The Problem With Calling a Jew a 'Convert'

"Will I ever be Jewish enough?" I asked. The question came at the end of an hour-long meeting with my soon-to-be rabbi, in August 2019. The meeting was meant to determine whether the conversion program at his synagogue was a good fit for me and my family; but my question for him was meant to determine whether I'd be strolling through shul with a scarlet "C" over my head once I was officially Jewish. "Converts are Jews," he said. "Full stop." Though my question had come out casually, my eyes told a different story; I was wiping away tears. Deep inside, I feared I'd do all the work only to not be considered "fully Jewish" by those born into Judaism. The rabbi -- Beau Shapiro of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, in Los Angeles -- tried to reassure me that converts are quite respected because they chose this path. "And technically," he added, "no one is allowed to ask if you're a convert anyway."