­What Would YOU Make the 614th Commandment?

When we created 614 nearly seven years ago, we had an idea in mind: There are 613 mitzvot in the Torah, or commandments for how Jews should live; the idea behind “614” is that there is always room for exploration, and we wanted this magazine to encourage Jewish women to continually consider new ways to live our lives. It’s not that we believe the Torah got it wrong (or that we need more commandments), but rather that we should maintain an open discussion of how we make choices. For this issue, we asked five contributors to tell us what they think would be a good 614th commandment for Jewish women. We hope you, too, will explore the question and even share your answers with us.

Michelle Cove, Editor
mcove@brandeis.edu

In This Issue

• Go Ahead and Change the Rituals

  If Jewish traditions aren’t personally meaningful, it’s our obligation to alter them rather than to fake it.

• Respect the Right to Practice Judaism Differently

  In today’s ever-polarizing religious landscape, we need to stop foisting our own beliefs on others.

• Root Yourself in the Text

  By staying connected to the Torah and modern Jewish text, we learn how to better the world.

• Be Proud of Your Jewish Identity (Even in a Christmas Pageant)

  We need to stay true to and proud of our Jewish identity, even while negotiating a multitude of roles.

• Welcome Jews Who Can’t Afford Temple Membership

  Synagogues need to allow – and even encourage – Jews to come in and worship at no cost, for at least one service.