Search Results for “lev tahor”

10 Lev Tahor Families Have Returned To Israel

July 6, 2025 6:15 pm 1 Comment

The Knesset’s Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Committee on Sunday held another follow-up discussion on the government’s involvement in rescuing children from the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala. In recent months, Israel has been working with authorities in Guatemala to dismantle the sect. Many families from the sect have left for the United States and Canada. Today, it has become clear that many have also arrived in Israel. During the discussion, information was presented indicating that there are approximately 10 Lev Tahor families with approximately 20 children under the age of 18 who have returned to Israel. All the children who have returned to Israel are in the care of at least one of their biological parents. There is one family that is not cooperating with the government but is in contact with the municipal authorities in its city of residence. Dr. Tamar Rozmarin Ze’ev from the Prime Minister’s Office said in the discussion, “We are working with all government bodies on two levels: efforts to return the minors and support for those who are already in Israel and their families. An agreement will be signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the agency for returning the children from the cult to Israel. The Ministry of Welfare is responsible for overseeing the absorption of survivors in Israel.” Ilan Avitan, the director of the Child Victims of the Lev Tahor Sect Department at the Ministry of Welfare, said: “We have made very good progress. We have a working group with representatives from all relevant ministries. Every issue we deal with requires appropriate preparation. As of today, we have closed the loop and are in contact with all representatives of the families in Israel. There is one family that is not very cooperative with us, but they are in contact with the local authority where they reside. We are honing in on the smallest details of each family’s needs to find the appropriate framework for every survivor who comes to Israel.” Tira Galinoyar from the Ministry of Education said, “We are familiar with all the children who have arrived in Israel. We do not yet know the nature of the harm to each child. We are in contact with the educational psychological services in every municipality and are preparing to absorb all the children into the various educational institutions in September, with the start of the school year. We ask to integrate the children into recognized and organized educational institutions, but some families asked to integrate the returning children into Chareidi educational institutions that we do not have full supervision over.” Dr. Yuval Rava from the Ministry of Health said, “The families have a distrust of the establishment. We have built a supportive framework for the families. We are in contact with the Kupot Cholim and are transferring relevant information to them about the returning children. We are in contact with four hospitals that are ready, if necessary, for acute admission. In the meantime, the children are receiving supportive health treatments such as dental treatments, but the families still refuse to provide the children with psychological treatment.” Orit Cohen Amir, a representative of the families, said in the discussion, “The Israeli government has not yet issued organized documents to those families who are still in Guatemala. The assistance that the state will

El Salvador Extradites Two Lev Tahor Members to Israel and Guatemala

June 20, 2025 7:15 am 3 Comments

Authorities in El Salvador have extradited two Lev Tahor members, one to Israel and another to Guatemala, amid ongoing investigations into allegations of child abuse and human trafficking. Prosecutors confirmed that Eliezer Rumpler was handed over to Israeli authorities following his January arrest after crossing into the country from Guatemala. Rumpler, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, is accused of overseeing the abuse of students. According to prosecutors, the students were allegedly forced to disrobe before being subjected to beatings. Separately, 23-year-old Jonathan Cardona was extradited to Guatemala to face a slate of serious charges, including child abuse and human trafficking, Guatemalan officials announced. Cardona’s case is linked to a months-long investigation into Lev Tahor’s activities in the Central American country. In December 2024, Guatemalan authorities conducted a major raid on a Lev Tahor compound in the rural town of Oratorio, southwest of Guatemala City, where they rescued 160 minors and 40 women from dangerous living conditions. Prosecutors alleged widespread mistreatment of children, prompting international concern and condemnation. Founded in the 1980s, and originally based in Israel, the cult has been forced to relocate multiple times in recent decades, encountering legal challenges and child welfare investigations in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. In 2013, a contingent of Lev Tahor followers resettled in Guatemala, where they have remained under periodic government scrutiny ever since. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Gov’t Appoints Director To Oversee Lev Tahor Child Victims

