Dear Prudence,
My philosophy regarding the existence of God or gods is largely indifferent; regardless, I’ve been considering converting to Judaism, primarily because of my family’s history. My great-grandmother’s Jewish family converted to Catholicism when they immigrated to the U.S. during World War II. There’s also a large and accepting Jewish community in my city. My younger brother tells his friends that he’s Jewish (he’s not), which really bothers me, because I suspect that he’s only doing it out of an urge to be “unique.” He seemed oddly impressed when he saw that I was the only white person in my group of college friends, and he speaks of his one black, gay, Jewish friend like he’s some rare collectible. I told him he could convert to Judaism if he wanted, but he said he doesn’t want to, and continues to claim he’s Jewish. My question is twofold: 1) is it right for me to convert to Judaism if I don’t really worship any higher power, and 2) how should I address my brother’s behavior?