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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019

YOUR VOICE MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

Dear Facilitators,

As we continue to plan activities and programs to support your valued efforts, we need to hear from you about who you are, where you are, what you have been doing, what you would like to do in the future and how we can be there for you meaningful ways. 

To that end, please complete this BRIEF AND IMPORTANT SURVEY!

Your immediate participation will make it possible for us to report back to you in our next Focus on Facilitator Newsletter. If you have any questions in the interim, please contact Sharon at sharon@mussarinstitute.org.

Wishing you and your families a Happy Chanukah and Happy secular New Year.
Time to Join or Renew Your Membership in the Mussar Institute's Facilitator Network!
Your membership in the TMI Facilitator Network (formerly Chevrah) will allow you to continue:
  • receiving the Focus on Facilitators newsletter
  • accessing the valuable live LIFE Sessions, and archived Sessions
  • participating in the coming online resource forum
  • and enjoying our new mentoring program.
Membership begins January 1, 2020, and costs only $18 for the year for Chaverim and $36 for all others. If you haven't done so already, RENEW OR JOIN NOW!
LOOKING FOR A TUTORIAL ON
NAVIGATING THE CANVAS WORKSPACE?

With TMI’s recent transition from the Moodle, what we call our "legacy" course site, to Canvas, we realize there is a learning curve for many of our users. Canvas may not look like our old site, but it is easy to use once you know where the "buttons" are.
 
Canvas is a no-frills Learning Management System (LMS) that is free and highly secure. To use it, all facilitators and students need to create their own account with a user name and secure password.

To help you navigate TMI courses you may be facilitating in the future, we have created a step-by-step INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE Please feel free to download and keep this PDF GUIDE for your reference anytime. If you do not have a Canvas account, sign up HERE and click on "Need a Canvas Account?"  
LIFE Sessions
with Rabbi Amy Eilberg
When Your "Difficult Person"
Is In Your Va'ad

December 18, 8 p.m. ET
REGISTER
We will email you a
Zoom Link prior to the session.
Giving and Receiving Criticism

By Avi Fertig
Director of Mussar

A primary focus of the upcoming Mussar Kallah in Phoenix, Arizona, is direct communication or giving and receiving effective criticism.
It's a particularly challenging topic and one that is central to a Mussar approach. Even after years of personal Mussar study and practice, giving and receiving effective criticism remains an elusive skill and a practice many try to avoid.

In the holiness laws of parashat Kedoshim (Leviticus 19:17) the Torah's directive reads:
 
"You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your fellow but you shall not bear a sin on their account."
לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֨יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹֽא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא

The Torah teaches that when we are triggered by something someone has done or said, we mustn't remain silent. Without clear and direct communication, resentment builds and hatred ensues. In explaining the Hebrew word for rebuke or effective criticism, tochacha, Rashi comments on the etymological connection to the Hebrew word for clarification, hochacha. Indeed, he writes that rebuke or reproof actually means, "words of clarification / beirur devarim" (Genesis 20:16).

Clarification requires being very specific and it tells us to clearly communicate how we are feeling and why. One of the many values of Mussar practice is that it provides us with a language to communicate our feelings in a specific and non-threatening way. We can ask, which middot have been triggered in me? We can then ask which middot can help me to process this challenging word or deed? With consistent practice, a Mussar lens provides essential self-awareness, allowing us to accurately assess our reactions and the state of our mind and emotions. From this place, we can achieve effective communication even when the issues are personal and challenging.
JOIN THE TMI FACILITATOR NETWORK
Save on your TMI Program tuitions and deepen your connections with the TMI Community by becoming a Chaver/Chavera!
JOIN CHAVERIM HERE
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THE MUSSAR INSTITUTE
The Mussar Institute advances the study and practice of Mussar, a Jewish path of character development and spiritual growth, leading to awareness, wisdom, and transformation.

Questions? Please contact us here.
For further information on The Mussar Institute, visit www.MussarInstitute.org
Email address: info@mussarinstitute.org | Phone: 561.571.5135 






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