May 28, 2025 6:40 pm 6 Comments

The Knesset’s Committee on Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs on Wednesday held its ninth follow-up discussion on the involvement of the Israeli government in the rescue of children from the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala. The Welfare Ministry has appointed an employee to the position of field director who will be responsible for Lev Tahor child victims when they arrive in Israel. During the meeting, the committee requested to receive an official document detailing the preparations of welfare authorities for the absorption of Lev Tahor cult survivors in Israel. Orit Cohen Amir, a representative of the families of Lev Tahor victims, said: “You can see that things are moving in the Guatemalan government and judicial system. I feel that there is more hope today for the children and their family members. However, many children and survivors have nowhere to go in Israel. Every cult survivor needs to know that they have a home to live in. It is very important to bring the survivors to Israel, but it is even more important to ensure their rehabilitation when they arrive in the country.” Attorney Meirav Marx from the Foreign Ministry said, “We are in the final stretch of signing an agreement with the Jewish Agency. We are making great efforts to recruit suitable people for the dedicated positions to manage the project of returning the cult survivors to Israel.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Lev Tahor Leader To Be Extradited To Israel From El Salvador

May 24, 2025 3:28 pm 2 Comments

A court in El Salvador has granted the request of Israel’s State Prosecution to extradite Lev Tahor leader Elazer Rompler to Israel to face serious charges of child abuse, Kan News reported on Thursday. Rompler, who fled Guatemala after local authorities raided the cult’s complex, was arrested in El Salvador in January as he attempted to enter the country, unaware that an international arrest warrant had been issued against him by Interpol at Israel’s request. Israel filed an extradition request for Rompler to El Salvador in February. Rompler fled Israel in 2020 after being indicted for severe child abuse while serving as a principal of the Lev Tahor school in Canada. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

Guatemalan Police Rescue 2 Teenage Couples From Lev Tahor; Find Baby’s Remains

May 15, 2025 7:45 pm No Comments

Guatemalan authorities targeted the Lev Tahor cult in a raid in the last 24 hours after receiving reports of alleged crimes of human trafficking through forced marriages and abuse of minors. Agents of the Special Forces of the National Civil Police (PNC), with the support of the Ministry of Interior and the Attorney General’s Office, conducted a raid in the town of Oratorio in Santa Rosa. During the raid, two underage couples, ages 15 to 17, from the Lev Tahor cult, were rescued, and evidence was seized. In addition, several non-Jews were arrested, including a Nicaraguan national who was caught and detained in the middle of an attempted murder. In disturbing news, investigators also discovered the skeleton of a one-year-old child buried in a wooden box. The four teens were transferred to the care of special staff from the Public Complaints Commissioner for Children and Youth. Teens are not forced to remain in the welfare facility they were transferred to after the major police raid on the Lev Tahor cult in December 2024, but all minors are traced via a child abduction alert system (similar to the Amber alert system in the US). The police raid was carried out after receiving reports that adult Lev Tahor members had forced the teens to marry. In December 2024, the authorities in Guatemala raided the Lev Tahor cult compound located in San Rosa, about 90 kilometers from the Guatemalan capital, following reports of abuse, and rescued at least 160 minors. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Battle Against Lev Tahor Continues: Two More Members Are Arrested

February 26, 2025 5:34 am 5 Comments

As the battle against the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala continues, the local prosecution arrested another two members of the cult for the alleged crime of trafficking minors – Yoel Goldman and Nissan Yehoshua Yehuda Malka. The arrest warrants were issued by Guatemala’s special court for human trafficking crimes. Guatemalan prosecutors along with a special team from the Attorney General’s Office and special forces arrived at the location in Guatemala City where the remaining cult members are residing and identified the two suspects inside their vehicle. The two refused to exit the vehicle and police forces had to forcibly extricate them from the car, after which they were taken into custody. As YWN reported on Tuesday, about a month ago, three cult members abducted 11 children from the cult, hiding them somewhere in Guatemala. This past Shabbos, they smuggled eight of the children into the neighboring country of Belize on the Caribbean coast. Three children were discovered before they were smuggled out of the country and were returned to welfare facilities in Guatemala, but eight are still missing. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

LEV TAHOR: 2 Cultists Arrested After Being Mechalel Shabbos To Smuggle Children – Who Are Still Missing

