Later in the afternoon, I was on the phone with a friend in New York City. Coincidentally, I was invited to join a bus tour of Jewish Portland this morning, and our very first stop was the same mikvah where I’d been exactly fourteen days earlier to meet with the Ben Din and then immerse in the ritual bath. It’s been two weeks since my conversion to Judaism became complete.

Wry and witty, The Shiksa Syndrome is a by turns laugh-out-loud funny and disarmingly poignant. But as Aimee begins to discover that her identity isn’t as easily traded as a pair of Jimmy Choos, she must decide if having the man of her dreams is worth the price of giving up so much of who she is. To make matters worse, Josh and Aimee aren’t exactly on the same page as far as their attitudes toward Judaism go, creating tension in the relationship.

So when the very cute, Jewish, and gainfully employed Josh Hirsch catches Aimee’s eye at a kosher wine tasting and mistakes her for a shiksa, what’s a girl to do? Hey, her heart was broken, not her head! Unfortunately, the charade goes on longer than Aimee planned, and her life becomes more complicated than a Bergman film. There’s just one problem: all the shiksas are snapping them up! She dusts herself off and decides to seek companionship with a member of her own tribe. But Aimee’s not about to let a man who doesn’t even have a real job get her down.

Manhattan publicist Aimee Albert knows a good spin, but she’s the one who winds up reeling when her gorgeous, goyishe boyfriend breaks up with her-on Christmas! For a stand-up comedian, you’d think he would have better timing.

The Shiksa Syndrome by Laurie Graff