HaMidrasha – Faculty of the Arts

HaMidrasha

המדרשה לאמנות
Former name	HaMidrasha Le'Omanut, HaMidrasha LeMorim LeTziyur
Type	Art School
Established	1946
Parent institution	Beit Berl
Dean	Gabi Klezmer
Academic staff	Michal Na'aman, Roee Rosen, Ido Bar-El
Location	Beit Berl, Sharon plain, 4490500, Israel 32°12′03″N 34°55′06″E / 32.200699°N 34.918464°E / 32.200699; 34.918464
Website	Faculty of Arts – HaMidrasha

HaMidrasha – Faculty of the Arts (also known as "HaMidrasha Le'Omanut", "HaMidrasha Art School" or just "HaMidrasha") is an Israeli art and art-education school. Established in 1946 as an independent institution, it now is one of three faculties of the Beit Berl College.

In 1946 "HaMidrasha" art school was established as an arts and crafts teacher education institution. The head of the school was Eliyahu Beiles and it was affiliated with the "Workers' Trend" in the educational system. The school then operated in the evenings in a building that served as a primary school in Tel Aviv. Later on, crafts studies were separated from "HaMidrasha" and its name was changed to "HaMidrasha for Painting Teachers."

In 1964 "HaMidrasha" was transferred to the ownership of the Ministry of Education. Two years later it began operating during days instead of evenings. Between 1966 and 1980 Ran Shehori was head of the institution, and in 1972 it moved to buildings in Herzliya, who were allotted to the Ministry of Education by the Herzliya Municipality. It was during these years that the figure of Raffi Lavie became dominant in the school. Lavie, who started to teach at "HaMidrasha" in 1965, developed a teaching method which focused on the understanding of artistic language, rather than on skills and techniques. Under his influence, a group of artists formed, who would later be known as the core of the Want of Matter movement in Israeli Art. These included Michal Na'aman, Tamar Getter and Nurit David, among others.

In 1977 the "HaMidrasha" moved again, this time to Ramat HaSharon. In the same year, the Institute for Training of Art Instructors was established as part of the institution. In 1980, Shlomo Vitkin was appointed as head of the school, serving till 1997. During his tenure, in 1987, the Midrasha merged with Beit Berl College. In 1989 a study framework called "The Open Midrasha" was created. It still exists, now known as "The Personal Study program of the Arts".