Can You Really Ever Become Frum?

Throughout reading this book, I was honestly more struck with the overwhelming sense that Becoming Frum is more an illusion than anything else. Perhaps it may be a bias presented by Benor, or my own personal interpretation, but I feel as though the message indicated throughout this book is that although there is a distinct process of trying to “Become Frum”, the end result is not really achieved. At least not satisfactorily. And particularly not in the eyes of the Orthodox Jewish community. I think that this impression was most clear to me throughout the characterization of individuals as either BT’s or FFB. I believe that within this designation lies an inherent characterization of hierarchy, as if the BT’s are on a continual quest to obtain the same level of religious success as the FFBs. But then again this raises the same question that we have discusses in class as to what really does constitute religious success? However, I do believe that the characterization in this manner does indicate that BTs will never be on the same level as FFBs, regardless of whether or not this level is one considered to be more “successful”. Furthermore, I feel like this concept of inequality was reinforced throughout the reading, especially in chapter three which discussed Orthodox cultural practices and how BT’s adapt to them. Throughout this chapter there are numerous references to “tell-tale” signs that someone is a BT. For example, “an Orthodox Jew with an unconventional hairstyle is almost always considered to be a BT”. Several other examples were given in relation to dress, headwear, food, and names as signs that one is a BT as opposed to a FFB. In reading this, I was just overwhelmed by the sense that no matter how hard these BT’s try to assimilate into the Orthodox culture, they will never escape scrutiny and therefore will never truly be accepted. But perhaps this is just my interpretation. And perhaps these titles are not used as conventionally in society.