February 25, 2025 10:35 am 12 Comments

The saga of the extremist “Lev Tahor” cult has taken yet another bizarre twist. While prominent rabbanim and askanim tirelessly work to dismantle the notorious cult—known for child abuse, forced marriages of minors as young as 13, and a slew of other crimes—three men staged a daring escape last Saturday, smuggling eight children across the border from Guatemala into Belize. The escape was part of a broader abduction case that began roughly a month ago, when eleven children were kidnapped. Three of them were discovered early on and returned to Guatemalan welfare facilities, but the remaining eight had been hidden away, waiting for the right moment to be smuggled out of the country. That moment came on Shabbos—a time when authorities least expected an operation of this scale—allowing the captors to exploit the lapse in surveillance. However, the high-stakes smuggling attempt quickly turned into an international manhunt. Guatemalan and Belizean authorities launched a widespread search, culminating in the arrest of two key figures: 25-year-old Chaim Tzvi Malka and 35-year-old Avraham Dinkel. Dinkel, no stranger to controversy, was previously caught on camera assaulting a Charedi activist who had traveled to Guatemala in an effort to rescue children from the cult’s clutches. The operation was carefully orchestrated. On Shabbos, Malka and Dinkel fled Guatemala with a group of young girls and called a third accomplice, Moshe Yehuda Leib Alter, to transport the boys separately. But their plan unraveled when Belizean police grew suspicious of their movements. While Malka and Dinkel were quickly apprehended, Alter managed to escape—along with all eight children. Now, Belizean authorities are scrambling to track them down. Adding a layer of complexity to the crisis is the tense border dispute between Guatemala and Belize. Sources assisting in the rescue efforts claim that the two nations rarely cooperate on extraditions, and Belize’s relatively weak legal framework means there is currently no formal extradition order for the missing children. This latest incident comes in the wake of the December 20, 2024, raid on the “Lev Tahor” compound in San Rosa, Guatemala, roughly 60 miles from the capital. Authorities, responding to reports of severe abuse and neglect, rescued at least 160 minors from a life of malnutrition, forced isolation, and physical mistreatment at the hands of cult leaders. The children remain in state care, slowly recovering from the horrors they endured. This is far from the first time Lev Tahor has resorted to extreme measures. In 2018, under the cover of night, cult leaders orchestrated a brazen kidnapping in Woodridge, in Upstate NY. In the early hours of Shabbos, they forced two young children—who had managed to escape with their mother—into a vehicle and whisked them away. Within hours, they had fled the United States, using an obscure Pennsylvania airport near Scranton to board a flight to Mexico City. The kidnappers went to great lengths to conceal their tracks. In a calculated move, they had purchased non-traditional clothing just days before the abduction in Lakewood, New Jersey, dressing the children in unfamiliar attire to mask their identities as kidnapped Charedi minors. Now, the questions remain: Will Belizean officials track down Alter and his captives? Will Guatemala push for extradition? And most importantly—will these children finally escape the grasp of what is likely the most dangerous cults in modern Jewish history? (YWN World

Israel Issues Extradition Request For Lev Tahor Leader Elazer Rompler

February 23, 2025 8:05 am 4 Comments

Israel’s International Department of the State Prosecutor’s Office submitted an extradition request to El Salvador for Elazer Rompler, one of the leaders of the Lev Tahor cult. Rompler fled Israel in 2020 after being indicted for severe child abuse while serving as a principal of the Lev Tahor school in Canada. Rompler, who fled Guatemala after local authorities raided the cult’s complex about two months ago, was arrested in El Salvador as he attempted to enter the country, unaware that an international arrest warrant had been issued against him by Interpol at Israel’s request. Another Lev Tahor leader, Jonathan Emanuel Cardona Castillo, was also arrested in El Salvador last month after Interpol issued an international arrest warrant against him. As YWN reported last week, efforts by Rabbanim and askanim alongside authorities in Guatemala to break apart the Lev Tahor cult have produced results in recent weeks and after extensive intervention with local authorities, four families have left the cult, and a six-year-old girl was placed in the custody of her extended family in Israel. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

