview
- Turkey: A Strange Bird, Name, and Halachic History
- When to Leave: Safety and American Jewry
- Ashes and Invocations: A Speech in Albany
- Buffalo’s Reb Irv Fried z”l
- Shechita & Antisemitism
- Antisemitism, Part 1: The Campus Idealists
Shabbos
- Where Does the 18-Minute Candle-Lighting Time Come From?
- May One Activate Thermal Hand Warmers on Shabbos?
- May One Make Whipped Coffee on Shabbos?
- Coffee on Shabbos
- Swimming on Shabbos
- Smart Cars, Smart Shabbos
- The Kosher Shabbos Switch
- Radio & TV on Shabbos During Wartime
- Guns & Halacha in Shul on Shabbos
- Shabbos Hotel Halacha
- May One Use a Disposable Kiddush Cup? (And Other Vacation Shailos)
- Making Up on Shabbos Is Hard to Do
- The Meaning Behind Waving Hands Before Shabbos Candles
- Lighting One Shabbos Candle for Each Child
- Havdala Hacks
- Challah: Its Name, Its Braids, Its Shape, and More
- The Secret Reason Behind Shlissel Challah
- Understanding the Lecha Dodi Niggun Change
- The Mailman’s Kugel and the Sweet Smell of Shabbos
Pesach & the Seder
- The Complete History of Machine Matzah
- The Seder: The Hardest Mitzvah
- Halachos of a Shabbos Erev Pesach
- Shabbos Erev Pesach
- Kitniyos Kuriosities
- Cosmetics & Pesach Guides
- Sourdough Starter & Mechiras Chometz
- Grocery Stores & Jewish-Owned Chometz
- Secrets of a Pesach Hotel Kitchen
- Navigating Pesach: Balancing Halacha and Joy
- Dayeinu: Rebbe Akiva’s Song
Sefiras HaOmer & Lag BaOmer
- Explaining Sefira “Halves”
- The Confusing Rules and Allowances of Haircuts During Sefira
- Another Sefira Secret
- A Lag BaOmer Secret
Shavuos
Yom Tov, the Yomim Noraim & Sukkos
- Tip the Apple in the Honey
- Simanim Surprises
- Is an Early Selichos Allowed?
- The Pre-Neilah Drasha
- Hoshanos: Understanding the Hoshana Chart in the Siddur
- When During Davening to Do Hoshanos
- Hoshana Rabbah, the Calendar, and a Frozen Esrog
- Uman: Leaving One’s Wife & Family for Yom Tov
- Can One Make an Early Yom Tov?
- The Second Day of Yom Tov, Explained
- Visiting Israel & the Second Day of Yom Tov
- Tefillin on Chol HaMoed & “Lo Tisgodedu”
Chanukah
- The Secret Books of Chanukah: Megillas Taanis, Megillas Antiochus & the Books of Maccabees
- The Cryptic Tomes of Chanukah
- Yehudis & Latkes: Solving Two Chanukah Mysteries
- Why Do We Light the Menorah in Shul?
- Why We Still Light the Menorah Indoors
- The Connection Between Chanukah and Mezuzah
- Quick Chanukah Halacha Review
- Zos Chanukah: The End of Our Yemei HaDin
- Chanukah’s Absence from the Mishnah & Brevity in the Talmud
Purim
- Getting Drunk on Purim: Halacha, History, Hashkafa
- Purim Halacha Primer
- A Purim That Falls on Erev Shabbos
- Costumes on Purim: Background, History, Meaning
- Megillas Esther: How This Book Got Its Name
- The Omission of Hashem’s Name in Megillas Esther, Explained
- The Gra’s Megillah
- Taanis Esther: Its Mysterious Origins
- Haman’s Mother & Gilgulim
- Why Did Achashveirosh Deserve Esther?
- Exploring Joseph and Esther’s Narrative Connections
Fast Days & the Jewish Calendar
- The Fasts of BaHaB
- The 8th and 9th of Teves: Mysterious Fasts
- A Shave or Haircut on a Taanis
- Post–Tisha B’Av Kiddush Levana
- Yom HaShoah: Halacha & History
- The Weeks of Shovavim: Their History and Minhag
- Tu BiShvat Fruits & Other Minhag Secrets
- More Tu BiShvat Secrets
- Adar & Secrets of Birchas Kiddush HaChodesh
- The Impact of Permanent Daylight Savings on Halacha
- Why Do We Use a Secular Date for V’Sein Tal?
Kashrus & Food
- Halachic Confusion: Waiting Times for Dairy After Meat
- A Mistaken Dairy Beracha After a Meat Meal
- Butter and Cholov Yisroel
- Yak Milk & Cholov Yisroel
- The Halacha & Kashrus of Forest Honey
- Egg Checking
- Giraffes and Other Halachic Myths
- Vegan Restaurants: A Kashrus Minefield
- Vegans, Vegetarians, and Sensitivity
- Styrofoam, Tallow & Your Hot Cup of Joe
- Grapes of Wrath: A Kashrus Story
- Hypnosis, Halacha, and the Kashrus of Vape Flavors
- Kashrus, Rabbanus, and Hasagas Gvul
- An Interview with Rav Mordechai Levin, Kashrus Veteran
- An Interview with Professor Joe Regenstein
- Of P’tcha & Pedigree
Berachos & Tefillah
- Waffles, Crepes, Triscuits and Biscuits: Hilchos Berachos & Rav Gissinger zt”l
- Pringles, Berachos, and Sefardim
- Birchas HaGomel and a Negative Psak
- Bentching on a Motzai Shabbos Rosh Chodesh
- Hagbah: Its Significance, and Reciting a Half-Pasuk
- What Pasuk Is Most Recited?
