The Shabbat Effect: Jewish Wisdom for Growth and Transformation by Alan Morinis
(Bloomsbury Publishing)
November 13, 2025
SHABBAT, like Kaddish and Jewish delis, is a topic that inspires many writers to wax rhapsodic about its history and ability to catalyze deep personal meaning. In the hands of Alan Morinis, a leader in the revival of Musar, the subject gets a more pragmatic treatment with a focus on developing practice. Musar was a movement of growth through self-examination in nineteenth-century yeshivot, and Morinis has made it a modern phenomenon by focusing less on the self-flagellation and more on spirituality. You won’t find a kugel recipe, but you may learn how to find yourself in the kugel. Avi Finegold
