Reviews and press about Becoming Frum
"Becoming Frum offers a nuanced visual and sound portrait of Orthodox Jewish life, enabling us to hear the way individuals' identities evolve -- and does so in an utterly engaging way."
- Samuel Heilman, Distinguished Professor of Sociology Queens College
CUNY
"Benor’s engaging and innovative study of language and identity surprises, delights, and educates. Becoming Frum is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand Jewish language and culture today."
- Mary Bucholtz, Department of Linguistics, University of California, Santa
Barbara
"Becoming Frum explores a phenomenon of great consequence in contemporary Judaism and Jewish demographics. With clinical clarity balanced with sincere sensitivity, Dr. Benor observes people as they grapple with such personal and wrenching conflicts as those of the sacred with the divine, tradition with modernity, family with society, and, ultimately, the self that was with the self that becomes. The lens of language affords a perspective on the process of “becoming frum” that permits a look deep into the souls of the speakers even as it evinces a smile and self-conscious chuckle. Thank you for this important contribution."
- Chaim M. Weiser, author of Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish
"It is a real honor to have been sent the text before publication. And it is a real joy to know it is forthcoming. I believe that Professor Helmreich did a wonderful job in his Yeshiva World so many years ago by explaining the Yeshiva world to the rest of the Jewish world in a way that was both respectful and accurate. I believe that your book will add to this tradition and get people to think about serious issues that need to be addressed. Not only the language they use, but also questions like: are we always going to be baalei teshuva?! I'm not sure that there are many books in the Jewish Studies or linguistics world that will achieve educating those in both the academic and non-academic world. I pray - G-d willing - that more books like yours will come to market -- as they will certainly bring klal yisrael closer together."
- Reader in New Jersey
National Yiddish Book Center podcast with Emma Morgenstern about recently published books: Episode 52, January 8, 2013. Discussion of Becoming Frum starts at 3:01.
Houston Jewish Herald-Voice
Review by Aaron Howard
Needle in the Bookstacks blog
Interview by Sheryl Stahl
The Yiddish Daily Forward - in Yiddish
Review by Gennady Estraikh
The Book of Doctrines and Opinions: Notes on Jewish Theology and Spirituality
Interview by Alan Brill
San Francisco Bay Area J Weekly
Review by Howard Freedman
Kveller
Review by Mayim Bialik
Jewish Review of Books
Review by John McWhorter
Forward
Review by Philologos
Jewish Press
Interview by Elliot Resnick
Jewish Week
Profile by Steve Lipman