- Siddur Brackets & Mysteries
- Kaddish for Two People
- Making Up a Missed Shabbos Mincha Krias HaTorah
- Reciting Tehillim & Tanach as Medicine
- The Truth Behind Saying Parshas HaMann on Tuesday of Beshalach
- Responding to War with Avinu Malkeinu, Extra Shabbos Candles & Taanis
- The Great Yizkor Escape: Why Youngsters Leave Shul for Yizkor
Simchas, Lifecycle & Aveilus
- The Halachic Prenuptial Agreement: Consensus?
- Shirah Chadashah: Baby Naming in Halacha & Hashkafa
- A Source for the Kvatter Segula
- Why Stand for the Kallah and Chosson?
- The History of “D’vai Haser” & Other Sheva Brachos Mysteries
- Saying “Mazal Tov” for a Get
- A Divorced or Surviving Parent’s Second Marriage: May Children Attend?
- Rules and Advice for a Shiva Visit
- Understanding Yartzeit Customs: A Deep Dive
- The Purpose and Meaning of Yartzeit Over Time
- Cremation: A Story & Chizuk
- End-of-Life Issues
- Funeral Homes & Kohen Rooms
- The Efficacy of a Kohen Visiting or Davening Near a Cemetery
Halacha: Modern Questions & Curiosities
- AI & the Future of Psak Halacha
- AI, Robots, Minyan & Halachic Sensationalism
- Deciding the Future: The Next Big Halachic Debate
- Apple Computers, Privacy, and the Real Fruit of the Garden of Eden
- Smart Phones, Smarter Parents, and Safe Children
- Vaccines: A Selection of Its Halachic History
- Smoking in Halacha
- Alternative Medicine, Part 1
- Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: A Hair-Transplant Halacha Query
- Deafness in Halacha
- Copyright in Halacha: A Historical Review
- Are Our Mezuzos Kosher? A New Debate Highlights an Old Problem
- Forced Snitching: May a Rebbe Force a Student to Tattle?
- How to Visit the Sick
- Pets in Halacha, Part 1
- Pet Peeves (Pets in Halacha)
- A Dog-Eat-Dog World (Pets in Halacha)
- Understanding Sheimos: Proper Disposal of Torah Materials
- Spelling & Pronunciation in Halacha
- Kibbud Av V’Eim
- Too Much Change: Halacha & Sensitivity
- Halacha: Finer Points, History, and Common Misconceptions
- The Halachah of Supporting Local or Jewish Establishments
- My Favorite Shailah
- Killing the Enemy: Ethics of War
Minhag, Segulos & Torah Curiosities
- The Mystery of the Forty-Day Segula
- The Goral HaGra
- Dates, Segulos & War
- Lost Items & Segulos
- Blowing Out Candles: Halacha or Myth?
- Birthdays in Halacha & Jewish Tradition
- Fingernail Halacha: Insights & Mystical Significance
- Surnames: Some Jewish History
- Five Megillos? Says Who?
- Chapter and Verse: Where Did the Chapters of Tanach Come From?
- Sourcing Sayings, Maxims, and Chazals of Unknown Origins
- Source Code
- The Mysteries & Dilemmas of the Weekly Parsha
The Rabbinate & Shul Life
- The Role of the Rabbi
- The Rabbinate: To Love Is Paramount
- Rabbis and Their Discontents
- One Fine Day: 24 Hours in a Rabbi’s Life
- Clergy vs. Rabbi
- Dikduk & the Rabbinate
- Call Your Rebbe
- No Talking After Shul: Rabbis and Confidentiality
- Speeches & Surprises
- My Rabbi, My Candyman
- Rabbanus, Family & My First-Grade Rebbe
- The Super Bowl Halftime Shiur
- The Elderly Members
- Old Shul, New Shul
- A Fallen Torah in History & Halacha
- A Sefer Torah’s New Home
- Sefer Torah Redux: A Prison Story
- A Surprising Siyum
- A Rabbi-Scholar’s Simcha
- The Mekor Program at Yeshiva University
Tributes
- Rav Nota Greenblatt zt”l
- Rav Avraham Ausband zt”l
- Rebbetzin Chaya Ausband z”l
- Rav Pinchos Stolper z”l
- The Life and Works of Rav Aaron Levine zt”l
- Leader of Kashrus: Remembering Rav Zushe Blech z”l
- The Mission of Passaic’s Rav Shlomo Singer
- A Ger Teaches Us How to Respond to Rav Chaim Kanievsky’s Passing
Essays, Community & Stories
- And Then, Suddenly…
- Keys, Kiddush, and Memories
- Knock Knock
- One Story, Two Versions
- Perfect Strangers, Strangely Perfect
- Behind Curtain #2
- False Flag
- Spelling Bees & Yiddishkeit
- Snow Days
- E-Mailing the Past and the Future
- Spilled Blood and Ink
- How to Live Forever
- How to Die Al Kiddush Hashem
- Vegetarianism and Humanism
- Teaching Torah Through Joy
- You Can Be Koneh Anyone
- Hatzalah’s Miracle of Flight
- How Should a Community Respond to a Distant Tragedy?
- Disaster Clean-Up
- Boots for Israel
- Yeshiva Education and Government Intervention
- Yeshiva Acceptance & Rejection Letters
New columns are added weekly. For the print edition, see Ami Magazine.