Today I Learned

I learned Jewish heritage is determined by whether the mother is Jewish. Some people near me in Central Park were discussing this. Someone said they were half Jewish and someone answered, "You can't be! What's your mother?" The answer was inaudible, but the point emerged this way: Someone said, "You mean -- that's why?" "Yes -- you can tell who the mother is. But you can never tell for sure who the father is." Ahh, said the group.

"I mean, you used to know who the mother is! What with in vitro and other things," there was laughter. "But back in the day!"

I thought how weird that was, that from now on the mothering of someone will be as up in the air as the fathering, if I'm putting this right.

I hope my readers will be happy with this nugget, the first thing I've learned for a while.