What is Moving Torah? 
        Sometimes it's performance. Sometimes it's participatory. 
                Sometimes it's ancient stories. Sometimes it's your story.

Moving Torah is
        interpretation of Torah as poetry or spoken word,                     
                based on close reading of the Biblical text,                           
                        entwined with movement arising from the text.

Come and Watch!             
          Messengers/Messages: a Moving Torah film on Jacob's journeys

MESSENGERS/MESSAGES is a Moving Torah commentary on the Biblical story of Jacob. Writing/Choreography: Andrea Hodos, Direction/Editing: Sarah Feinbloom, Cinematography: Goro Toshima, Set Design: Wanda Peretz. Music: Roni Ishran, Basya Schecter. (This video premiered in Sh'ma: a Journal of Jewish Responsibility)

Photo: Goro Toshima

Throughout the story, Jacob’s anxiety — and his identity — move from his heel (eikev/Ya'acov/Jacob) to his head (rosh), finally resting in his face (panim). What does Jacob’s metaphoric journey through his own body teach us about his character? How does Jacob’s journey reflect our own?  

Messengers/Messages is the first Moving Torah film. A second film, Mishkan/Sanctuary appreared as the Torah Portion Commentary in the Los Angeles Jewish Journal in Febraury 2012. Over the next several years we will create and edit more films, and begin creating curriculum which use the films to teach text and interpretation in a variety of settings.  If you would like to know more about this pilot project, please contact us.  We look forward to hearing from you!