Institute for Contemporary Midrash Records
The Institute for Contemporary Midrash (ICM) was created by Rivkah Walton to support the participation of contemporary midrash, a type of biblical interpretation, through visual, performing, and literary arts. Formalized in 1996, after several Bibliodrama trainings in 1995 and 1996 ledby Peter Pitzele and Walton, the ICM received foundation funding in 1997 and created a membership/journal-subscriber base to facilitate multi-disciplinary summer training programs,Bibliodrama training for Christian clergy and seminaries,andcourses in contemporary midrashand serve as a resource on the subject. The ICM also published “Living Text: The Journal of Contemporary Midrash” (1997-2000).
The idea for the Institute for Contemporary Midrash was seeded in the spring of 1995 when ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewalsponsoredan experimental, three-weekend Bibliodrama training by Peter Pitzelein Philadelphia. Managed by Rivkah Walton, the ALEPH Associate Director at the time, participants included psychotherapists Bobbie Breitman andJudy Freed, rabbinical studentLisa Kapin, Rabbi Goldie Milgram, Cantor Chaim Rothstein z”l, Rabbi Shawn Zevit, and actor/director Robb Hutter, among others.
Following the success of the experiemental training, Walton designed a week-long Bibliodrama Training Institute in the summer of 1996, which was sponsored and hosted by Elat Chayyim andsubsidized with discretionary funding from the Nathan Cummings Foundation. This led to the official creation of theInstitute for Contemporary Midrash (ICM) in the fall, whichwas to include visual, performing, and literary arts as a 501(c)(3).
In 1997,the ALEPH Board committedto serving as the fiscal sponsor of ICMand listedthe organizationas an ALEPH asset in order to broaden ALEPH’s spiritual identity beyond ecstatic worship.
Until2001,ICM offeredfive week-long, multi-disciplinary, subsidized summer training programs;three week-long Bibliodrama trainings for Christian clergy and seminarians at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.;courses in contemporary midrash at ALEPH Kallahs; along with publishing eight issues of "Living Text: The Journal of Contemporary Midrash." The ICM served as a resource and referral service for individuals seeking information about Contemporary Midrashand communities seeking artists-in-residence through its website.
Gift of Rivkah M. Walton and the Institute for Contemporary Midrashin 2017.