Fiddler on the Roof

I grew up on a lot of musicals. My mother loved musicals and since we only had one TV in the house, you either watched what was on or did something else. Most of the time I did not mind them except "The Sound of Music". That was my sisters favorite musical and they played it over and over. I still cannot watch that movie.
When I was around 14, I watched the musical "Fiddler on the Roof". I immediately fell in love.
What is strange is at that time, I had a love affair with the Nazi Party. I liked the flag, the uniforms and the image of Adolf Hitler. I tried to read Mein Kampf. My mother tried to get me to change but I wanted nothing to do with it. I heard they killed six million Jews, but at the time it was just a number. Nameless numbers on nameless faces.
At the heyday of my Nazi love affair, I sat down to watch Fiddler on the Roof. I fell in love with the music, the traditions and mostly Tevye. During the course of the musical, you see the oppression forced on Tevye and his family. Even though it was not the Nazi party that was the protagonist, you still feel the story of how some people are better than others.
Over the course of that following week, I dumped the Nazi party and wanted to become a Jew. I wanted to participate in the dancing and singing. Naively, I figured that even though these people were oppressed, they still had time to sing and dance. One member of the church that I was going to told me when she heard of my plans to become a Jew, " Don't you know they killed Jesus?" I responded. " But I don't think Tevye did."
My mother at the time did not encourage me or discourage me from becoming a Jew. I guess she figured it was a lot better than Nazism.
Since that time, I have always had a respect for the Jewish faith. I still have the Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack on my Iphone. About a month ago, the song Anatevka came on while Michael (my son) and I were driving. After listening for a bit, Michael asked " I guess this is from a play?" I told him yes and he asked what it was about. I proceeded to tell him about Tevye's story. I told him how my brother Scott and I would do the dance, "If I were a rich man" to make my brothers and sisters laugh. At the point where I told him, how I used to like the Nazi party, he responded " well that was pretty dumb." I had to agree with him. He asked why the Nazis and the Russians had such a problem with the Jews. We had a very enlightening discussion.
I never did convert to Judaism but I always think I carry a little bit of Tevye inside of me.