A Surprising Journey from Disappointment to Innovation

"I never saw myself as someone who would open a coaching course for women. Not that I have nothing to say, but because it seemed so complex – forming new groups every year and finding a place to host them. I felt it was something so big that I wouldn't even approach it." Moran Kors says this with the honesty familiar to anyone who knows her. "Hashem has blessed me to do so many wonderful things in my life and to have an impact on the world from many angles, but I never thought about courses."

About a year ago, her plans changed when she approached Bar-Ilan University with a revolutionary initiative: to establish a personal coach training course inspired by the teachings of Chassidut. "Nobody thought it would succeed or that the university would say yes, including my marketing advisor," she smiles, "but Hashem proved to us all how great He is, and these days, registration has begun for a course offering something never offered before – a certificate from Bar-Ilan University."

Light in the Darkness

Moran Kors is well known to visitors of the Hidabroot website, thanks to her video programs where she interviews inspiring women and her published columns. Additionally, she is a lecturer, coach, and consultant, holding a master's degree and 18 certificates from therapeutic courses she has taken. She has authored two books (with a third on the way) and also created a therapeutic card deck.

"Perhaps it is surprising," she says, "but the course I am currently offering was born out of great disappointment. I was supposed to lead a large project that I was very excited about, I even signed a contract, but in the end, it was all canceled and fell through. The disappointment was tremendous, I went through a difficult period, and also faced a practical question: 'What will I do with the gap in my schedule?'"

"During those days, I had the opportunity to go on a lecture tour ahead of a mission abroad – in the USA and Europe. I shared my usual teachings inspired by Chassidut – a positive attitude, resilience, and confidence, and I listened to the voices around me. I heard from women that a single meeting wasn't enough for them; they wanted a longer series of lectures, and I started thinking about it seriously. That's how the course began to take shape, and it showed me just how sometimes through disappointment, you can rise, and through failure, you can grow."

Moran also learned something else from her experience. "Sometimes we want to fulfill the mission we were put in the world to do, but by mistake, we limit our desires and ask Hashem for less than what we are capable of. In such times, it's so important to listen to the message that the Creator of the world is sending us. Perhaps the goals we've set for ourselves aren't correct, or maybe they are too small, and we can reach much further? In my case, I discovered that my calling is to do something unprecedented at Bar-Ilan University, and as far as I know, not at any other college – to teach the field of coaching that I'm so passionate about and connected to, using various methods I'm proficient in, all grounded in Chassidut."

"This is the great uniqueness of the course, and that's what I explained to the people in charge at Bar-Ilan, when at first, they proposed I teach a course to train therapists in NLP. I explained to them that although I am an NLP therapist, my goal is not to train therapists but coaches, and I don't want to teach them just one tool but a variety of tools. I'll give them a taste of every course I took in my professional training. Additionally, it was essential for me that the course be face-to-face, as I am a big believer in processes that take place in person, and of course – the most important thing is that everything is done in the spirit of Chassidut."

What is it about Chassidut that's so crucial for coaching?

"Chassidut brings light into the darkness, and it's vital in this time when we all find ourselves in great darkness. Nowadays, more than ever, it's clear to all of us that we live in concealment, and to reveal the presence of the Creator in the world, we need to peel away the layers of the material world. That's precisely the goal of Chassidut – to elevate the consciousness to divinity and reach the great light. Because when you live in the awareness of divinity, things automatically fall into place quicker, and life is better."

"Personally, I can note that a few years ago, I struggled with postpartum depression. Those were days full of anxiety, very difficult and dark. During that time, I began for the first time to give lessons in Chassidut and truly felt how the teachings I imparted were also affecting me, helping me to rise from the hard quagmire I was stuck in. Already then, I felt a strong desire to pass these teachings to other women, so they too could spread them forward. This is exactly what I intend to do now within the new program."

Closing the Circle

Promoting the idea to Bar-Ilan University was no simple task. "I worked on it for a whole year," Kors reveals, "and in our initial conversations, it seemed like there was no chance it would happen. My business advisor even said it was unlikely the university would approve a course inspired by Chassidut. But as the wise Yaakov says, when a Jew believes in something, he doesn't see blocked walls; even nature bends to help him, and that's exactly how I felt. I kept pushing and advancing the course program, and eventually, the approval came."

Who is the course intended for?

"Since the course is composed of various coaching tools, it is primarily suitable for women who want to affect those around them – teachers, principals, guides, and also those who want to have an impact on themselves and their personal families."

Will the participants be exclusively religious women?

"We just received a call to the registration team from someone who shared that she doesn't observe the commandments but is interested in the course. She asked if it was okay for her to attend, and the answer was, of course, she's welcome to attend. I accept every woman into the course, regardless of her religious background. Every Jewish woman who seeks positive change in her life is welcome."

Kors pauses for a moment and decides to share a personal aspect: "As a Tel Avivian girl, before I became religious, I promised myself I would never marry or have children. I was convinced the world was entirely like me and my Tel Aviv friends, and if so, what's the point of bringing children into such a world? I was, on one hand, a justice warrior, participating in protests, and on the other, with great internal confusion. Until I happened to attend a Torah and Chassidut lesson. At the time, I understood nothing, but one thing was clear to me – the truth is not in noise and clamor, but in the still, small voice. This led me to undergo a profound process with myself and reach the place I'm at today, and of course, there's much more work to do. Now, as I offer a coaching course in the spirit of Chassidut, I feel it's truly closing a circle for me. As it is written in the Song of Songs: 'I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride.' Without a doubt, our world is Hashem's garden, but like any garden, it can also have thorns. We can all earn the chance to see the wonderful flowers in the garden, because it depends only on our choice and the intensive work we choose to do with ourselves in our lives."