No, he didn’t “pretend” to convert or culturally appropriate anything. Not that it’s any of your business, but let me spell it out.
He has a Jewish grandparent as i said in my first post, and took a deep interest in Judaism from a young age. He didn’t just throw on a kippah and start calling himself Jewish, that took years.
He’s currently in his third year of a master’s in Biblical Studies, spends a huge amount of his time in private study and prayer, and just completed a summer course in beginner’s Biblical Hebrew. After his degree, he plans to go to Israel to study language further - and hopes to eventually become a rabbi.
He initiated the conversion process himself through his university chaplaincy, under the guidance of a kind and supportive rabbi and his wife, who visit monthly for Shabbat with the students. That rabbi has encouraged him to live according to Jewish law as much as his circumstances allow—and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
He studies, observes the various things, and commits sincerely to a Jewish life—even with significant limitations. That’s what real conversion looks like.
He can’t attend synagogue regularly because he’s disabled and the nearest one is hours away. He also can’t fully keep kosher, because he lacks access to a private kitchen and receives meal support due to his disability. The meals provided aren’t kosher - but he still does not eat meat and dairy, doesn’t eat pork, and keeps all Jewish holidays, including the fasts. He no longer celebrates Christmas - not an easy decision for him, or for me, but one I deeply respect. He wears a kippah, even if discreetly for safety, and is an active member of his JSoc.
Most importantly, he lives with kindness and integrity. And because of his decision to live visibly and proudly as a Jew-in-process, he’s faced serious antisemitic abuse. His Grandfather was a Jew from Thessaloniki who lost most of his family in the Holocaust.
So no - it’s not cultural appropriation. It’s commitment, courage, and faith. Kindly sit down.