I recently read two books that I think of almost like opposite ends of a spectrum. The first book, The New Jew: An Unexpected Conversion by Sally Srok Friedes, was one she sent to me after reading this blog (Hi Sally!). The second, The Shiksa Syndrome, I found in the new fiction section of the local library.

The New Jew is a true story of a former Catholic who pursues conversion to Judaism despite her husband’s reticence and the less-than-welcoming attitudes of rabbis she meets (see my review). In The Shiksa Syndrome, a born-Jewish woman pretends to be non-Jewish in order to attract and keep a Jewish boyfriend (see my review). One is running to, the other running from, and at the heart of both is what it means to be Jewish.

Good food for thought during these Days of Awe.

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