Today’s CCM stands on the shoulders of many dedicated individuals who shared their unique gifts. We thank them for their extraordinary effort: Mindy Shapiro, who edited our first workbook and launched many va’ads and madrichim; Miki Young z”l, who breathed spirit into our venture; Jim Culbertson who created the first website and newsletter; and Nancy Axelrod who served as our first executive director. We are grateful for their contributions.
Over the past two decades we have taught hundreds of learners who were looking for help as they grew and worked towards transforming their lives, their relationships and their communities.
In 2022, Rabbi Stone and Dr. Trey transitioned to Emeritus positions with CCM, with Rabbi Joshua Boettiger assuming a new role as Rosh Yeshiva.
Our unique program is taught in a va’ad (small-group) format. Participants combine text study of classic Mussar texts with transformational practices to guide students through experiences of how middot (character traits) impact their lives and the lives of the people around them.
Along with our ongoing va’ads, CCM offers programs specifically designed for Jewish clergy and educators, as well as training for Madrichim (teacher/facilitators). We also offer weekly Mussar meditation sessions, Torah Study, and a variety of specialized classes throughout the year in Mussar texts, theology, and daily practice to students across the world.
Explore this ancient and innovative way to invoke your highest self in service, invigorate your relationships, and repair the world.
What is the story behind Center for Contemporary Mussar?
After more than 15 years as a synagogue-based program (The Mussar Leadership Program), the Center for Contemporary Mussar (CCM) was launched in August 2017, as an independent non-profit organization. The program and its founders were guided by the spiritual and intellectual leadership of Rabbi Ira Stone and Dr. Beulah Trey.
CCM’s core curriculum combines spiritual practice with the study of Jewish text to guide students in the transformation of their relationships by awakening them to their profound responsibility for others. From one synagogue-based program in Philadelphia, CCM has since evolved and grown so that one can find our in-person or online courses and group-work being offered by Madrichim from coast to coast and many locations in between.