Making the Cut

‘“I liked the Jewish jokes,” she says.
“Oh, it’s OK”, I say. “I’m allowed to make them.”
Her eyes light up.
And so it all begins.’

When Max meets Eliana, a dazzling modern Orthodox Jewish girl, in a bar in Edinburgh one night, he never expected it kickstart an agonising identity crisis. While their connection is instant and deep, Max discovers a devastating truth: that to millions around the world, including the girl he’s fallen for, he was deemed non-Jewish.

Determined to build a future with her, comedian, writer (and uncircumcised liberal Jew) Max Olesker embarks on the world’s most demanding religious conversion process. He navigates the complexities of Jewish laws and history, the challenges of maintaining a relationship without physical contact, and coming to terms with undergoing circumcision. From living with an Orthodox family in Hendon for eight months to enduring gruelling interrogations by a high court of Rabbis, Max’s journey is a rollercoaster of heartbreak, humour and self-discovery.

A hilarious and moving account of one man’s quest to marry the love of his life, Making the Cut will make you laugh, cry, and believe in the transformative power of love.