Mussar Kallah 2008
Sunday, November 16th
New York
We have changed the date of the Mussar Kallah to avoid conflicting with the New York marathon, and can now confirm a final date.
This annual gathering of students and teachers of Mussar and anyone interested in Jewish spiritual practice is now set for Sunday, November 16 at the JCC in Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave.) from 9 am to 5 pm.
The Kallah will bring together seasoned teachers from a wide area who would otherwise be inaccessible. It thus offers a unique opportunity to learn from those who are bearers of one of the finest traditions of spirituality in the Jewish world.
The preceding Friday and Saturday, November 14/15, is a Shabbaton open to anyone coming in from out of town, or who has done at least one Mussar Institute course.
Save the date. More details will be available soon.
For more information on the Mussar Kallah, visit our website. Hope to see you there!
Warm greetings,
Your friends at The Mussar Institute
and The JCC in Manhattan
Next Mussar Kallah 2008
WHAT IS MUSSAR KALLAH?
The Mussar Kallah is an annual gathering that brings together some of the most highly regarded teachers of Mussar along with students, seekers and others curious to learn more. The Mussar Kallah is simultaneously a conference, workshop, dialogue and creative discussion that is weaving Mussar into modern spiritual life.
The first Mussar Kallah took place in New York in 2003, Mussar Kallah II in Houston in 2004, Mussar Kallah III in San Francisco in 2005 and Mussar Kallah IV in Chicago in 2006 and most recently, Kallah V was held in Miami 2007. Mussar Kallah VI will take place in New York City on November 2, 2008.
Until recently, Mussar only existed in the world of Orthodox Judaism, but even there, the ravages of the Holocaust resulted in the living heirs to a millennium of spiritual exploration and innovation being swept from the face of the earth. The embers of Mussar have continued to glow, however, and this tradition is being rediscovered today in response to the spiritual yearning that is arising in every corner of the Jewish world. Find out more about Mussar.
WHAT LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE DO I NEED TO HAVE?
No prior knowledge of Mussar is required to benefit from attending a Mussar Kallah. Every speaker focuses on issues that affect ordinary people in everyday life, because that is precisely what Mussar is meant to do. In bringing forward the teachings from this venerable tradition, the presenters endeavor to create bridges that permit members of our generation to access and apply these time-tested gifts of tradition in our own lives. Find out what the program will be.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO LEARN?
The Mussar Kallah provides a unique opportunity to learn from seasoned teachers who are ordinarily inaccessible and yet who are bearers of one of the finest traditions of spirituality in the Jewish world. Rabbis Becker and Miller are American-born and so understand and can communicate with a contemporary audience. This is a rare opportunity to learn from these teachers as they all live in Israel and so are seldom available in North America.
Every participant comes away from the Mussar Kallah with:
- A deeper knowledge of the history of Jewish spiritual practice.
- More clarity and appreciation for the wisdom of the Mussar tradition.
- Better understanding of the play of forces in his or her own inner life.
- Effective tools to apply that to help navigate the journey to holiness in the Mussar way.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAM – MUSSAR SHABBATON
This is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in Mussar for an entire weekend. The Shabbaton takes place immediately prior to the Mussar Kallah and is open to those who have completed at least one of our Mussar Courses or Season of Mussar program. The Shabbaton offers the opportunity to learn in an intimate and ritual-infused setting from many of the teachers who will also be coming to the Kallah.
At the Shabbaton we live, eat, pray and learn in intimate spiritual community. The teachers who will do sessions and presentations at the Kallah are our guides and companions as we share a relaxed, exploratory, devotional time together over food, prayer, song and discussion. The Sages say that Shabbat is "a taste of Heaven on Earth". One way of understanding Heaven is as pure spirituality, and the Shabbaton is a taste of that experience.
