While I’m trying to sell a story about how one of my conversion rabbis, Elie Weinstock, told me I couldn’t set foot in a church again and my acquiescence led to losing a friendship, my head conversion rabbi, Haskel Lookstein, headed to church himself. His reason? None other than Barack Obama, of course.

The story made The Daily News: “Rabbi Slapped for un-Orthodox appearance at Obama service” and Jewish Week: “Why the Rabbi Went to Church.”

Would my rabbi have let me go to a church wedding if my friend had been Barack Obama?