I’m Israel Buffardi (he/him), and I’ve been the contract minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington since August 2025. Most people here call me Israel or Izzy and either is fine.

I grew up in Rhode Island in an Italian American family, and I come from bakers. Before ministry I trained as a cook and worked in specialty food, then in local food systems with FoodCorps. Somewhere in there I also did a bunch of experimental theatre. I once played the fool in a stage adaptation of Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the best strange play I’ve ever been a part of. If you ever read CNN’s story on American fringe festivals, the Frenchman handing out cheese samples was me. That’s my claim to fame, and also my theology, expressed.

I wasn’t kidding about the theology. I’m a Universalist, which is a fancy way of saying I think everybody gets the good stuff and nobody has to earn it. Religion has caused so much harm, and I’ve always felt it’s my duty to repair that harm in the ways I can. Most Sundays that comes down to some version of “hey, we’re all connected, and it matters how we treat each other.” It also means I say the word fascism from the pulpit, because fascism only works when enough people agree to keep enforcing it.

I went to Harvard Divinity School, and I’ve served Unitarian Universalist congregations from Oregon to Nova Scotia. Here in town I am part of the Faith Leaders of Huntington, a network of local clergy from many traditions.

I live in Huntington Station with my partner and our two children. I’m a Master Gardener, and I’ll talk about sci-fi, design, or The Good Place with anyone who brings them up, and of course the deep stuff, like why we’re here. Around the fellowship you’re very likely to find me gazing in awe at the old trees on our grounds.

A lot of folks think you call a minister only in a crisis, or when planning a wedding or memorial. Those are sacred moments, and if you need someone to help plan a memorial, or to think through what to do with a loved one’s ashes, that’s exactly the kind of thing I’m here for. But they’re not the whole story. You might also reach out if

  • you have something to celebrate and want someone to share the joy
  • you’re wrestling with questions of meaning, purpose, or your spiritual path
  • you’re longing for deeper connection within the congregation
  • you want a companion for a walk, or someone to make art, build something, or plant something with you while you process life’s mysteries
  • you’re in the middle of a transition (welcoming or adopting a child, claiming and celebrating your true name and identity, separation or divorce, a new job or school, retiring, changes in health or physical ability, a new home) and sense that a ritual might help make it meaningful

Email is the best way to reach me, at minister@uufh.org, and I usually meet with people Tuesday through Thursday. Monday is my Sabbath, so if you email on Friday, you may not hear back until Tuesday. I do keep an eye on messages over the weekend, but I prioritize being fully present with our community on Sundays, and with my family, too.