'RHOP' Star Katie Rost Is Very Close With Her Mom

In the second episode of Bravo’s new franchise, The Real Housewives Of Potomac , the reality series explored cast member Katie Rost’s faith and race. (She identifies as biracial and Jewish.) The show has already been lauded for its diversity, and Sunday's depiction of a biracial, religious family celebration opened up an important dialogue for both the cast and viewers. So, what else do we know about Katie's heritage? Who are Katie Rost’s parents?

The show’s second episode, “Divas, Queens, and Bubalas,” featured Katie's twin daughters’ Jewish naming ceremony. After the ceremony, some of Katie’s co-stars claimed that you cannot be both black and Jewish. Katie’s response and assertion that she is both was admirable. She defended her heritage and decision to raise her children in the Jewish faith, the way that she grew up. This episode didn’t shy away from an important conversation and helped us get to know Katie — and her heritage.

According to a 2011 interview with JW Magazine, Katie’s mother, Rynthia Rost, converted to Judaism, the religion of Katie’s German-American father Ronald Rost, when Katie was 10. And, according to the same interview, when Rynthia shared the news that she was converting to Judaism with her own mother, she discovered that her great-great-grandmother was also Jewish. Rynthia told the magazine, “It was one of those mystical things, this feeling that you end up where you’re supposed to end up.”

When Rynthia’s ex-husband Ronald died in 2000, she helped Katie establish The Ronald F. Rost Foundation in his name — Katie is the currently the director of the organization. In a letter on the website, Katie remembers her dad, a professor, with this sweet note:

When my father died in 2000, the pain of losing him overwhelmed me. It’s taken many years to realize what was so obvious from how he lived his free spirited life — that my father would love nothing more than to spend eternity watching kids slide down a ski slope for the first time, learn the awesome sensation of riding a horse through an open field or learn how to appreciate and commune with nature. All children should have the opportunity to have these wondrous experiences, and more, open to them. In memory of my Dad, we are dedicated to lift the spirit and fuel a passion for life for children in need.

Katie and her mother are enviably close. And, Bravo claimed that Rynthia could be Katie’s role model in raising her own kids since Rynthia has accomplished so much. In addition to raising Katie and exploring her own philanthropic pursuits, Rynthia has served as the vice president of public affairs at Geico since 1994, according to Bravo. And, Rynthia’s golf hobby has also impacted Katie’s personal life in a big, unexpected way.

In an interview with OK! magazine, Katie said that her mother introduced her to her current boyfriend, Andrew Martin, after Rynthia met him at a golf club where they both are members.

She felt like I had gone through this horrible divorce and she just wanted me to get out there and start dating again ... Andrew fits the mold of the kind of guy my mom likes: He works in finance, he’s never been married, he has no kids, he makes a nice income. So, he got, like, five gold stars from my mom.

Although her father may have passed on, Katie and her mother seem to have a wonderful relationship. And, I am excited to see what else the Rosts have in store for viewers on RHOP.

Image: Tommy Garcia/Bravo