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"ICM and the creation of modern midrash which
it nurtures, perhaps more than any other discipline,
will ensure the renewal of the Jewish people."
- Rabbi Lawrence Kushner,
author of Invisible Lines of Connection
ICM - The Institute for Contemporary Midrash: A Resource and Referral Service (ICM) is a non-profit, trans-denominational program supporting clergy, educators and artists in developing contemporary interpretations of sacred texts.
The Bible is one of the most important underpinnings of Western language and culture.
It is an invisible glue that holds our diverse civilization together, but, sadly, a glue that
is fast deteriorating through disuse. At the same time, a fundamentalist grip on the
religious imagination is capitalizing on ignorance of biblical text to promote regressive agendas.
Conversely, the midrashic process holds the potential to re-animate
biblical text for this generation, to restore ownership of religious
imagination to individuals, and to provide healing and meaning in an
often fragmented society. A remarkable group of writers, artists and
scholars have created The Institute for Contemporary Midrash (ICM) to
promote the development of contemporary midrash on biblical and
liturgical texts, through:
- Living Text: The Journal
of Contemporary Midrash, which
received wide acclaim for eight issues (1997-2000), featuring contributions by outstanding
artists and scholars, including Yehuda Amichai (
 ), Linda Hirschhorn,
Marge Piercy, Howard Schwartz and John Shelby Spong (Back issues are available);
- Trainings & Programs, in which leading midrashic artists share their knowledge and skills
with clergy, educators, psychologists, other artists, and interested lay persons:
- ICM Bibliodrama Directing Training Intensive at the ALEPH/Ruach Ha'aretz Winter Retreat,
February 2-8, 2009 to be held at the Madonna Center in Albuquerque, N.M.
- ICM's Summer Intensives (1995-2001) for Jews and Christians,
which have featured Alicia Ostriker, Peter Pitzele, Peninnah Schram, Arthur Strimling, Max Ticktin,
Rivkah Walton and many others;
- Torah Alive! Community Based Trainings,
designed to bring skills trainings to communities across the continent who wish to empower staff
and lay persons with midrashic skills in their work with children, teens and adults;
- Intensive Text/Response Days,
opportunities for community groups from 10 to 40 to experience an intensive day of study and creative responses to traditional and
modern texts on a variety of challenging subjects.
- ICM Presenters, Scholars- and Artists-in-Residence, an information and referral service through which
ICM will suggest artists and scholars to meet your community's needs for exciting, innovative programming with contemporary midrash.
ICM has been funded, in part, by major grants from the Righteous Persons Foundation, and
The Nathan Cummings Foundation, generous grants from the Rita Poretsky Foundation and
many individual sponsors, members and volunteers. ICM operates under the US 501(c)(3) fiscal
sponsorship of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal.
ICM:RRS is a program of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal.
Please contact ICM regarding these programs.
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