Yitzhak Buxbaum

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]

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]

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]

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]

• 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