614:HBI eZINE - HBO, Sundance... and The Jewish Channel?

		Volume 1, Issue 1, 5767 The Surprising Power of Jewish Names For this first issue of 614, we decided to focus on the intriguing idea that "One's name has an influence on one's life” (Berachot 7b). Can it be that our name actually influences our life journey? Read on.
		Volume 1, Issue 2, 5767 The Must-Have Books from the 21st Century The staff of 614 devoted this issue to books—more specifically to some of the must-haves for Jewish women written in the 21^st century. We asked some of our favorite writers to share their selections for recent reads that shifted their sense of identity as Jewish women. Read on.
		Volume 1, Issue 3, 5767 Is Judaism a Girl Thing? As Jewish women, should we be enjoying our power to make decisions after so many years of exclusion, or should we be figuring out ways to bring men back into the fold? This issue explores various opinions on the topic. Read on.
		Volume 1, Issue 4, 5767 Jewish Egg Donation: The Voices you Haven't Heard We don't have answers to all the complicated questions in this issue. What we do have are fascinating perspectives from all sides of the topic: a donor, a law expert, an organization that matches Jewish women with Jewish egg donors, and others. Read on.
		Volume 1, Issue 5, 5768 Jewish Women Grab the Spotlight What if the stories of biblical times were told from women's perspectives? What if your High Holiday sermon focused on what Eve might have felt or whether Sarah could have sacrificed a son? Jewish women decided it was time to collectively share their own insights, and the Women of Reform Judaism delivered—by creating The Torah: A Women’s Commentary. Read on.
		Volume 1, Issue 6, 5768 What's Behind Jewish Beauty? Having discussed potential topics surrounding Jewish women and beauty, our staff began wondering whether Jewish beauty has changed over time, whether it's different in Israel than it is in America, why it sometimes feels like it’s the main focus at synagogue, and what to do when people think “you don’t look Jewish.” Read on.
		Volume 2, Issue 1, 5768 How is JDate Shaking Up Judaism? Finding matches online is practically a given for most daters—and single Jews using JDate is as common as using potatoes for latkes. There are 400,000 members in the U.S. alone. JDate has become steeped into Jewish culture, and we wondered here on staff how it might be changing the way single Jews think about being Jewish. Read on.
		Volume 2, Issue 2, 5768 "The Real World": Peace For the past sixteen years, MTV’s reality show The Real World has allowed viewers to watch seven strangers living under one roof in some hip city. But, if you really want to hear about a fascinating social experiment you need to read about the women at the Middle East Coexistence House (MECH). Inside this issue are essays from seven women who have been transformed by the experience. Prepare to be inspired. Read on.
		Volume 2, Issue 3, 5768 What Makes a Family Jewish? More than 25 percent of adult Americans have left the faith of their childhood to join another religion (Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life). We have included in this issue essays from a young black woman on her way to converting; a gay woman who adopted black children; and several other essays you may or may not agree with. What do you think makes a family Jewish? Read on.
		Volume 2, Issue 4, 5768 Our Rights: 5 Women Fighting to Save Them! Should women who wear headscarfs be banned from schools that have laws against wearing one? Is compromise the best solution when it comes to protecting women? How creative should lawyers get to grant divorces to Israeli women who are desperate for one? These are just a few of the questions that came up at the HBI's Project on Gender, Culture, Religion and the Law conference held last spring. We excerpted five pages from some of the women who inspired us most with their brave commitment to fight for change. Read on.
		Volume 2, Issue 5, 5768 HBO, Sundance... and The Jewish Channel? What if we told you there's a TV channel called The Jewish Channel (TJC) that's airing programs made especially for Jews? If you're like us, you're wondering how the staff at TJC is deciding what airs and how to appeal across denominations, what's on for Jewish young women, and how they deal with the huge scale of different needs of Jews around the country. Join 614 as we take a sneak peak behind the scenes at TJC. Read on.
		Volume 2, Issue 6, 5769 Jewish Fiction Goes Outside the Box For our 2nd annual issue on Jewish books, we wanted to find young Jewish women who were writing about themes we haven't seen dozens of times. This is why you'll find mention in this issue of cowboys, Madame Bovary, a modern day Jewish heiress, a 12-year-old Iranian, Jewish spies, and a heroic German baker. Rather than post book reviews, we talked to the authors behind these stories and asked them about the inspirations for their books, and also what they think about today's Jewish fiction in general. Meet Joanna Hershon, Tova Mirvis, Laurie Gwen Shapiro, Dara Horn, Jenna Blum, and Gina Nahai. Read on.
		Volume 3, Issue 1, 5769 Love: Jewish Style! In the spirit of Valentine's Day, when, once again, you'll be deluged with tips and suggestions for sharing love with others. (Make homemade valentines! Don high heels! Decorate cupcakes!) We decided to get a jump on the holiday by bringing love to your attention in January. But you don't have to buy or make anything. Instead, sit back and enjoy our gift to you—an exploration of Jewish love in various forms, from the discovery of ancient Jewish love songs and prayers for finding a mate to the "Modern Love" column in the New York Times. Read on.

