To be with the woman he loved, Max Olesker had to convert to Orthodox Judaism – which required an unwelcome operation. He relives a painful and sometimes infuriating journey
When Max met Eliana at the Edinburgh fringe, the romcom vibes were strong. Shots, songs, falling headlong in love. Less vibey was the conversion Max Olesker had to navigate to marry his Orthodox Jewish beloved. The comedian had always thought of himself as Jewish – when his parents married, his mum converted to a less rigorous branch of Judaism. But to the Beth Din, the rabbinical court, that didn’t count. To be with the woman he loved, Max would have to go all in – including undergoing an unwelcome adult circumcision.
We’re chatting at a kosher restaurant in central London. Olesker, 38, pulls out a camera, snapping his hefty salt beef on rye from several angles (“I’m trying to learn a skill”). As on stage, he’s an engaging presence: bright eyes, smart, ribbed knitwear, unwaveringly polite. He would surely be a credit to any religion.