So, in the middle of discussing my mother’s half brother being extremely antisemitic, my mother decided to drop the information on me that we are in actuality descended from Polish Jews from my maternal grandmother. My mom and I were technically raised Catholic like everyone else, even if we aren’t practicing and I personally never really connected with our religious customs. I do have an Italian Catholic side of the family and I think my dad’s Hungarian mother and uncles were also Catholic, so Catholicism runs well into my dad’s side anyway.

My maternal grandma’s Polish Jewish grandmother came to the States sometime after WWI before WWII, but due to stigma and fearing for their livelihoods, she decided to raise her children and grandchildren (when she eventually adopted them, long story) Catholic to hide their cultural identity. Then my grandma raised her daughters as Catholic (my mom & aunt) before eventually telling them down the line of the secret, and her sisters and brothers lived as Catholic hiding the family secret. My grandma insisted my mom have me baptized at birth to solidify it on her end, but she never ended up baptizing my little brother.

This is obviously one of the wildest things I’ve ever been told in my entire life. My mom felt okay with mentioning it to me because our family directly affected by the secret are all passed away since last year, so it wouldn’t be able to hurt them. I’m not sure what to do with this information, I just feel confused, shocked, and am looking at my family in a completely new context I never expected. I’m thinking of going into deeper research at least to learn of the things my family lost, I’ve already started to some degree actually because I have a Hungarian Jewish main character for a comic I’m developing. Otherwise I’m not sure what else I should do and I know my family would rather not focus on it out of respect for my grandma’s family.

Tangentially related, I’ve noticed as you become an adult your parents will drop the most life-changing family lore bombs on you at the most random times and not bat an eye. And no, I do not talk to my mom’s half brother these days and due to outstanding family drama, we haven’t gone to many family dinners the past few years.