The Frum Girls

B"H

Sometimes it happens that a bus stops next to me. A bus full of haredi Beit Yaakov girls (litvish or from some chassidic groups). Everyone can easily spot out the frum Beit Yaakov girls due to their dark blue coloured skirt and the light blue coloured blouse.

When I used to live in haredi neighbourhoods, I asked many of my neighbours about Beit Yaakov. It depends on whom you ask. The Litvaks probably give you different answers then the Chassidim. Basically, a Beit Yaakov girl has to be dressed properly when she shows up in class. One neighbour (chassidic) told me that once her daughter was sent home by the teacher because she wore sneakers. The daughter came home and changed her shoes into something more modest. Furthermore, a Beit Yaakov girl is not allowed to wear her hair open. This might attract a male teacher, if there is one.

However, when I see them on a bus, most of them do the same. At least on the buses going a longer distance. Almost all of them take out their Sidur or Tehilim and start praying. I remember that once I went on a trip to the Dead Sea with my Yeshiva and although swimming wasn't allowed for us (modesty reasons), many girls ran into the water. A little later, another bus stopped and who got off the bus ? Beit Yaakov girls. But they weren't like us. None ran into the sea but over to a hut where they started praying Maariv (evening prayer). We looked at them a little embarrassed as we knew that we should stand praying next to the hut as well but tried to push the thought away.

This incident happened more than ten years ago but as soon as I see a bus with the praying Beit Yaakov girls, I still feel a kind of guilty for not doing the same. And I still push the thought away. At least a little bit……