The Mussar Institute welcomes Jews from across the spectrum of beliefs and practices, as well as seekers from other faith traditions, who want to learn and grow from the Jewish Mussar tradition. Our teaching and courses draw on the 1,100 year history of Mussar. With authentic Jewish source materials drawn from different eras, places, and cultures, we recognize that some ideas, concepts, and perspectives may be challenging to process - and wrestle meaning from - in our current time. Asserting a Mussar stance of learning from all people and situations, experience has shown that differences can be a source of enrichment, learning, and spiritual growth.

Therefore, with kavod / honor, we invite and encourage personal perspectives that elevate, illuminate, and contribute to the internalization of these ancient texts, making meaningful connections between our lived experiences and our traditional Mussar teachings. Engaging with different points of view, dialogue, and even argument are central learning processes in a Jewish context, and we welcome and embrace this aspect of our tradition for the sake of deepening our understanding of ourselves, our Jewish tradition, and each other. When the question is asked in Pirkei Avot, “Who is wise?” the answer that is given is, “One who learns from every person.” This is the principle that guides our interactions.