Yitzhak is a practising Jewish mystic and storyteller living in Portland Oregon. Rav Yitzhak, the third son of poor farmers, was nurtured by a large extended family – descendants of refugees from the Eastern European Pogroms of the latter half of the nineteenth century – who settled themselves in Washington State hoping to form their own isolated Orthodox Jewish, mystically-oriented community. This community, which values education and learning – especially in the mystic arts, instilled Yitzhak with the desire of hokaar – being an ardent life-long student. He was tutored by his uncle Rabbi Aryeh (Aryeh Mitzyan) who was known as a highly sought after teacher and seer. Yitzhak's uncles Heb (Hevel) and Pinky (Pinchas), both marvellous storytellers were mossike (mischief makers) were a great inspiration.

Yitzhak showed an early interest in science, which would eventually lead him to his career in physics. Although a great culture shock for the sheltered and driven young man, he excelled in academia and, in four years, obtained two Bachelor degrees one in physics and one in music composition with minors in mathematics and archaeology. After college, Yitzhak worked in two different national laboratories (Sandia and PNNL). During this time, he became involved with three different archaeological teams working on sites in Jordan and Israel. Encouraged by his uncles, he travelled extensively in the Middle East and lived for two years in Israel at a kibbutz (near Tel Rahov). There, he put his experience in farming into practise. At age 28, he returned to academia and graduate school (at Oregon State University) where he earned his Ph.D. in physics (1995). During his time at graduate school he met and eventually married Melissa, the woman of his dreams.

After graduate school Yitzhak embraced the academic life and became an assistant professor of physics, and later a full professor, at SUNY (State University of New York). Later he moved to OSBE (Oregon State Board of Education), living in Portland, Oregon. However, yearning for the community he grew up with, he returned to farming and the community in which he grew up. At the age of 45, he began to study the mystic Hebrew texts (45 is the age in one is allowed to study these texts). There he gained the title of Rav – meaning “learned one who teaches others” and became thoroughly enveloped in Jewish mysticism. After two years (in 2001), Yitzhak returned to Portland, Oregon to pursue a career as an independent consultant. In his spare time, Rav Yitzhak lectures and teaches classes in the mystic Hebrew literature, sharing exercises commonly used by both the ancient and modern Jewish mystics, and giving private storytelling performances.

Yitzhak is an accomplished teacher of the occult, having lectured and taught workshops on the connection of Jewish mysticism and the paranormal. He has lead well over one hundred seances over the course of ten years.

http://www.ravyitzhak.com/