Points on the Mussar Map

When I started out on my journey into the world of Mussar, the path was lonely. The majority of the people I encountered knew absolutely nothing about Mussar. They had not even heard the word. And those who did know something about Mussar often had a negative impression.

That’s no longer the case. That came clear to me this past week when, adjacent to my book touring that took me through Connecticut and on to Minneapolis, I recorded two podcasts, though only one is ready to share with you at this time. That one captures me in conversation with Ryan Lambert on his podcast, Bridge Builders Forum.

As that organization says about itself, “The Bridge Builders Forum Podcast aims to help Jews and Christians better understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.”

Frankly, when Ryan first contacted me, I was skeptical. I’m very alert to missionizing and I had never heard of Bridge Builders. In the recent past I was in touch with someone from The Mussar Center in Jerusalem, which says on its webpage, “If you could trade five or ten minutes a day to feel truly alive, happy, and free, would you do it? That’s exactly what this ancient Biblical path of inner work, character development, and healing will do for you.”

Sounds good, no? You have to dig hard to find out that one of the goals of this organization is to bring Jews to Jesus. When I confronted its leader on this buried fact, he answered that he was not a missionary. “I’m non-binary,” he said.

But the website of Bridge Builders was reassuring. They repeat there many of the ideas that exist in the Christian world about Jews, and then say, “These divisive ideas are not only polarizing. They are incorrect both historically and theologically.” And I happened to run into a professor of Jewish Studies who vouched for them. So, I agreed.

Then when I met Ryan and did the podcast, I was completely reassured. He had done his homework, was sincere in his questioning, and was genuinely interested in my work. He truly is a bridge builder.

See for yourself. You can watch the show here:

YouTube:

Apple:

After that, 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.”

I’ll share the link to the podcast I did with Julie when it becomes available.

Ryan’s interest in Mussar and the expanding network of Living Mussar activities in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area were two points on a map that has been taking shape in my mind as I tour with The Shabbat Effect.

I have to add more points for Buffalo, NY, Bloomfield, NJ, and West Palm Beach, FL, where stops on my tour revealed vibrant communities of Jewish (and some non-Jewish) seekers who were sincerely pursuing spiritual growth in an authentically Jewish way. I am sure this will be how it is elsewhere as well.

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.