Israeli Haredi Society and the Repentance (llazarah Biteshuvah) Phenomenon l KIMMY CAPLAN Introduction The preoccupation with the repentance (hazarah biteshuvah) phenomen- on in Israeli Haredi society is charged in the extreme. 2 Israeli media occasionally report on the remarks of teshuvah promoters, the views of 1 This article is based upon a lecture presented at an international workshop .on "Resurgent Religious Movements and Violence in the Contemporary World," The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, June 6, 2000. It was kindly translated by this Institute. A Kreitman post-doctoral fellowship, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 1997-1999, and a fellowship from the Yitzhak Rabin Center for Israel Studies, 1999-2001, enabled me to pursue this projeet, for whieh I am most gratefuL The source of certain audio- tapes is the best collection of this material, located at Harvard College Library. These tapes are marked with the letters RCL, followed by their catalog number. Unmarked cassettes are in the author'S possession. I thank the staff of the Jewish Division of Widener Library for their ongoing patience and assistance. Finally, I am indebted to Ms. Sarit Banilai, Professor Yoram Bilu, Ms. Richelle Budd Caplan, Professor Emma- nuel Sivan, and Dr. Mordeehai Zalkin for their comments. 2 The following tenninological clarification is in order: the experience of repen ting has mueh in common with that of eonverting; however, we accept the common use of the term conversion for those who change their religion and the use of repentance for those who are adopting a religious way of thought and practice within the religion they belong to. Therefore, many aspects of the conversion experience interrelate with those of the repenting one. For various sociological, psychological and historical aspects of conversion, see, among others: Virginia L. Brereton, From Sin to Salvation: Stories of Women's Conversions, 1800 to the Present (Bloomington, 1991); Walter E. "Conn, Chris- tian Conversion: A Developmental Interpretation of Autonomy and Surrender (New York, 1986); James D. Downton, h, Sacred Journeys: TIle Conversion of Young Amer- ica!!s to Divine Light Mission (New York, 1979); Lewis R. Rambo, Understanding Re- ligious Conversion (New Raven and London, 1993); Peter G. Stromberg, Language and Self-Transformation: A Study of the Christian Conversion Narrative (Cambridge, UK, and New York, 1993); The Transformed Self: The Psychology of Reli- gious Conversion (New York, 1989); HaFriet Whitehead, Renunciation and Reformula- tion: A Study of Conversion in an American Sect (Ithaca, NY, 1987). Jewish Studies Quarterly, Volume 8 (2001) pp. 369-398 © Mohr Siebeck - ISSN 0944-5706