Commandment 613

I’m Jewish, but before this project I didn’t know much about the Torah – either the object itself or the traditions it represents. This is the first time I’ve made a film without a client or a deadline, so my camerawoman/editor, Randi Cecchine, and I had time to follow the story where it wanted to go. We became fascinated with the physical restoration process; with Rabbi Hale’s own spiritual journey; and how these scrolls, saved from destruction, mean different things to different people. Rabbi Hale urged me to think about why this story drew me in, and I was moved when he called the work that Randi and I do a form of sacred craft. I’m very pleased that “Commandment 613” speaks to people of all faiths, perhaps helping them think about what they see as sacred in their own lives.