Meet Your Teachers
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.
Dr. Helaine Sheias serves as the Assistant Director of Programming at The Mussar Institute. She made Aliyah to Israel during her teenage years, served in the IDF, and has been a resident of Israel for over two decades. She graduated from The Mussar Institute's Yesod Facilitator Training Program as well as the Manchim Advanced Facilitator Training.
Helaine actively facilitates various courses and was instrumental in co-creating the Tapestry course alongside Nancy Weiss. In her role, she leads transformative circles focused on spiritual awakening and self-reflective learning (Hitlamdut). Facilitating Mussar courses brings Helaine continuous awe and wonder, contributing significantly to her personal spiritual growth.
Residing near Haifa, Israel, Helaine is blessed with two remarkable grandchildren and three adult children who bring her immense nachas and joy.
Rabbi Eric Gurvis 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 Ashland, MA. He will be serving as Interim Rabbi at his former congregation in Jackson, MS from July 2024-June 2025.
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.
Rabbi Avi Fertig serves as the Director of Mussar at The Mussar Institute, where he has been guiding courses and programs since 2010. Avi's educational background includes studying at the Yeshiva of Ner Israel in Baltimore, followed by a move to Israel in 1997. During his time at the Mir Yeshivah in Jerusalem, he developed a close bond with Rabbi Reuvain Leuchter, a prominent disciple of Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, a renowned authority in Mussar. Since then, Avi has been studying, writing, and teaching Mussar to a wide audience, impacting thousands of students. He is also the author of two books on Torah and Mussar. Avi resides in Beit Shemesh with his wife, Estie, their children, and their recently born grandson, Ariel.
Leslie-Anne Copes-Finke is the Director of the Teen Program at The Mussar Institute and also serves as a member of the Board of Directors. She is honored to be a co-author of the teen Mussar program, and of the New Pathway to the Inner Life course. Leslie-Anne developed and leads the Facilitator Training course for Jewish educators working with teens and is passionate about teaching Confirmation at her local synagogue and sharing her love of Mussar and Judaism. Leslie has held various leadership and fundraising positions at Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Boston Baroque, and WNET-NY, among others, in addition to serving as president of her temple twice. Combining her background in classical music and theater with her love of Mussar, Leslie seeks to create nourishing spiritual spaces for others on their Jewish journey so they may flourish in peace, wholeness, and balance.