I was recently commissioned to create a special piece of jewelry for Rabbi Shana Chandler Leon of Congregation Ner Tamid, in San Francisco, CA. This gift was to be symbolic of Mussar, the universal Jewish Spiritual Path, that dates back to 10th-Century Babylonia. Her students wanted to thank her for teaching this special way of engendering purpose, meaning and spiritual discipline into their everyday lives. As part of this process, began to learn and study more about this by reading Everyday Holiness, by Alan Morinis and taking Rabbi Shana’s class.
Together with the women, I pondered how to approach making this gift. One student asked Rabbi Shana what her three favorite Midot (or soul traits as they are called in Mussar.) She answered Truth (pronounced Bitachon), Order (pronounced Seder) and Enthusiasm (pronounced Zreezut.) We decided to take those soul traits and depict them on a bracelet in the form of stepping stones.
As part of this project, I decided to make the pieces able to be worn both as necklaces and as bracelets, available in silver and bronze. The jewelry is unisex.
I would like to expand the line to encompass more of the midot. If you would like to commission midot that speak to you, please reach out to me directly at 415-533-2433 or [email protected]. Please visit https://aimeegolant.com/product-category/shop/jewelry/mussar-jewelry/ to shop the new line of Mussar Jewelry.
Thank you to all the women in the HSJWG (Hardly Strictly Jewish Women’s Group) who have inspired, and supported me in this process. Without your enthusiasm, trust and order, this new line would not be possible.
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