4 Families Have Left The Lev Tahor Cult; Child Placed In Custody Of Her Israeli Family

February 18, 2025 4:40 am 2 Comments

Efforts by Rabbanim and askanim alongside authorities in Guatemala to break apart the Lev Tahor cult have produced results in recent weeks and after extensive intervention with local authorities, four families have left the cult, and a six-year-old girl was placed in the custody of her extended family in Israel. The departure of the fourth family to leave the cult, parents and their six children, is currently being finalized, after which the family will leave for the US or Canada. Meanwhile, the family remains in Guatemala, while the authorities finalize the process of transferring the children to their parents’ authority. The father is the son of one of the cult leaders and is the second son to escape from his father in recent weeks. Last week, the first son and his wife, who were forcibly married at age 15, left the cult and left Guatemala for the US or Canada with their two small children. Two weeks ago, a Chassidic family that was trapped in the cult managed to leave and travel to the US. The parents were awarded custody of their children by a Guatemalan court after the intervention of askanim, Rabbanim and cult survivors. Askanim will provide the families with housing and support in Chassidish or Chareidi communities until they acclimate to their new surroundings. About three weeks ago, the first family left the cult but is still in Guatemala as the parents have not yet decided where they want to move. Meanwhile, the family is receiving support from askanim and the local Jewish community. Additionally, a 6-year-old girl was extricated from the cult after her extended family traveled from Israel to Guatemala to work toward her release. The girl was placed in the custody of her grandmother who is providing her with a new home in Israel. The Office of the Attorney General in Guatemala stated at the time: “A six-year-old girl from the Lev Tahor cult was transferred to her extended family, who came from Israel to take her in accordance with the law. The transfer was carried out after a thorough background check of the family by the Guatemalan authorities, who confirmed that the family is suitable to take her. This is the third reunion in recent weeks of children from the cult with their parents or with their extended family.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Rabbi Shea Hecht Slams Lev Tahor: “Cult’s Grip Keeps 180 Children Trapped in Guatemala” [VIDEO]

February 13, 2025 9:45 am 23 Comments

Rabbi Shea Hecht, a longtime activist anti-cult activist, gave an update on the goings-on surrounding the Lev Tahor group, praising Guatemalan authorities for taking action. In a video message, Rabbi Hecht emphasized that the primary reason 180 Jewish children remain in Guatemalan foster care is the refusal of Lev Tahor members to leave the cult or distance themselves from its leadership. He urged accountability, stressing that the group’s intransigence has directly contributed to the children’s prolonged separation from their families. Beyond the ongoing custody crisis, Rabbi Hecht noted Lev Tahor’s troubling history, citing multiple disappearances under suspicious circumstances and a series of unexplained deaths within the community. These disturbing patterns, he argued, underscore the urgent need for continued scrutiny of Lev Tahor’s activities. Rabbi Hecht, who has spent decades assisting individuals trapped in extremist groups, reaffirmed his commitment to exposing the dangers posed by such organizations. He commended Guatemalan officials for their firm stance, describing their intervention as a necessary step in safeguarding vulnerable children from further harm. Over the years, YWN has spoken to dozens of victims of the Lev Tahor cult who managed to escape. To say they were terribly abused sexually, suffering constant violent beatings, forced starvation and other horrific abuse, would be an understatement. The mothers have been told to “shecht” their children if authorities were to take them away. Lev Tahor was founded and led by Shlomo Helbrans, from the 1980s until his drowning death in Mexico in 2017. The leadership then moved into the hands of his son Nachman Helbrans, along with Mayer Rosner, and Yankel and Yoel Weingarten – who were even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. (Interesting note that Helbrans’ daughter died two weeks after his drowning from an “allergic reaction”.) A federal judge has sentenced Lev Tahor cult leaders Nachman Helbrans (a son of Shlomo) and Mayer Rosner to 144 months (12 years) in prison followed by 5 years of supervised released for the 2018 Shabbos kidnapping of two children who escaped the cult. Back in November of 2021, Helbrans and Rosner were found guilty on all six charges they faced, including conspiracy to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and conspiracy to commit international parental kidnapping. U.S. District Judge Nelson Roman handed down sentences of 14 years for Shmiel and Yakov Weingarten, and 12 years for Yoil Weingarten – another three cult leaders who assumed leadership after Helbrans senior drowned to death. In 2014, YWN ran an article titled “Cults and the War of the Jewish Magazines” in response to Mishpacha and Ami magazines running articles on Lev Tahor. Mishpacha Magazine had run a fifteen page “expose” on the group, essentially describing Lev Tahor as a cult that has some serious issues involving medicating children, and behaviors that resemble child abuse. Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter of Ami Magazine claimed the exact opposite – and ran the following sentence below their headline, “The unjust persecution of a group of pious Jews, and the unsettling silence of the Jewish community.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

