Let's say you meet a young woman named Rachel Zimmerman. Quick, close your eyes!

Who do you picture?

Rachel Zimmerman? Talk about Jewish! Brunette; neatly trimmed hair, perhaps in a pony tail. Glasses, definitely glasses. Conservative clothes — she's on her way to her job at a law office. Or perhaps a hospital.

Now picture a young woman named Raquel Zimmermann.

Raquel Zimmermann? Oh, she is still a Zimmerman, but now it just sounds so... exotic. The pony tail unravels, transforming the hair into a blond mane. Glasses drop to the floor. The clothes are swept away and replaced by... well, not by much. And Jewish? Not in this lifetime.

Amazing what two little letters can do.