“There were only sparks of Mussar when I began my own journey on this path, and now there are steady fires burning in many places.”
-Alan Morinis
At the end of April, Living Mussar invited Alan Morinis to the Twin Cities to speak with our community about his latest book, The Shabbat Effect. When reflecting on his visit in his Substack newsletter, Alan had this to say:
…my book tour took me to Minneapolis where I was the guest of Julie Dean, who I knew had started an organization in that city called “Living Mussar.” That much I knew, but nothing beyond. So, it came as a big and pleasant surprise to find myself addressing over 200 people and signing 150 books in events co-sponsored by six local synagogues.
Turns out that Julie and her team have been very busy over the last few years. In 2024, they founded Living Mussar “to reflect what we had become: a vibrant, growing community dedicated to bringing Mussar to life wherever people are seeking meaning. Today, Living Mussar offers small groups, facilitator training, educational partnerships, and resources that open the door for anyone to walk this timeless Jewish path.”
This is a very encouraging development because what it says to me is that Mussar has developed a life of its own within the Jewish world. There were only sparks of Mussar when I began my own journey on this path, and now there are steady fires burning in many places.
On the Living Mussar webpage it says, “Mussar is more than study—it is practice. It is not only about who we are, but who we are becoming. At Living Mussar, we are committed to walking this path together: deepening our connection with Judaism, nurturing our souls, and becoming builders of a better world, one choice at a time.”
What I have discovered – to my delighted surprise – is that there are many people in many places who have not only come out to join in this journey, but who have been independently contributing to the formation and growth of a modern Mussar movement. May we all go from strength to strength and may our varied efforts bring more light and wisdom to ourselves and to our world.
The Living Mussar team is so honored to have invited Alan here, and we feel truly fortunate that the vibrant Mussar community of which we are all a part made such an impact. Or rather, that the impact Mussar has had here was so clearly visible.
You can watch the full video of his book talk here:
During his visit, we were also able to invite Alan to be a guest on The Living Mussar podcast. Click here to listen to his episode.
Thank You to Our Event Co-Sponsors
