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In This IssueWelcome We welcome you to our April newsletter. This is a month busy with final preparations for the Mussar Kallah to be held in Miami Beach on April 29th. If you are pondering whether to take the plunge and attend…you will be so pleased if you do! This is a rare opportunity to experience spiritual teaching, inspiration and training from wise Jewish teachers of Mussar who are seldom publicly available – with the bonus of a fabulous setting. Learn more in the “Under A Mussar Lens” column in this newsletter. Passover is upon us. We are told to mark the Exodus from Egypt as if we ourselves were walking that journey, in our own lives. The departure was made in haste – explaining why the matzah had no time to rise – and Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz, the beloved Mussar leader from Mir, says that we learn from this how precious is each fleeting moment of our lives. In that spirit, we at The Mussar Institute hope that you will invest yourself fully in seeking the freedom that this holiday represents. May you see every moment of this Pesach season as an opportunity to take a step on a true journey of liberation, for you and your dear ones. By Alan Morinis The Mussar Kallah takes place this month in Miami. This is the fifth annual gathering of this type, and like all the previous ones, there are two purposes. One is to provide a context in which you can encounter and learn from
great Mussar teachers. When I began my own explorations of Mussar,
I was uncertain whether there were any Mussar teachers living in this
generation. The Holocaust had swept away so many, and the post-war
Jewish community seemed to be focused on everything but spirituality.
But the truth is that there have been people nurturing the insights
and practice of Mussar within their local communities and institutions
all along. The Mussar
Kallah is your precious opportunity to meet with them, learn from
them, and (perhaps most important) to sniff the scent of someone who
has spent decades working to refine and uplift their inner life. You
will be inspired. Read
entire article. You’ve been waiting for it, and today we at The Mussar Institute joyfully announce that on April 29th, at the Mussar Kallah, we will launch our completely reworked, revised, updated and imaginative introductory home-learning program in Mussar: Everyday Holiness: The Course This course is designed by Alan Morinis based on his
new book, "Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of
Mussar", that will be on bookstore shelves May 9. It is directed
by Shirah Bell. Read
more about this course. An Interview With Rabbi Micha Berger By Leonard Felson You could say Rabbi Micha Berger wears two hats. He established the AishDas Society (www.aishdas.org) as a resource for Orthodox Jews and he is a frequent speaker among non-Orthodox audiences, including a popular panelist at the annual Mussar Kallah. He also sits on the board of directors of The Mussar Institute. Why have you wanted to bring Mussar to your community?
By Dorit Golan Cullen I’ll begin with a morning in Houston, March 2004 when my fiancé,
now husband, officially announced our marriage plans. Alan Morinis
suggested that Mussar study would be a fabulous learning and growing
experience as I entered into a new commitment in my life. I spent that
summer reading Climbing
Jacob’s Ladder, looking for a quick fix to my problems. Two
and one-half years later, I’m finally comprehending, living and
breathing my three weakest soul traits: patience, fear and silence. Read
entire article. Contest Update We do have a winner! Thank you to everyone who contributed suggestions in our naming the newsletter contest. We certainly received some creative suggestions. The contest committee consisted of Leonard Felson, Lara Fisher, Eytan Kobre, Alan Morinis and Sandy Fayerman. We thank them for the time and energy they put into reaching this decision. The winner of the Newsletter Contest is Howard (BO) SAPPER from Sonoma, CA, with his suggestion of "YASHAR". “Yashar” literally means "straight" and figuratively "upright" or “righteous” and is often used in Mussar thought to describe the way of people of admirable spiritual stature. The Talmud in (Avodah Zarah 25a) gives Sefer HaYashar or Sefer Yesharim, the Book of the Upright, as another name for Sefer Bereishit (Genesis), referring to the characters of the ancestors whose lives are chronicled there. And of course, one of the pillars of Mussar is Mesillas Yesharim, the Path of the Just (or Upright, or Righteous) by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto. We thank Bo for naming the TMI newsletter. In appreciation, he will receive a copy of Alan’s new book, Everyday Holiness, when it is released in May. Please continue to enjoy reading the many wonderful articles provided
to you on behalf of The Mussar Institute and may Yashar continue to
deliver information and inspiration to guide you on your way. Mussar Kallah Needs Volunteers! The success of the Mussar Kallah depends on the contributions made by dedicated volunteers. The small and devoted committee coordinating the Miami Kallah is working tirelessly to ensure that Mussar Kallah V is a great success on April 29th. They need your help. They are looking for volunteers to drive to and from airport to transport
our teachers, help on the registration and book tables, hosts and guides
and more. If you are attending the Kallah, or are a resident in the
Miami area, please donate some time to be of service to the community.
This, too, is Mussar practice, and centrally so. Please be in touch
with the Mussar Kallah Volunteer Coordinator, Henry
Wodnicki, at hwodnicki@mac.com to
find out what you can do. ANNOUNCEMENTS The Mussar Institute gratefully acknowledges the following donations this month:
EVENTS
April 29th, 2007
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