SITUATION WORSENS: Lev Tahor Children Separated From Their Mothers After Being Forcibly Starved

January 16, 2025 5:30 pm 12 Comments

Guatemalan authorities were forced to separate children from their mothers because the mothers were not allowing the children to eat. According to sources, Lev Tahor leaders instructed the mothers to starve the children so they would only receive food that the cult wanted them to eat. The children were forbidden from eating even fruits and vegetables. A source in Guatemala said: “They told the children to starve and not to eat things they could eat, for example, fruits and vegetables. They told them not to eat anything, to starve themselves, to hurt themselves, and all sorts of things,” in order to exert pressure on the authorities. One source said: ” I think a baby should be with his mother. But that’s what the judge decided. They separated all the children from their mothers because the mothers are abusing them. They are forced to do this under the leadership’s orders; they’ve been brainwashed.” The source added that the authorities are concerned that “the leaders of the cult will put certain substances in the food. There are all kinds of drugs they can push on the children.” He added that there are guidelines for mothers to kill their children if the government takes them, or if “the Zionists” try to rescue them from there. In letters published by the cult leaders in the past, members of the cult were told that they must sacrifice their lives. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Lev Tahor Leader Who Fled Guatemala Faces Extradition To Israel For Severe Child Abuse Charges

January 14, 2025 1:45 pm 2 Comments

Lev Tahor cult leader Eliezer Rompler who fled Guatemala after the authorities raided the cult’s compound last month was arrested a few days ago and is likely to be extradited to Israel in the near future, Israeli media outlets reported on Tuesday morning. He was arrested while trying to enter El Salvador due the Interpol international arrest warrant against him, which was issued at the request of Israel. His detention was extended in a local court on Monday and meanwhile, Israel’s extradition request will be processed. A horrifying indictment detailing severe child abuse was filed against Rompler in Israel in 2019 but he succeeded in escaping the country using a fake passport shortly before a hearing on his case was scheduled to take place at the Jerusalem District Court in December 2020. The indictment accuses him of severe abuse of minors, against children ages 9 and 10 in Canada between 2009 and 2011, when he served as the principal of a Lev Tahor school. According to the details in the indictment submitted at the time, Rompler violently beat two students at the school. In the first case, Rompler suspected one of the children had stolen money from a tzedaka box. As punishment for the student’s actions, the child “was stripped, laid down on a table that was in the place, and his legs were tied to the table so he wouldn’t move.” Subsequently, “the defendant and another teacher began to beat the student with a belt and a stick for several hours, all while the child cried, yelled for help, and begged them to stop.” As a result of the beating, the child was unable to stand on his feet and had to be carried home. In the second case described in the indictment, Rompler suspected that one of the children had lied, and “as a result, the defendant and the other teachers gathered the students of the school and told them that there was a student among them who had lied and needed to confess.” When no child responded, they took the suspected child by force and laid him on a table. “Two of the teachers began to whip him for about an hour, while the defendant, as the school principal, and the other teachers watched.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Lev Tahor Leader Arrested In El Salvador Following Interpol Warrant

January 4, 2025 3:56 pm 3 Comments

Jonathan Emanuel Cardona Castillo, a 23-year-old Lev Tahor leader, was arrested last week in El Salvador following the issue of an international arrest warrant against him. Law enforcement authorities in Guatemala have begun extradition proceedings. “We received official confirmation from the authorities in El Salvador regarding the start of the extradition process,” said Juan Francisco Reyes, an assistant prosecutor in the Guatemalan combatting human trafficking department. Castillo, 23, is suspected of having brutally abused women and children as part of the cult’s activities, engaged in human trafficking, and forced minors to marry. In a statement to local media, a former member of the Lev Tahor cult, who spoke anonymously, said that Castillo’s behavior had changed drastically since he joined the cult. He noted that he had become violent and threatened to kill children. Uriel Goldman, one of the cult leaders, claimed that Castillo was expelled from the cult due to his behavior and presented documents supporting this claim. Local media reported that he claimed other people had tried to join the cult but were “rejected due to alleged connections to drug trafficking.” Meanwhile, another member of the cult was arrested while attempting to flee to Mexico. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

Israeli Delegation To Travel To Guatemala, Aid Local Authorities With Lev Tahor Victims

