Maggid Yitzhak Buxbaum of Brooklyn, N.Y., is considered to be a master in the art of Jewish storytelling.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a picture of Assemblyman Dov Hikind.
Storytelling has long been used as an effective way of passing down religious tradition.
If done well, it can be a true art form that enables the storyteller to hold an audience spellbound and a powerful tool in transcending cultural boundaries.
Judaism is one faith that thrives on telling the stories of its rich heritage. No one loves a good story as much as the Jewish people, and as Jewish storytellers go, Yitzhak Buxbaum ranks at the top.
Buxbaum, considered in some circles to be one of the most important Jewish storytellers of our time, was in Traverse City last week speaking at Horizon Bookstore and The Potter's House Church. His visit was under the sponsorship of the Or Tzafon Retreat Center, which is directed by Rabbi Chava Bahle of Ahavat Shalom Congregation. Twice yearly the center strives to bring to the area some of the best teachers in Judaism.
Buxbaum, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is a master of thousands of tales. He travels throughout the country as a maggid, a Jewish inspirational teacher and storyteller.
Maggid Buxbaum focuses on Jewish teachings, but he frequently is asked to speak in ashrams, mosques and churches, providing a bridge between not only the different Jewish sects, but also a link between Jews and people of other faiths.
A Hasidic Jew, his beliefs lie in the teachings of the 18th century Ukrainian Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Hasidic movement. Buxbaum is an expert at relating legendary stories and teachings of the Besht, a Hebrew acronym for the Baal Shem Tov. The stories are interwoven with ancient Kabbalistic mysticism that the Baal Shem Tov brought into his teachings. Kabbalah, the deeper mysticism of Judaism, is a belief that God is found in everything.
http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com/features/cnhinsfaith_story_135131531.html
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Posted By Chaptzem to Chaptzem Blog! at 5/16/2007 08:52:00 AM
