Chai Club to hear expert on Jewish spiritual practice

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

The Women’s Philanthropy division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley will hear from Ruchi Koval, cofounder and associate director of Congregation JFX (Jewish Family Experience) in Cleveland, speak at its Chai Club Dinner on May 16.

She’ll talk about the ancient Jewish concept of personal transformation called Mussar, which was the subject of her 2021 book “Soul Construction: Shape Your Character Using 8 Steps from the Timeless Jewish Practice of Mussar.”

Koval, an Orthodox Jew, has been a Jewish educator for two decades, leading self-development groups for adults and teens, and mentoring other educators around the world, while she and her husband, JFX’s Rabbi Sruly Koval, raised seven kids. She’s also a certified parenting coach, motivational speaker and musician.

The ancient practice of Mussar was revived in the 1800s by the Lithuanian rabbi Israel Salanter, and it recommends assessing one’s own character traits, such as honesty, patience, generosity, power of speech, forgiveness, happiness. Becoming aware of these traits, a person can then gradually and systematically work to refine them.

“In this way, we begin to become spiritually transformed,” Koval said, “and, by definition, our relationships with others, and with ourselves, can dramatically improve.”

Lori Palatnik, founding director of Momentum, is a fan of Koval’s. She said of “Soul Construction” that “Ruchi Koval has written a handbook for self-growth that is like a close, wise (and funny) friend reaching their hand out to you to pull you up … and up!”

Koval’s friend Shari has been studying Mussar with her for 22 years. “There’s nothing in my life that hasn’t changed by studying Mussar, because everything changes when you have your Mussar eyeglasses on,” Shari said. “Mussar has made my life fuller, bigger, better and brighter. Everything is more Technicolor. The joy, the gratitude, which is where I naturally go, has been enhanced exponentially, even when I’m having a bad day.”

The Chai Club Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the JCC. It’s open to donors who have made a pledge to the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs at or above $180. To register to attend, visit jewishlehighvalley.org/ calendar.