The Real Housewives of New York City star Leah McSweeney defended her conversion to Judaism on Wednesday after an 'ignorant' fan called the move 'trendy.'
'Ok I'm not going to respond to every dumb thing people have to say regarding my conversion but this is so ignorant I must,' the 38-year-old streetwear designer - who boasts 577K social media followers - said via Instastory.
'Converting and studying Kabbalah are very different. And to compare my conversion and refer to it as a "trend" is highly dumb AF and offensive.'
No fad: The Real Housewives of New York City star Leah McSweeney defended her conversion to Judaism on Wednesday after an 'ignorant' fan called the move 'trendy'
Leah was raised in an Irish-Italian Catholic household but she's 'been thinking about converting to Judaism for many, many years.'
'When COVID hit, I was having, I would say, the only period of my life where I felt very disconnected from a god. I quit drinking again and I got a very deep calling to convert to Judaism,' McSweeney said during the 13th season premiere - titled 'Back in the Big Apple' - which aired Tuesday on Bravo.
'I'm attracted to the challenge. I think I'm attracted to all the rules and the rituals and the prayers. And look, it’s not like I'm going to convert and like, that's it! I'm a Jew! The conversion is the beginning for me.'
The Married to the Mob founder added: 'Just because I'm converting to Judaism doesn't mean I'm going to be the perfect Jew. I'm not telling my [Orthodox] rabbi this, but this is about progress, not perfection. Me converting is the beginning of like a very long spiritual journey.'
The 38-year-old streetwear designer wrote via Instastory: 'Ok I'm not going to respond to every dumb thing people have to say regarding my conversion but this is so ignorant I must. Converting and studying Kabbalah are very different. And to compare my conversion and refer to it as a "trend" is highly dumb AF and offensive'
'I got a very deep calling': Leah was raised in an Irish-Italian Catholic household but she's 'been thinking about converting to Judaism for many, many years'
![The Married to the Mob founder added: 'Converting to Judaism doesn't mean I'm going to be the perfect Jew. I'm not telling my [Orthodox] rabbi this, but this is about progress, not perfection. Me converting is the beginning of like a very long spiritual journey'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/05/06/01/42629194-9547979-image-m-35_1620261187454.jpg)
The Married to the Mob founder added: 'Converting to Judaism doesn't mean I'm going to be the perfect Jew. I'm not telling my [Orthodox] rabbi this, but this is about progress, not perfection. Me converting is the beginning of like a very long spiritual journey'
Leah - who celebrated a year of sobriety in March - has already publicly observed Jewish holidays like Shabbat, Yom Kippur, and Hanukkah.
In 2014, McSweeney and her 12-year-old daughter Kier 'Kiki' Marie started taking annual vacations to Jamaica rather than celebrating Christmas, but she still puts up a tree.
The Manhattan mompreneur - who reportedly earned $3K per episode last season - was the first Housewife to have knuckle tattoos and her fans include Sarah Paulson and John Oliver.
Spiritual journey: Leah - who celebrated a year of sobriety in March - has already publicly observed Jewish holidays like Shabbat, Yom Kippur, and Hanukkah (pictured December 10)
Creating new family traditions: In 2014, McSweeney and her 12-year-old daughter Kier 'Kiki' Marie (M) started taking annual vacations to Jamaica rather than celebrating Christmas, but she still puts up a tree
'I'm sex-positive and BS-negative': The Manhattan mompreneur - who reportedly earned $3K per episode last season - was the first Housewife to have knuckle tattoos and her fans include Sarah Paulson and John Oliver
