Challah

Just call me Charlotte.

I am trying to pimp myself out to local synagogues in hopes of getting a job singing for the upcoming High Holy days. It's an extremely lucrative gig if you can get it. So lucrative at some temples, that, theoretically, I wouldn't have to work my day job for several weeks. Of course I would work my day job. But this is a non-issue because I'm not Jewish. Shocking, I know. For starters, could my last name be any more Irish? Not to mention my fair skin, blonde curly hair, and ancestory. It's not like I'm Robert Maril.
At any rate, one of the choir directors at a particular temple I sought out just called me about a possible gig. "Right off the bat- are you in fact Jewish?" he said. I thought for a few seconds about lying; that's what other friends of mine have done. And apparently, my IRISH BORN friend Andrea was a convincing enough (non) Jew that she got the gig with no problem. But, alas, I told him that I am not, in fact, a Jew. "Well", he said, "then that solves that. It's a conservative temple, so all the singers have to be Jewish." He then explained that he himself is not a Jew, but since he doesn't actually sing, he's allowed to conduct the choir. Curious.
Who am I to argue with the Jewish faith and tradition? I barely know anything about it. But what I do find curious is that several of my friends who have paid church choir jobs are not of the particular faith of their employing denomination, and some are not Christians. If it's OK for the Gentiles, why isn't it OK for the Jews? Apparently they view their choir as more than just a job. Oy vey....I really could have used the extra money.