January 1, 2025 6:15 pm 4 Comments

A delegation from the cult department of Israel’s Welfare Ministry will depart to Guatemala on Motzei Shabbos to assist local authorities following the raid on the Lev Tahor cult about two weeks ago and the removal of approximately 200 children from the cult’s compound. The delegation will include senior professionals from the Ministry’s cult department who will hold meetings with Guatemalan welfare, mental health, and law enforcement officials and share their expertise. Welfare Minister Yaakov Margi (Shas) said: “The professional knowledge accumulated in Israel by welfare services serves as a source and a model of emulation in many places around the world, and we are pleased to share it with other countries, particularly in cases of aid to Jewish and even Israeli communities living within their borders. Such assistance is significant both professionally and politically, as it contributes to strengthening Israel’s relations with countries around the world.” Director-General of the Welfare Ministry Yinon Aharoni said: “The Welfare Ministry has been following the Lev Tahor cult case for nearly a decade and works tirelessly to protect the children from Israeli families who are under its control. Sharing our accumulated professional knowledge with the authorities in Guatemala is another important step in our ongoing efforts to assist the victims of the cult and prevent further harm to children.” Ilan Sharif, head of the Ministry’s cult victims department, stated: “This is an extremist cult that has chosen to distance itself from the State of Israel. We are particularly concerned about the harm to children who are in the cult, given our knowledge of the control measures and punishments that are regularly imposed in efforts to control the cult members. The cult victims department in the Ministry has been familiar with the cult’s issues for ten years and works with various agencies in Israel and abroad in an attempt to reduce the risk to the children in the cult.” The Welfare Ministry works in close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, aiming to mitigate the harm to children within the constraints of international law. The Ministry also provides support and professional guidance to Israeli cult members who have returned to Israel. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

WATCH: Lev Tahor Leader Accused Of Severe Child Abuse Confronted By Survivors

December 31, 2024 1:30 pm 19 Comments

Interpol recently issued an international arrest warrant for Lev Tahor leader Jonathan Emanuel Cardona Castillo on charges of human trafficking, assault, and child abuse. The Interpol notification was approved by the prosecution in Guatemala and the national civil police. Castillo, who was born in El Salvador and was “megayeir” via the Lev Tahor cult, is accused of severe child abuse. Sources familiar with the matter say that he is known for his cruelty and is essentially the one doing all the dirty work of the cult. Last August, several survivors of the Lev Tahor cult arrived at the cult’s compound in Guatemala to try to meet their family members still in the cult and were confronted by Castillo and other cult members. In footage of the scene, one of the survivors can be heard hurling harsh words at Castillo: “My mother is being tortured by you. You’re a fool and a criminal. You’re a Salvadoran criminal, your place is in prison. We know about your crimes.” Cardona replied: “Get out of here, the whole city will come to throw you out. You’re causing a Chillul Hashem.” The cult survivor retorted: “A Chillul Hashem is for the goyim. You’re a goy and a criminal.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

WANTED: Interpol Issues Arrest Warrant for Lev Tahor Leader

December 29, 2024 7:50 am 6 Comments

Interpol has issued a global arrest warrant for Jonathan Emmanuel Cardona Castillo, a 23-year-old leader of the Lev Tahor cult, on charges brought by Guatemalan authorities. The Red Notice outlines allegations against Castillo, including human trafficking, “assault”, and child abuse. He holds dual citizenship in Guatemala, where Lev Tahor is headquartered, and El Salvador. According to the notice, Castillo is fluent in both Hebrew and Spanish. Guatemalan law enforcement and prosecutors, cited by the Associated Press, have confirmed Castillo’s prominent role within the cult. As YWN reported a week ago, the Guatemalan police carried out a massive raid of the Lev Tahor cult rescuing 160 children and teens and 40 women after testimonies of severe abuse at the cult’s compound. The raid, involving over 400 police officers, soldiers, and psychologists, took place following testimonies from four minors who escaped from the cult last month and provided shocking details to the police about serious offenses. A formal complaint was filed to the Guatemalan state prosecutor’s office, which decided to launch an operation to rescue the minors in the cult. At the time of the raid, no arrests were made, but computers, phones, and other equipment that could serve as evidence were confiscated. In a bazaar twist to the saga, heartbreaking scenes published on social media emerged the day after the children were taken into protective custody. In the videos, the adult cult members are heard instructing the children [in Yiddish] to hit the police and that the police “are not allowed to hit back. Don’t be afraid. They can’t do anything to you.” The cult members also order the children to escape “from the top” or to kick the police officers and crawl out from underneath their feet. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WATCH THIS: Children At The Lev Tahor Cult Seen Fighting With Police

