On this week’s episode of the Seekers of Meaning TV Show and Podcast, Rabbi Address explores the intersection of Mussar, a Jewish ethical tradition, and recovery from addiction. Rabbi Harvey Winokur and Hannah L discuss their book Mussar in Recovery, which aligns the principles of Mussar with the 12-step recovery program.

They delve into the importance of community, the concept of a higher power, and the process of making amends, particularly in the context of the Jewish high holidays. The discussion emphasizes that recovery is a personal journey and that Mussar provides tools for self-awareness and balance in character traits.

Mussar in Recovery is a transformative guide that weaves together timeless wisdom of Jewish ethical teachings with the Twelve Steps, bringing a dynamic Jewish voice to the recovery journey. At its core is Mussar – a centuries-old Jewish tradition that provides practical tools to help individuals create meaningful lives by cultivating the inner traits that align with becoming our best selves.

In this creative and inspiring work, Hannah L. and her teacher overlay Mussar’s gentle wisdom and practices on the 12 Steps. Making this Jewish Sage wisdom accessible, Mussar In Recovery offers clear, actionable practices – ranging from self-reflective exercises to guided daily reminders – that are a blueprint for breaking free from the cycle of addiction and other expressions of our “stinking thinking”. Complemented by her personal experience and spiritual insights, Hannah gives readers a path to realizing their potential for beauty and greatness.

Perfect for any seeker on a path toward recovery and personal growth, Mussar in Recovery offers a compassionate roadmap to healing and wholeness. Embrace the opportunity to blend spiritual depth with practical change and find renewed serenity and joy as you embark on a journey that honors both your heritage and your future.

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About the Guests Hannah L.

Hannah L. is a student and facilitator of the Mussar tradition who draws on 12+ years of learning and living the Twelve Steps and Mussar to reveal the transformative power of these synergistic paths for personal growth. A scientist, inventor, innovator, and explorer, she blends curiosity and creativity with heartfelt faith. As a mother and grandmother, friend and mentor, Hannah lives with purpose — guided by the twin blueprints of Mussar and recovery. Her journey is one of seeking and finding serenity, joy, and daily renewal —becoming her best self in a world full of the unpredictable. Through courageous storytelling rooted in personal experience and spiritual insight, Hannah offers readers practical wisdom, an actionable toolkit, and a guided pathway to their own healing and wholeness.

Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur

Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Cincinnati). A native of New York, he had the privilege of serving two congregations in Atlanta, Georgia before founding Temple Kehillat Chaim in Roswell, Georgia in 1982.  After leading TKC for thirty-six years, he retired and became Emeritus in 2018. Recently, Rabbi Winokur became the spiritual leader for the small Jewish community of Temple B’nai Israel in Albany, Georgia. He is a certified Spiritual Director and a Trainer-Facilitator for The Mussar Institute.

He was introduced to mussar during his spiritual direction training.  But it wasn’t until the Mussar Institute and the Central Conference of American Rabbis offered the opportunity to become mussar facilitators that he immersed himself in the study of mussar. He currently facilitates several vaads and has created curriculum material relating middot (soul traits) to the Haftaraot and to Jewish liturgy.

Rabbi Winokur currently resides in Roswell, Georgia

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