Yitzhak Buxbaum

Yitzhak Buxbaum

Yitzhak Buxbaum was an American author and maggid (preacher/storyteller). He died on 23 December 2020.

Published work

Most of Buxbaum's books and articles relate to Hasidism, especially its storytelling tradition, and Neo-Hasidism. He has authored the following books.

• Jewish Spiritual Practices Jason Aronson, 1991 ISBN   978-1-56821-206-7
• Storytelling and Spirituality in Judaism Jason Aronson, 1994 ISBN   978-1-56821-173-2
• Real Davvening: Jewish Prayer as a Spiritual Practice and a Form of Meditation for Beginning and Experienced Davveners |Jewish Spirit Booklet Series, 1996 ISBN   978-1-5114-3313-6
• An Open Heart: The Mystic Path of Loving People. Jewish Spirit Booklet Series, 1997 ISBN   978-0-9657-1122-7
• A Tu BeShvat Seder: The Feast of Fruits from the Tree of Life Jewish Spirit Booklet Series, 1998 ISBN   978-0-9657-1123-4
• The Life and Teachings of Hillel 376 pp. Jason Aronson, 2000 ISBN   978-1-56821-049-0 According to WorldCat, the book is held in 168 libraries ^[1]
• A Person is Like a Tree: A Sourcebook for Tu BeShvat Jason Aronson, 2000 ISBN   978-0-7657-6128-6
• Storytelling and Spirituality in Judaism Jason Aronson, 2001 ISBN   978-0-7657-6166-8
• Jewish Tales of Mystic Joy Jossey-Bass, 2002 ISBN   978-0-7879-6272-2
• Jewish Tales of Holy Women Jossey-Bass, 2002 ISBN   978-1-118-10443-9
• The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov Continuum, 2005 ISBN   978-0-8264-1772-5
• Serach at the Seder: A Haggadah Supplement, illustrations by Shoshannah Brombacher Jewish Spirit, 2012

Reviews of Buxbaum's work have appeared in Jewish publications with a variety of perspectives, ^[2] including The Algemeiner Journal, ^[3] Hadassah Magazine, ^[4] The Jewish Chronicle, ^[5] and Tikkun. ^[6] His books have been reviewed for broader audiences in the journal Parabola ^[7] and the website Spirituality and Practice. ^{[8] [9]}

Manuscripts and drafts of The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov are archived at Cornell University Library. ^[10]

Storytelling

Buxbaum told stories "in Jewish and non-Jewish settings to Jewish and non-Jewish audiences", with a focus on "the spiritual nature of storytelling." ^{[11] [12]} He was grouped among "the most active tellers in the Jewish world." ^[13]

Maggid training program

Building on his ordination as a maggid by Shlomo Carlebach, ^[14] Buxbaum established a program to train women and men as maggidim (plural of maggid). ^{[15] [16]} Graduates include Shoshana Litman, described as Canada's first ordained female Jewish storyteller, ^[17] and Tamir Zaltsman, who states that he is the first ordained Russian-speaking maggid. ^[18] Some graduates are themselves training maggidim. ^[19]

Background and personal life

Buxbaum graduated from Cornell University (class of 1964). ^[10]

He told interviewers that as a young man, he identified as an atheist and felt disconnected from his Jewish roots. But a time of intense soul-searching, and encounters with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, led him to devote his life to Jewish spirituality. ^[20]

In 2007, Buxbaum was one of six spiritual leaders from different faiths who opened the memorial celebration for Sri Chinmoy at the United Nations. ^[21]

Buxbaum lived in Brooklyn. He was married to actor and storyteller Carole Forman. ^[22]

References

1. WorldCat book entry
2. On The Bookshelf (column) (July 11, 1996). "The art of davvening is meaningfully taught in new booklet by Jewish Spirit". Sentinel: The Voice of Chicago Jewry.
3. Kurzweil, Arthur. "Light and Fire". The Algemeiner Journal (December 15, 2006).
4. Shluker, Zelda (2013-03-27). "Serach at the Seder: A Haggadah Supplement". Hadassah Magazine. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
5. Demant, Jason (7 September 2006). "The Jewish Chronicle - Getting to the heart of Chasidism". website.thejc.com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
6. Frankel, Estelle. "Stories That Heal the Soul". Tikkun (May/June 2006): 73.
7. Kurzweil, Arthur (Fall 2004). "The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov, Yitzhak Buxbaum (book review)". Parabola (31:3).
8. Brussat, Frederic and Mary Ann. "The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov, 2005 S & P Award Winner | Book Reviews | Books | Spirituality & Practice". www.spiritualityandpractice.com. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
9. Brussat, Frederic and Mary Ann. "Jewish Tales of Mystic Joy | Book Reviews | Books | Spirituality & Practice". www.spiritualityandpractice.com. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
10. "ArchiveGrid : Yitzhak Buxbaum papers, 1991-2005". beta.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
11. Horowitz, Rosemary, ed. Elie Wiesel and the Art of Storytelling (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2006), 5.
12. "The Best of the Besht: Brooklyn man is master of thousands of tales". static.record-eagle.com. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
13. Schram, Peninnah (1995). Chosen Tales: Stories Told by Jewish Storytellers. Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson. pp. xxxvi. ISBN   1-56821-352-2.
14. silvers, emma. "Tale of the maggid: Jewish storytelling enters a new era | j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California". www.jweekly.com. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
15. "Tales of a Maggid: Sacred Hints for Davening and Dance". The Jewish Week | Connecting The World To Jewish News, Culture & Opinion. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
16. Solomon, Daniel J. (May 28, 2017). "The Ancient Art Of Jewish Storytelling Gets A Reboot, In Podcasts And Classes". The Forward. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
17. Lee, Jan. "Maggidah is a Canadian First". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
18. "First Ever Russian-Speaking Maggid Graduation Party". February 5, 2012.
19. "Transformational Storytelling Program led by Maggid Jim Brule".
20. "Radical Mystic - Tablet Magazine – Jewish News and Politics, Jewish Arts and Culture, Jewish Life and Religion". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
21. "Celebration of the Life of Sri Chinmoy at the United Nations – Sri Chinmoy Centre News". www.srichinmoybio.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
22. "Meet Carole Forman Storytelling and Acting". caroleforman.com. Retrieved 2016-04-25.

External links

• Yitzhak Buxbaum website

Article by Yitzhak Buxbaum: Real Davening: Chasidic Answers to the Crisis in Prayer. The Jewish Review: A Journal of Torah, Judaism, Philosophy, Life and Culture 4:3 (March 1991 / Adar 5751)

• Articles by Yitzhak Buxbaum at chabad.org
• Publisher's website on The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov