‘“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 despite his upbringing, to millions around the world, including the girl he’s fallen for, he is deemed non-Jewish.

Determined to build a future with her, comedian and writer (and uncircumcised liberal Jew) Max Olesker embarks on one of the world’s most demanding religious conversion processes. He attempts to navigate the dizzying complexities of Jewish law, the challenges of maintaining a relationship without physical contact, and the looming prospect of a date with a scalpel. From moving into the home of an Orthodox family for eight months to enduring gruelling interrogations by a high court of Rabbis, Max’s journey is a rollercoaster of humour, heartbreak, and self-discovery.

A hilarious and moving true 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.

"A very funny and utterly compelling book, pulling back the curtain and removing the foreskin of a fascinating world." - Adam Kay

"A magnetic read from an exquisite writer. Wickedly witty, profoundly human, genuinely eye-opening. Intimate. Honest. Heart breaking. You’ll never forget it." - Deborah Frances-White

"England's answer to David Sedaris" - Andrew O'Hagan

"This is the hilarious story of how one man can be both too Jewish and not Jewish enough at the same time. Identity quest, wrestling caper and boy-meets-girl romance all-in-one, this true-life modern fairytale is funny, sweet, bonkers, magical and life-affirming. Whether cut, uncut or half-cut on Jägerbombs, Max Olesker is a comic genius and an absolute joy to read." - Viv Groskop

"Making the Cut is a riotous memoir: by turns hilarious, horrifying, and moving." - Ed Caesar

"I actually have no idea how Max Olesker survived the events in this book with his sanity intact, but he has somehow managed to write an account of his experiences that is fascinating, funny, painful and frequently jaw-dropping." - Lissa Evans

"A funny and fascinating true tale of family, Jewishness, and the things we do for love!" - Phill Wang