Alan Morinis (born December 8, 1949) is a Canadian

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms an ...

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

, and

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, ...

who has been a leading figure in the contemporary revival of the

Musar movement The Musar movement (also Mussar movement) is a Jewish ethical, educational and cultural movement that developed in 19th century Lithuania, particularly among Orthodox Lithuanian Jews. The Hebrew term (), is adopted from the Book of Proverbs (1 ...

, a Jewish ethical movement.

Early life and secular education

Morinis was born into a

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

secular Jewish home in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada. He completed his Ph.D. in

Social Anthropology Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In ...

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, which he attended on a

Rhodes Scholarship The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

(Ontario 1972). Morinis studied religious

pilgrimages A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

, especially in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

, and authored the book ''Pilgrimage in the Hindu Tradition: A Case Study of West Bengal'' as well as edited ''Sacred Journeys: the anthropology of pilgrimage''.

Mussar education

After pioneering work in academia, and a successful career television production, Morinis experienced a major professional failure that sent him reeling. He began to search Jewish tradition for spiritual guidance and came across the Mussar Movement. He began to study musar under the tutelage of Rabbi Yechiel Yitzchok Perr. Morinis has described his early Mussar education in his book ''Climbing Jacob's Ladder''.

Revival of the Mussar movement

In 2004, Morinis founded the Mussar Institute, based in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

. He sought to revive the

, which he saw as having largely died off after the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

. Morinis has been credited as being, along with Rabbi

Ira F. Stone Rabbi Ira F. Stone (born 1949) is a leading figure in the contemporary renewal of the Musar movement, a Jewish ethical movement. Career Stone was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1979, and proceeded to serve ...

, the leading figure in the contemporary revival of the Musar movement among non-Orthodox Jews.Geoffrey Claussen,
The American Jewish Revival of Musar
," ''The Hedgehog Review''. Retrieved 10 January 2011. Frederic and

Mary Ann Brussat Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also call ...

of the web site ''

Spirituality & Practice The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape ...

'' have described Morinis's teachings as offering "a treasure trove of spiritual practices," "explications of the practical spiritual tradition of Mussar," and "insights into how to change your behavior and bring out your soul."Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
"Living Spiritual Teachers Project: Alan Morinis"
Retrieved 10 January 2011.

Geoffrey Claussen Geoffrey Claussen is an American rabbi and scholar who serves as a professor of Religious Studies at Elon University. His scholarship focuses on Jewish ethics, theology, and the Musar movement. Education Claussen received his BA in Classical Lan ...

Elon University Elon University is a private university in Elon, North Carolina. Founded in 1889 as Elon College, Elon is organized into six schools, most of which offer bachelor's degrees and several of which offer master's degrees or professional doctora ...

has described Morinis as emphasizing "the honesty, humility, patience, and discipline that doing Musar requires" but as giving less attention to the importance of "traditional liturgy and community."

Books

Morinis's books include: *''Climbing Jacob's Ladder: One Man's Journey to Rediscover a Jewish Spiritual Tradition'' (2007) *''Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar'' (2008) *''Every Day, Holy Day: 365 Days of Teachings and Practices from the Jewish Tradition of Mussar'' (2010) *''With Heart in Mind: Mussar Teachings to Transform Your Life'' (2014)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morinis, Alan Musar movement Living people 1949 births Jewish Canadian writers Canadian Rhodes Scholars Canadian anthropologists Writers from Toronto Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Hindu studies scholars Spiritual teachers Canadian religious writers Writers of Musar literature Canadian male non-fiction writers 21st-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers