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Ethical wills, sometimes called spiritual or legacy letters, are resources Jews have used for centuries to articulate and pass on deeply held values and beliefs. Historically, they were letters written by parents to children; now they often address a wider circle of friends and family, and can come in audio, video, or other creative formats. No matter the format, they contain a person’s moral legacy, including stories, life lessons, and blessings for the future.

There are many reasons to make an ethical will: to reflect on how we have lived and how we wish to live; to give and to ask for love; to pass on what we don’t want forgotten; to forgive and to be forgiven; to remember and to be remembered; to leave behind something personal and distinctive for friends and family.

Join Rabbi Yael as we develop our own personal Ethical Wills during the High Holiday season this year.

Ethical Wills: A Values Vault for Future Generations© is an initiative of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan and the Center for Pastoral Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is supported by a generous grant from the Charles H. Revson Foundation.

Ethical wills, sometimes called spiritual or legacy letters, are resources Jews have used for centuries to articulate and pass on deeply held values and beliefs. Historically, they were letters written by parents to children; now they often address a wider circle of friends and family, and can come in audio, video, or other creative formats. No matter the format, they contain a person’s moral legacy, including stories, life lessons, and blessings for the future.

There are many reasons to make an ethical will: to reflect on how we have lived and how we wish to live; to give and to ask for love; to pass on what we don’t want forgotten; to forgive and to be forgiven; to remember and to be remembered; to leave behind something personal and distinctive for friends and family.

Join Rabbi Yael as we develop our own personal Ethical Wills during the High Holiday season this year.

Ethical Wills: A Values Vault for Future Generations© is an initiative of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan and the Center for Pastoral Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is supported by a generous grant from the Charles H. Revson Foundation.

Mussar is a thousand-year-old body of teachings and practices that provide distinctively Jewish answers to the questions we all ask about life. Mussar guides you in identifying your unique, personal path of spiritual growth and offers practices to assist you on your journey.

Come join us for this introductory session to get a sense of what you can expect, and see if it is for you!

This year the Philadelphia Crafts Show, considered one of the very best in the US, is featuring 24 of the best artists (ceramists, textile artists, and including 12 jewelers). Several of the artists will be on hand, along with Israel’s leading expert on Israeli decorative arts, Aviva Ben Sira. AC member Marge Goldwater, an authority on Israeli art, will lead this trip and a conversation with Aviva and some of the artists.

We will be taking the 9:47am train from Penn Station to Philadelphia (although you can drive if you prefer), have lunch in the area, visit the Craft Show and return to New York in the late afternoon.

AND, this outing will serve as a preview for the Ansche Chesed community, which will be traveling to Israel from May 19-27. Our community trip will focus on the cultural kaleidoscope of Israel, and we will experience the vibrant face of Israeli culture today and tomorrow. During our week-long visit, we will meet many of Israel's leading artists in film, dance, visual arts and literature, opening our eyes and ears to Israel’s thrilling 21st century cultural ferment. Marge will lead this trip, making great use of her extensive relationships across Israel’s cultural networks.

Join Ansche Chesed member Rabbi Judith Edelstein to explore the anatomy of the soul, your personal soul curriculum, how to use that curriculum as the basis for personal growth, and how Mussar provides guidance. You'll explore some of the middot, or traits of the soul.

When you are finished, perhaps you will be able to answer the questions of how you can live my life closer to my spiritual potential? How to avoid making the same mistakes? Why do I cause pain to myself and those I love? What can I learn from those who lived before me?

MORE INFO

Join Ansche Chesed member Rabbi Judith Edelstein to explore the anatomy of the soul, your personal soul curriculum, how to use that curriculum as the basis for personal growth, and how Mussar provides guidance. You'll explore some of the middot, or traits of the soul.

When you are finished, perhaps you will be able to answer the questions of how you can live my life closer to my spiritual potential? How to avoid making the same mistakes? Why do I cause pain to myself and those I love? What can I learn from those who lived before me?

MORE INFO

Join Ansche Chesed member Rabbi Judith Edelstein to explore the anatomy of the soul, your personal soul curriculum, how to use that curriculum as the basis for personal growth, and how Mussar provides guidance. You'll explore some of the middot, or traits of the soul.

When you are finished, perhaps you will be able to answer the questions of how you can live my life closer to my spiritual potential? How to avoid making the same mistakes? Why do I cause pain to myself and those I love? What can I learn from those who lived before me?

MORE INFO

Join Ansche Chesed member Rabbi Judith Edelstein to explore the anatomy of the soul, your personal soul curriculum, how to use that curriculum as the basis for personal growth, and how Mussar provides guidance. You'll explore some of the middot, or traits of the soul.

When you are finished, perhaps you will be able to answer the questions of how you can live my life closer to my spiritual potential? How to avoid making the same mistakes? Why do I cause pain to myself and those I love? What can I learn from those who lived before me?

MORE INFO