December 22, 2024 11:30 am 8 Comments

In dramatic but heartbreaking scenes published on social media, confused Lev Tahor children are seen fighting with the police during a large-scale operation carried ut by the Guatemalan authorities on Friday. As YWN reported on Motzei Shabbos, the Guatemalan police carried out a massive raid of the Lev Tahor cult rescuing 160 children and teens and 40 women after testimonies of severe abuse at the cult’s compound. In the videos, the adult cult members are heard instructing the children [in Yiddish] to hit the police and that the police “are not allowed to hit back. Don’t be afraid. They can’t do anything to you.” The cult members also order the children to escape “from the top” or to kick the police officers and crawl out from underneath their feet. The rescued children and teens were transferred to a welfare facility in Guatemala City. According to reports, some of the children and teens wreaked havoc on the facility, requiring a move to another facility. Israeli media outlets reported that the Guatemalan authorities consulted with the local Jewish kehilla before the raid to ensure the children’s religious needs were met. However, Ynet reported on Sunday that the children’s continued detention in the facility poses legal issues which are expected to lead to their release in the near future. Additionally, efforts to transfer some of the children to guardians in Israel are also encountering complex legal difficulties due to the need to prove that the children are being harmed by both parents. Reports indicate that out of the 200 rescued individuals, about 150 hold Israeli citizenship, while the others are citizens of Guatemala, the United States, and Canada. Cult members with foreign citizenship are at risk of deportation but Guatemalan laws make it difficult to deport foreign citizens. Authorities are considering issuing a presidential decree for their deportation but cult members have the right to appeal under the law. Editor’s Note: YWN has been at the forefront of fighting the Lev Tahor cult for more than 15 years, with dozens of articles published over the years. YWN has spoken to many victims of the Lev Tahor cult who managed to escape. To say they were terribly abused sexually, suffering constant violent beatings, forced starvation and other horrific abuse, understates the atrocities they endured. The world is a safer place now that these monsters are behind bars. Our hope is that the rest of the leadership in charge of this cult are arrested and thrown behind bars. YWN has received many, many emails and phone calls from desperate parents and siblings of cult members who were unfortunately sucked into this nightmare and have lost contact with their loved ones. Most importantly, all possible efforts should be made to save children who are being dragged around the world now as this cult is on the run. Rescuing these children is literally Pikuach Nefashos. Lev Tahor was founded and led by Shlomo Helbrans, from the 1980s until his drowning death in Mexico in 2017. Since then, the leadership has moved into the hands of his son Nachman Helbrans, along with Mayer Rosner, and Yankel and Yoel Weingarten – who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. Thankfully, they are all on prison. In 2014, YWN ran an article titled “Cults and the War of the Jewish Magazines” in response

Guatemalan Authorities Raid Lev Tahor Cult, Take 160 Kids, Teens Into Custody

December 21, 2024 1:31 pm 10 Comments

The Guatemalan police carried out a massive raid of the Lev Tahor cult at the border between Guatemala and El Salvador on Friday, rescuing 160 children and teens and 40 women after testimonies of severe abuse at the cult’s compound. The raid, involving over 400 police officers, soldiers, and psychologists, took place following testimonies from four minors who escaped from the cult last month and provided shocking details to the police about serious offenses. A formal complaint was filed to the Guatemalan state prosecutor’s office, which decided to launch an operation to rescue the minors in the cult. Guatemalan state prosecutor Dimas Jimenez said at a press briefing that the raid was conducted due to alleged “forced pregnancy, mistreatment of minors and rape.” According to Jimenez, the raid was supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The authorities also found the bones of a child that was buried at the compound. No arrests were made during the raid but computers, phones, and other equipment that could serve as evidence were confiscated. Authorities are considering the possibility of filing charges against the leaders of the cult for human trafficking and other serious offenses. According to reports in the local media, members of the cult were forbidden from eating meat, fish, and poultry. Children were separated from their parents and forced into marriages, and among other things, the community enforced discipline through public floggings. In a statement released by the Jewish community in Guatemala, it was noted that the community is not connected to the Lev Tahor cult and it supports the Guatemalan authorities in carrying out necessary investigations “to protect the lives and integrity of minors and other vulnerable groups that may be at risk.” The community called on governments and organizations from countries whose members belong to Lev Tahor to cooperate to protect those whose rights may be violated. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

