Bibliodrama
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* READ HERE ONE YOUNG WOMAN'S EXPERIENCE OF A BIBLIODRAMA
* READ HERE MY ARTICLE IN THE TEL AVIV REVIEW OF BOOKS
WHAT IS BIBLIODRAMA?
In 2002 I discovered Bibliodrama, an incredible experiential technique.
Dr Peter Pitzele, a former Harvard professor of literature, is Bibliodrama's creator.
He took methods from Psychodrama and applied them to Biblical texts.
His book, Scripture Windows, taught me how to apply the method in practice.
Since then, I've been privileged to take Bibliodrama all over the world and train teachers to use it. To date I have run over 500 Bibliodramas in ten countries and on Zoom.
HOW DOES A BIBLIODRAMA WORK?
Bibliodrama is not theatre/acting. Rather, it's first person group role-playing, leading to fascinating, startling results.
Questions are put to the participants, who must answer in character while remaining in their seats. For example:
* What are you thinking, feeling?
* What is your motivation?
* What was your childhood like?
This propels people directly into the heart of the story and creates emotional depth and identification. Participants become insightful commentators, creating together a form of spontaneous "Modern Midrash."
We relive the story and let it genuinely affect our identity, in this moment. That is how Torah should be: a living Torah (עץ חיים היא).
Feedback I often receive includes:
* It was amazing, I am still taking it all in
* I'll never read the Bible the same way again, it brings it alive
* I love how everyone has a different understanding, hearing multiple voices
People still remember bibliodramas years later.
I've done bibliodrama with Rabbi David Fohrman of Aleph Beta, and he says the method has helped him to deepen his creative approach to Tanach (listen here at 1:06:20).
More material may be found on the Pitzeles' website, including my report on Bibliodrama in Israel. My essays on Bibliodrama can be found on my writings page.
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LOOK
Photos of Bibliodrama
From 2011-2013 I was priveleged to be involved in an inter-cultural Bibliodrama EU Grundtvig project, partnering with the Elijah Interfaith Institute and have done interfaith bibliodrama at Elijah's summer school.
Pictured: Bibliodrama in Krakow, May 2013, organised through the EU BASICS project, with participants from Demark, Sweden, Iceland, Holland, Belgium and Hungary.
Ruth 1:1 - the famished citizens of Beth Lehem have sat around the well discussing their options. Now some have decided to stay and some to leave in search of food. What do they have to say to each other?
(Photo credit: Krzysztof Tusiewicz)
Click on picture for photo albums from Bibliodrama in Krakow and Jerusalem
WATCH
For larger screens, click where it says "Youtube".
(1) Introduction to Bibliodrama at interfaith meeting in Jerusalem's Old City, with Muezzin in background.
(2) Bibliodrama Training Session, Poland 2011, BASICS project (NOTE: Bibliodrama is called Biblilog in Europe, to differentiate it from another school of Bibliodrama)
LISTEN
The Spirit of Things, ABC National Radio 2006 Click here (Bibliodrama begins around two fifths of the way through)
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RESUME OF BIBLIODRAMA WORKSHOPS AND TEACHER TRAININGS:
Israel: Hebrew University Legacy Heritage Fund Midreshet Lindenbaum Yakar Ta Shma Pardes UJS tour SAJES Zichron Yaakov Bet Yosef Synagogue Jewish Agency Netzer Young Judea MASA Midreshet Devorah Limmud Galil Swedish Theological Institute Ecce Homo Aardvark Sela Shabliss Festival and many others...
USA: NY (Carlebach Shul, JTS, OZ, Shearith Israel, Drisha, CAJE educator's conference) NJ (Maayanot) Memphis (ASBEE) Dallas (Akiba) Houston (Emory-Weiner) Philadelphia (Stern) Boston (Maimonides) Chicago (KCT Skokie) Florida (Hollywood) Los Angeles (PJC Shul on the Beach)
Canada: Winnipeg (Gray academy)
UK: LSJS Jewish Teacher-training programmes Limmud Conference Limmud Fest Limmud Manchester Kol Nefesh Immanuel College IJDS Moishe House Dunstan Rd Synagogue Kinloss Synagogue Yeshurun Synagogue
EUROPE: Belgium: Antwerp (Tachkemoni school) Poland: Bielsko-Biala (Teatr Grodzki) Krakow (JCC) Germany: Limmud Iceland: Grundtvig BASICS project multicultural encounter Turkey: Grundtvig BASICS project training course Norway Interfaith group
Australia: Sydney (Moriah school, Sydney Jewish Writer's Festival, Shalom Institute, North Shore Syagogue, Great Synagogue, Or Chadash), Melbourne (Yavneh College, Mount Scopus, Limmud Oz, Shira, Kedem, Bialik school), Perth (Perth Hebrew Congregation, Carmel School, Limmud Perth)
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TESTIMONIALS:
Thanks again for yesterday's session. It was rich in ideas, concepts, and educational wisdom. As you saw, the students were most engaged in the bibliodramas and gained much from this experience. Several mentioned how they are keen to experiment with this approach in their educational work.
- Hebrew University Course , 2016
I attended Yael Unterman’s Bibliodrama session on the book of Ruth, right before Shavuot. Everyone there thought it was so wonderful. It was interactive and insightful, as well as humorous and moving at times. And to think it was us, the participants, that came up with it all (with the help of Yael’s amazing facilitator skills, of course). If you aren’t familiar with her work, I strongly suggest you check her out in person.
- Devorah Gordon, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
We hosted Yael Unterman at Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls in New Jersey. Yael did two bibliodrama sessions for our students. We found the technique very interesting. It really drew the students into the story, making them think about issues they hadn't thought about before, and it brought the story to life. It was a very exciting way to relate to the text.
- Suzanne Cohen, Tanakh teacher, Maayanot Yeshiva High School
In a small format she did a biblio-drama workshop for teachers, and we all gained so much from it. I personally went out the next week and used some elements of it in a sermon... She has my highest recommendations.
- Rabbi Joel M. Finkelstein, Anshei Sphard-Beth El Emeth Cong. Memphis, TN
From an interfaith group:
- It creates a friendly atmosphere...In a short time we knew each other in a deeper way
- Stories coming alive and becoming a part of them is a very strong experience, to many of the participants' own surprise, including my own
- A powerful way to connect with the bible of our lives. And also helps us to see how God speaks to different people
- It opened me to other ways of understanding the text
Ronit Rosenfield, chesed