Ira F. StoneRabbi Ira F. Stone is a leading figure in the contemporary renewal of the Musar movement, a Jewish ethical movement.CareerStone was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish [Theological Seminary of America] in 1979, and proceeded to serve congregations in Seattle and Philadelphia while also teaching at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and the Reconstructionist [Rabbinical College]. He served as rabbi of Temple [Beth Zion-Beth Israel] in Philadelphia from 1988 until his retirement in 2015. Stone became the founding director of the Center for Contemporary Mussar in 2017.Musar MovementStone is a scholar of Emmanuel Levinas and of the Musar movement. His book A Responsible Life: The Spiritual Path of Mussar draws on the thinking of Emmanuel Levinas in developing a contemporary vision of Musar. Unlike many other non-Orthodox Musar teachers, he believes that Musar practice must involve a commitment to the observance of Jewish law. Stone has also proposed that a dedication to Musar should be central to the approach of Conservative Judaism. Rabbi Ira Stone serves as the Rosh Yeshiva of the Center for Contemporary Mussar.