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Ace! OWW! Thoughts on converts...

Posted by haighter User icon on July 22, 2026, 11:26:02
Boo Haighter

We were at our Tahoe cabin this past weekend and my son hits up the skatepark daily. He usually meets other kids to play/skate with, this time was no exception.

There were three siblings there. A teen girl, and her two little brothers. Helena, Uriah, and Ephraim.

I offered a snack and the youngest kid kinda recoiled and said "But that's not kosher...we keep kosher!"

No problem. I get it...cept these were some Aryan lookin, blond haired, blue eyed jews if I've ever met them. They pointed out their dad who was sitting at a picnic table studying a torah...which immediately weirded me out as I don't trust anyone casually reading their chosen holy book in public.

But given the names, I'm guessing that dad converted somewhere between "Helena" and "Uriah" and dove way deep in.

I know from my time working with some observant jewish folks that some people don't accept converts.

What are ya'll take?

I find that converts are often more active participants in the Jewish community

Posted by OskeeWowWowDig User icon on July 22, 2026, 13:38:50, in reply to "Ace! OWW! Thoughts on converts..."

And I have no problem with them. I accept anyone that chooses to join.

Not everyone accepts all converts though. Some only consider Orthodox converts Jewish and don’t accept Reform conversion. But to me, it doesn’t matter.

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Similarly, virtually everyone who is a "reformed" X, is a zealot for the new cause.*

Posted by Lexillini User icon on July 22, 2026, 14:02:32, in reply to "I find that converts are often more active participants in the Jewish community "
weiner sleeve

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Guns. Have them.

The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants.

Socialism is the gospel of envy.

Ashkenazi Jews can look like Aryans.

Posted by AceFrehley User icon on July 22, 2026, 11:45:35, in reply to "Ace! OWW! Thoughts on converts..."

I too wonder about anyone who is studying their holy book in public. But that is a case by case basis. Being a Wednesday in the middle of summer, Dad could have have taken the kids out to the park to get them out of the house and decided to read some torah on a nice sunny day. Doing it on the subway? No. Stop.

Also dad's dad could have been a tall blonde german man who met and married a very light haired and light eyed jewish girl. And that bred very Aryan babies.

You don't meet a lot of converts and they are usually the spouse of a Jewish person who converted to get married. And if that guy converted to get married, he's not studying the torah at the park. I mean to say that they take it seriously, just not that seriously.

What's your guess on ratio of Jewish man & gentile woman vs. Jewish woman & gentile man?*

Posted by Potomac User icon on July 22, 2026, 13:33:03, in reply to "Ashkenazi Jews can look like Aryans. "

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Quite anecdotally in my lived experience, it's always the woman

Posted by AceFrehley User icon on July 22, 2026, 14:21:05, in reply to "What's your guess on ratio of Jewish man & gentile woman vs. Jewish woman & gentile man?*"

But that's just me.

One of my older bros married a jewish girl

Posted by villain User icon on July 22, 2026, 14:59:24, in reply to "Quite anecdotally in my lived experience, it's always the woman"
Stupidhead

The two "jewish" kids I knew in HS had Jewish moms that married goyish dads.

One of my Jewish roommates at IT fresh year married an Asian girl, but he totally had a serious Asian girl fetish, so that was foretold.

probably just another real jerk in life

Again, it's hard for me to say. I only spoke to what I've seen*

Posted by AceFrehley User icon on July 22, 2026, 15:18:59, in reply to "One of my older bros married a jewish girl"

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Yeah, those are my only know examples. Living in STL, HOU, MEM, and Idaho

Posted by villain User icon on July 22, 2026, 16:01:48, in reply to "Again, it's hard for me to say. I only spoke to what I've seen* "
Stupidhead

don't provide a lot of reference points. You would know far better than my few anecdotal experiences.

I hooked up with a 2 Jewish girl a few times at Illinois. One from IT and one that was in AXO....nice girls.

probably just another real jerk in life

Oddly enough...every convert I've known as been a dude. *

Posted by haighter User icon on July 22, 2026, 13:37:30, in reply to "What's your guess on ratio of Jewish man & gentile woman vs. Jewish woman & gentile man?*"
Boo Haighter

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Can you eat shellfish with melted cheese on it?*

Posted by Lexillini User icon on July 22, 2026, 12:08:56, in reply to "Ashkenazi Jews can look like Aryans. "
weiner sleeve

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Guns. Have them.

The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants.

Socialism is the gospel of envy.

Yes. But only on Tuesdays*

Posted by AceFrehley User icon on July 22, 2026, 12:13:58, in reply to "Can you eat shellfish with melted cheese on it?*"

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Wait, I thought it was Tuesdays but only those WITH odd-numbered dates? *

Posted by osklister User icon on July 22, 2026, 14:01:41, in reply to "Yes. But only on Tuesdays* "

LOL.

I'm probably not considered a religious scholar.... ;-)

Where do you keep your horns and barbed tails when you are asleep?*

Posted by Lexillini User icon on July 22, 2026, 12:16:53, in reply to "Yes. But only on Tuesdays* "
weiner sleeve

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Guns. Have them.

The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants.

Socialism is the gospel of envy.

barbed tails? that's a new one for me.

Posted by AceFrehley User icon on July 22, 2026, 12:23:17, in reply to "Where do you keep your horns and barbed tails when you are asleep?*"

The horns I have known about. I have know people who were asked by curious people (not being hateful) if they could see their horns. This was a mom of a friend and I was told this story many years ago.

