Repairing the world
Revelations of sexual assaults in religious movements have intensified in recent years and alternative responses to traditional justice have been developed to provide solutions tailored to victims. Few articles, however, have dealt with sexual assault in non-Catholic religious groups. Our exploratory and qualitative paper sheds light on the Takana forum, a uniquely structured alternative justice movement whose primary motivation is to combat sexual assault within a Jewish community – the national-religious movement in Israel. The Takana forum includes influential individuals in Israeli communities, such as eminent rabbis, jurists, education experts, and specialists in therapeutic care. Members consider their participation in the Forum to be a religious duty based on the biblical precept of “saving the oppressed from the oppressor.” Using material from interviews with members of the Forum, we discuss several themes, including the extrajudicial treatment of sexual assault adapted to religious and community sensitivities, which could fill a gap in the judicial system ; the therapeutic function of religion ; and the views of members on the reach and output of the Forum. We highlight Takana’s strengths and weaknesses, including its lack of transparency and a flexible attitude toward justice that could undermine the rights of individuals. Finally, we consider Takana’s potential.