Volume 3, Issue 2, 5769
The Great Bat Mitzvah Makeover

Some women will tell you their bat mitzvah was an important rite of passage into their Jewish lives. But too many others will tell you their bat mitzvah (both ceremony and celebration) felt staged, pressure-filled, and even forced. They talk about it as a performance, and one that's done in the most awkward year of their lives. So we got to wondering: what would it take to create a ceremony with meaningful rituals that left girls feeling truly connected to Judaism? In this issue you'll find some of the solutions, opinions, and stories we rounded up to spark the conversation.
Read on.

Volume 3, Issue 3, 5769
Speaking Out Against Anti-Semitism

Last January, a Jewish Agency report announced that there was a total of 250 anti-Semitic acts around the world—a harrowing increase from the 80 cases recorded during January 2008. When we read this, we felt deeply disturbed and helpless. What do we do with this information? How do we process it? One thing is for sure: We have to talk about it. In this issue you'll find everything from an essay on why the world cares so much about the conflict in the tiny country of Israel, to how American Jews are handling the rage.
Read on.

Volume 3, Issue 4, 5769
Jewish Sex: A New Look at an Old Act

Who knew there were Yiddish lesbian poems published in the last century? Or that teen girls were giving oral sex as a gift to bar mitzvah boys? Or that the mikveh could be considered part of erotic foreplay? Given the sizzling weather outside, we decided to partner with the entertaining Jewcy (a lifestyle website for young Jews) to look at the heated and fascinating thoughts that Jewish women experience in and out of the bedroom. Enjoy!
Read on.

Volume 3, Issue 5, 5770
Five Teachers Who Deserve a Gold (Jewish) Star

September is back-to-school month. While many magazines focus on the cutest backpacks, fall fashions, and healthy lunches, we figured many of you are probably past that (or are collecting these tips for your kids). But that doesn't mean you don't love learning and opening your mind to new thoughts and discoveries. So this month we're featuring Jewish teachers who change the way we think by using out-of-the-box methods. There are so many options out there for cool Jewish classes; we hope to inspire you to seek one out in your own area.
Read on.

Volume 3, Issue 6, 5770
Our Jewish Poetry Slam

Each November, we at 614 celebrate Jewish writers shaking things up. We've covered young Jewish authors on the rise, fiction outside of the box, and, this year, we're tackling cutting-edge Jewish poetry. What do we mean by cutting edge? We talk to a cool young poet who has appeared on MTV and HBO; a 20-year-old poet who has already had more than 80 poems published; and the proud winner of the Worst Jewish Poetry Contest. Throw in two highly acclaimed Jewish women poets and there's something for anyone who appreciates verse.
Read on.