My roommate and I were asked about our horns by group members while

Posted by OskeeWowWowDig User icon on July 22, 2026, 14:59:26, in reply to "barbed tails? that's a new one for me."

Working on a project in the basement of Illini Union in the fall of 88.

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Wow

Posted by villain User icon on July 22, 2026, 16:07:37, in reply to "My roommate and I were asked about our horns by group members while"
Stupidhead

Your balls must be wrinkly....'88?

Being from "Southern" Illinois, I was always presumed to having grown up on a farm....so I leaned into it and started claiming to be the heir to the 2nd largest pig farm in Illinois.

I've never actually been on a pig farm and know nothing about it, but neither did the Chicago kids so I never got questioned about the claim.

probably just another real jerk in life

This is like giving tours of a distillery. I don't have to know everything...

Posted by haighter User icon on July 22, 2026, 16:30:29, in reply to "Wow"
Boo Haighter

I just need to know more than the people on the tour and be a generally fun person to talk to.

Hasn't failed me yet. I'm still waiting for "pony-tail guy" to walk through the door.

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I was the greatest computer saleman the C-U Best Buy has ever seen with that same

Posted by villain User icon on July 22, 2026, 17:36:57, in reply to "This is like giving tours of a distillery. I don't have to know everything..."
Stupidhead

approach. Never had anyone Ron Swanson me.

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I just need to know more than the people on the tour and be a generally fun person to talk to.

Hasn't failed me yet. I'm still waiting for "pony-tail guy" to walk through the door.

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probably just another real jerk in life

This is fucking wild to me...because if I tried to pass off a story like that to my 9yo...

Posted by haighter User icon on July 22, 2026, 16:03:39, in reply to "My roommate and I were asked about our horns by group members while"
Boo Haighter

...he'd even be like "GTFO here dad.."

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Working on a project in the basement of Illini Union in the fall of 88.

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I told my now 10 year old 3 years ago that I attended Hogwarts

Posted by villain User icon on July 22, 2026, 16:11:50, in reply to "This is fucking wild to me...because if I tried to pass off a story like that to my 9yo..."
Stupidhead

and that I suspected that he too had wizarding powers. He bought it then. He still wants to believe now as I've never dropped the ruse, but he's down to about 80% dad is full of shit vs. 20% well maybe.

Not sure how one gets to be 18-19 and believe that someone has horns, but the world is full of dumb and gullible people.....just look at Kentucky where the idiot boomers voted out Massie because his opponent ran ads claiming Massie was in a thruple with Ilhan Omar and AOC.

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...he'd even be like "GTFO here dad.."

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Working on a project in the basement of Illini Union in the fall of 88.

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probably just another real jerk in life

Maybe (charitably) they were referring to a Shofar? *

Posted by haighter User icon on July 22, 2026, 13:26:27, in reply to "barbed tails? that's a new one for me."
Boo Haighter

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No. They were not. It's a very old legend.*

Posted by AceFrehley User icon on July 22, 2026, 14:19:32, in reply to "Maybe (charitably) they were referring to a Shofar? *"

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This was last Saturday but the point stands.

Posted by haighter User icon on July 22, 2026, 11:56:16, in reply to "Ashkenazi Jews can look like Aryans. "
Boo Haighter

They were talking about how they always come to the skatepark on Saturdays because they can't carry/spend money, turn on their lights, etc because it's shabbat.

Luckily, I'm not a total dummy when it comes to trad-jewish law so I could spit some knowledge on them.

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That's a bit iffy there. Not really supposed to be at the skatepark

Posted by AceFrehley User icon on July 22, 2026, 12:16:54, in reply to "This was last Saturday but the point stands. "

i missed the saturday part in your write up. But taking the kids to the park for torah study would be something very observant jews might do. Go to temple in the morning and then walk to the park to study. Sure. But if the kids were playing in the park, not very observant. So the "we don't turn on lights" and such is off.

It's also possible that they are kind of observant but dad let's the kids play. Being Jewish really is a choose your own adventure kind of religion.

If the kids are <13, they haven’t been bat/bar mitzvahed and so they play

Posted by OskeeWowWowDig User icon on July 22, 2026, 13:36:11, in reply to "That's a bit iffy there. Not really supposed to be at the skatepark"

Or skateboard or ride bikes on Shabbat. No worries. Actually, I know a lot of religiously observant kids of all ages that bike, hoop etc on Shabbat. As long as it’s not work, most Jews are fine with it on Shabbat. Not all observant Jews rip their toilet paper before Shabbat.

As for the Aryan part, I’ve seen Jews of all kinds.

And reading the Torah would make sense on a Shabbat afternoon.

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Other than looks...the change in name from a greek mythological one...

Posted by haighter User icon on July 22, 2026, 13:39:20, in reply to "If the kids are <13, they haven’t been bat/bar mitzvahed and so they play"
Boo Haighter

...to two jewish names after the oldest kid is what tipped me off to potential converts.

Helena? No way were they Jewish when that kid was born.

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Agreed. All of those names are unique.*

Posted by OskeeWowWowDig User icon on July 22, 2026, 13:43:45, in reply to "Other than looks...the change in name from a greek mythological one..."

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...to two jewish names after the oldest kid is what tipped me off to potential converts.

Helena? No way were they Jewish when that kid was born.

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