Executive Team - The Mussar Institute

Leadership

Welcome to the heart and soul of The Mussar Institute. Our management team is the driving force behind our mission, working tirelessly to steer our organization towards success and embody our core values.

These visionary leaders bring a wealth of experience, dedication, and expertise to the table, ensuring that we not only meet our goals but exceed them. Get to know the individuals who shape our vision and lead us on the path to excellence.

Alan Morinis

Founder

Dianne Benmayor

Business Manager

Rivka Felsher

Chief Operating Officer

Avi Fertig

Chief Programming Officer

Devorah Fuchs

Director of Marketing

Eric Gurvis

Director of Membership Engagement

Moe Howard

Coordinator of Outreach Programs

Emma Lebowitz

Data Coordinator

Palmer Rubin

Digital Assets and Communications Associate

Helaine Sheias

Director of Facilitator and Program Development

Read More About Helaine

Helaine Sheias, Ph.D., made Aliyah to Israel in her teens, served in the IDF, and settled in Israel for more than two decades. She is a graduate of The Mussar Institute Yesod Facilitator Training Program and the Manchim Advanced Facilitator Training. She is currently the Director of Facilitator and Program Development, after joining the TMI Staff a few years ago.

Helaine continues to facilitate a variety of courses. She co-created the Tapestry course with Nancy Weiss. In her Va'adim she facilitates circles of transformation and change by modeling spiritual awakening, and self-reflexive learning, or Hitlamdut. Facilitating Mussar courses offers Helaine a continuous sense of awe and wonderment as it continuously strengthens her personal spiritual practice.

Helaine currently resides near Haifa Israel and is blessed with 2 amazingly wondrous grandchildren and three adult children, who all bring her great nachas and joy.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Introducing Our Board of Directors, the Visionaries Shaping the Future of The Mussar Institute.

Learn about the leaders who steer our organization toward continued excellence and success.

Kathy Jacobs, Secretary

Kathy retired from ACT, Inc, where she served as an internal change and transition consultant, assisting various departments and hands-on employees in managing technical changes and other projects. Already an enthusiastic member of TMI, she found great fulfillment in her Yesod and Manchim training and facilitating. Mussar teachings and practices have now become a central part of her life.

Annabelle Imber Tuck, President

David Goldis, Treasurer

David, a Yeshiva University graduate and accountant with 35 years of experience, has managed his independent practice in Hollywood, FL for the past 30 years. He specializes in international tax services, audit representation, and business startup & planning. David is deeply involved in various non-profit and religious organizations, both locally and globally. He is proficient in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish and has studied Mussar for over 30 years.

Irv Robinson, Past Co-President

Sandy Greenstein, Past Co-President

Steven Haas

Steve has been a student of Mussar since 2011 and has consistently studied with the same online va’ad for 11 years. After completing Manchim, he facilitated Season of Mussar I and II at his congregation, Temple Chai in Phoenix, AZ. Steve is a passionate advocate for Mussar, which has profoundly impacted his life.

He has also previously served on the board of his congregation and retired after 11 years of teaching in junior and senior high schools, in addition to a 40-year career in Human Resources at Bud Industries, Inc.

John Isenberg

John, retired after nearly 40 years of owning Western Extralite, a family business. He is deeply involved in his Jewish community and has held board positions at the Jewish Family Service, Jewish Community Foundation, Temple B’Nai Jehudah, and the Jewish Federation of Greater KC, where he served as Board Chair from 2015 to 2018. John has made 15 trips to Israel since his first visit in 1981.

In 2020, he began his Mussar journey by enrolling in the 5 Steps course. He is an ongoing student of Mussar, having participated in three va'ads and currently enrolled in one, while also being part of the Mussar Schmooze group.

John and his wife, Jenny, are lifelong Kansas City residents and have been married for 40 years. They have three children: Amy Allison, Adam, and a grandson, Max.

Ann Margolin

Ann has been involved with TMI for about ten years, taking various courses, completing Manchim, and becoming a certified facilitator. She is also a Jewish meditation teacher and has participated in the Kivvun program at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Ann is active in Temple Emanuel in Dallas.

Ann has served in many roles as a community volunteer in Dallas, including representing District 13 on the Dallas City Council, being the first female board chair at Parkland Hospital, and the immediate past chair of TexProtects. She also chaired the board of Girls Inc., was the founding chair of the Chiapas Project, and served on several commissions, including the Dallas Planning and Zoning Commission and the Park and Recreation Board. Ann holds a BS and MA in Communication from Northwestern and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Robert Mass

Robert is a Senior Advisor in the Compliance Division at The Goldman Sachs Group L.P. Before joining the firm, he served as an assistant district attorney in New York County, where he held positions as the deputy chief of the Investigation Division and chief of the Labor Racketeering Unit. Earlier in his career, he worked at Kramer, Levin, Nessen, and Kamin, a New York corporate law firm, and at the American Civil Liberties Union. Robert also serves as the chairman of the FCA Markets Practitioner Panel. He is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Harvard Law School.

Kalinka Moudrova-Rothman

Kalinka began her journey with TMI in 2004 after meeting Alan Morinis. Drawn to Mussar, she has taken over a dozen courses. Originally from Bulgaria, she converted to Judaism in 2009 and had her Bat Mitzvah in 2011. She has attended over a dozen Kallot and participated in TMI’s first trip to Israel. Kalinka volunteered as a chevruta matching coordinator and edited the Omer teachings for our Facebook page. She is a bank finance attorney with Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation in NYC. She holds an LL.B. from Sofia University and an LL.M. from Columbia Law School. With over 30 years of experience as a corporate attorney, she has also served on various boards.

Check out these great resources!

Books by Alan Morinis

See List Here

Mussar Chants

Listen Here

Mussar Classics

See List Here