I've mentioned this before on a previous mudcat thread..

my old mum is as sweet loving caring a person as you could ever hope to meet.. not a nasty bone in her body.

She is innately highly intelligent, but never had much formal education due to wartime evacuation, leaving school to care for older family members,
and a life time of menial cleaning and unqualified care worker jobs.

Her Dad, who deserted her at an early age, was a fairly well off Jewish man, probably too afraid of his family and culture
to marry the pretty poor gentile girl he got pregnant..

[who knows the real history.. cue Mills and Boon version..]

Anyway, my mum is not resentful.. she's quite proud of being half jewish [even if by some technical formulations she might not be...???]

But I cringe at the thought of any 'real' jews overhearing her talking out in public...

For example, one of her favourites at shop checkout counters...

"Oh I love a good bargain, it must be the jew in me.."

Stooping to pick up any coins she sees on the pavement "It's in my blood, it's the jew in me"

She sincerely believes these stereotype myths, not with any prejudice, but with pride.

Who am I to tut tut and try to ideologically re-educate her..???

or even explain 'real' proper jews might definitely not value her as one of their own.


Real life can be far too complex for 'weaponised' artificial technical academic definitions... 😣