Midrash is the art of extending and interpreting Torah by commenting on the text, answering unanswered questions in the text, or deducing laws and traditions from the text. From the time the Torah was closed and canonized, Jews have been interpreting and reinterpreting the sacred writings of the Torah. Many of these interpretations are expressed through Midrash. There are two basic types of midrashim: Halakhic midrashim deal with legal matters; Aggadic midrashim deal with moral and spiritual issues and tend to read like stories. The sages of old wrote midrashim to teach and inspire, explain esoteric legal matters, and interpret the meaning of events of their day. We, today, do the same. The art of midrash is alive and vital today, and you can participate.


Children's Midrashim

The Tower of Babel by Rachel Berkowitz, Alisa Nathan, and Naomi Scheinerman

Blood on the Doorpost midrashim by Erica Finkel, Michael Berkowitz, Lisa Hollander, and Danny Scheinerman

Elijah and the Sukkot Miracle by Rachel Berkowitz, Alisa Nathan, and Naomi Scheinerman


Additional resources:

Women's Intuition: A Midrash on the Tower of Babel by Emily Grotta

For a comprehensive Midrash Bibliography, click here.