Five Steps to a Better You: The Mussar Path
Live with Alan Morinis, Helaine Sheias, Eric Gurvis, Avi Fertig, and Leslie-Anne Copes-Finke
AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE IN MUSSAR
Learn from the leaders of The Mussar Institute as you experience Mussar wisdom for contemporary life. Begin to develop your personal track forward. Join Alan, Helaine, Eric, Leslie-Anne, and Avi live on Zoom to travel the Mussar path toward new possibilities. Experience:
- The inspiring personal connection of group study and practice led by experienced leaders
- The transformative power of ancient Jewish practices involving the mind, heart, body, and soul
- Guidance for living with greater humility, patience, and equanimity
Open to: All
Experience: Five 90-minute live web meetings with readings in preparation, brief lectures, and small-group (va'ad) breakout discussion, and practice exercises (kabbalot)
Tuition: $54
You'll explore your spiritual and Jewish needs and the relevance of Mussar as you address your needs. Begin to develop your spiritual map and experience working within a va’ad or small group.
You’ll discover the unique Jewish/Mussar interpretation of Anavah or Humility and the powerful role it already plays in your life. What will change in your daily events and experiences when Anavah comes into balance?
You'll understand the soul-trait of patience or savlanut, a challenging trait for most people.
You'll explore the soul-trait of equanimity or menuchat hanefesh.
In your final session, everything will come together when you explore your own personal spiritual curriculum and develop your path forward. You’ll receive personal coaching as you take the step of planning your unique spiritual path.
YOU WILL
- GROW -
through the process of examining your soul and developing your soul path.
- MEET -
a growing, international group of Mussar practitioners.
- RECEIVE -
texts and practices for advancing your personal Mussar journey.
- EXPERIENCE -
the basics of Mussar practiced for more than 1,000 years
- BECOME -
aware of the journey and yearnings of your soul and able to develop a viable path forward
Alan Morinis
Dr. Alan Morinis, Founder of The Mussar Institute, is a leading figure in the contemporary revival of the Mussar movement, a 1,100-year-old authentic Jewish personal and communal spiritual tradition that was nearly lost following the Holocaust. A filmmaker, Rhodes Scholar, and anthropologist whose focus had been Hindu religious pilgrimages, he reached a personal turning point in his life in 1997 that led to his exploration of Mussar.
Alan sought out Rabbi Yechiel Perr, an accomplished master who stood in an unbroken line of transmission of the Mussar tradition. Following years of study he reinterpreted the ancient Mussar learnings and practices for modern audiences in Climbing Jacob’s Ladder and Everyday Holiness. To address the growing public interest in Mussar, he founded The Mussar Institute in 2004. He went on to author two more books, Every Day, Holy Day, and With Heart in Mind.
Alan continues to explore and interpret original Mussar sources in Hebrew and is making these valuable teachings available to the contemporary world.
Helaine Sheias
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 Manchim Advanced Facilitator Training. She has facilitated a number of TMI courses for the past three years. This process facilitates circles of transformation and change by modeling spiritual awakening, and self-reflexive learning, or Hitlamdut.
Facilitating Mussar courses brings Helaine deep joy and a continuous sense of awe and wonder.
Eric Gurvis
Eric is a graduate of SUNY-Albany and was ordained at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. Eric has served congregations in New York City; Jackson, MS; Teaneck, NJ; Newton, MA; and is currently the rabbi of Sha'arei Shalom in Ashland, MA. Eric facilitates Mussar groups throughout the Greater Boston area and in Western Massachusetts.
He and his wife, Laura Kizner Gurvis are blessed with four children and two young grandsons.
Avi Fertig
Rabbi Avi Fertig is the Director of Mussar for The Mussar Institute, where he has been guiding courses and programs since 2010. He is the author of Bridging the Gap (Feldheim 2007), a comprehensive guide to important Mussar concepts and lessons from the Talmud and the classical works of the modern Mussar movement, as well as numerous other publications on topics of Mussar.
Rabbi Fertig studied at the Ner Israel Yeshiva in Baltimore and has also learned and taught at Yeshivat Neve Zion, Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim and the Mir Yeshiva of Jerusalem. Born in the United States, for the past 24 years he has resided in Israel and currently lives in Beit Shemesh with his wife and six children.
Leslie-Anne Copes-Finke
In addition to her position as Director of Teen Program, Leslie-Anne also serves on the Board of Directors. She brings experience in the areas of leadership, team effectiveness, and fundraising. Leslie has served as a consultant for Combined Jewish Philanthropies’ Leadership Development Institute, is a Vice-Chair of the URJ Communities Leadership Team (NE), and has held senior positions at several not-for-profit organizations, including Boston Baroque, WNET-NY, UCS, and Common Ground Stage and Film Company. She is the proud mother of three, ages (17, 20, and 23), and is a past president pf her synagogue community.