LEV TAHOR: Guatemalean Police Probing Child Abuse Allegations Inside Cult’s Compound

August 29, 2024 1:15 pm 6 Comments

Guatemalan authorities are currently investigating serious allegations of child abuse within the Lev Tahor cult, a community already facing accusations of forced marriages. This past Friday, authorities attempted to check on the condition of children living on a farm owned by Lev Tahor in Oratorio, located southwest of Guatemala City. Despite having a court order, officials reported that access to the premises was restricted by members of the cult. “We’re very concerned about the situation within the community,” said Lucrecia Prera, a lawyer representing the state in matters concerning children and adolescents. “There are reports that there are (forced) marriages, that there are pregnant girls, that there is abuse within the community.” One of the most alarming allegations involves a teenager who was reportedly forced into marriage at the age of 13. According to Prera, the girl sought help earlier this year to return to her home country. Following a court hearing on Friday, Lev Tahor sect took to social media to accuse authorities of engaging in “a reprehensible campaign of persecution against our community, motivated solely by religious intolerance and discrimination.” The cult also accused Israel of playing a role in “instigating these actions.” Authorities estimate that around 100 minors are currently living within the community, which comprises roughly 50 families from Guatemala, the United States, Canada, and other countries. Despite a judge being granted access to the premises on Friday and observing 29 children, Prera noted that the investigation remains inconclusive. “We cannot be certain whether the allegations (of abuse) are true or false, since we have not been allowed to carry out our work properly,” Prera said. In response to accusations of persecution, Prera firmly denied that the investigation was politically or religiously motivated. “It’s very important that people know that it’s not political persecution, it’s not religious persecution. What we are seeking is to ensure the comprehensive protection of the rights of children and adolescents within the community,” she said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

After 7 Years: Brothers Who Escaped Lev Tahor Try To Visit Their Mother, Are Cruelly Driven Away

August 20, 2024 2:15 pm 19 Comments

Yoel and Mendy Levy, brothers who escaped from the Lev Tahor cult years ago, have tried to visit their widowed mother several times in recent months after eight long years of separation but have been cruelly driven away each time amid threats to their lives. The brothers have sent many letters to their mother over the years but the cult members refused to give them to her. A month ago, Mendy finally obtained permission from the cult leaders to see their mother. He booked two tickets to Guatemala but when the brothers reached the compound, they were blocked by cult members who claimed that their mother didn’t want to see them and threatened to harm them if they didn’t leave the compound. “We burst into bitter tears,” Mendy said. “Because we know the truth. Our mother loves us and how could it be she said she didn’t want to see us?” They returned to the States but had a breakthrough in the weeks afterward when one of the cult members, Uriel Yosef, personally assured them that they could meet their mother. They again traveled to Guatemala. But when they arrived there, Uriel Yosef wasn’t “available” and they were again denied entry. One of the cult leaders, an El-Salvadorian who joined the cult, even approached them holding a shechita knife and threatened to harm them if they didn’t leave the area. The brother tried again several days ago but this time they came with their a bodyguard. But to no avail – they were again expelled from the area amid threats to their lives. Donate to the Levy brother’s efforts in helping their family inside the cult and exposing the Lev Tahor abuse: Zelle or PayPal – [email protected] (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

JUSTICE SERVED: 3 Lev Tahor Cult Leaders Sentenced To More Than A Decade In Prison

July 10, 2024 8:15 am 6 Comments

Three brothers from Monsey, leaders of the Lev Tahor cult, were sentenced on Tuesday to lengthy prison terms for their roles in the kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl and her brother six years ago. The court found that the brothers orchestrated the abduction to return the children to their community, aiming for the girl to resume an underage marriage. U.S. District Judge Nelson Roman handed down sentences of 14 years for Shmiel and Yakov Weingarten, and 12 years for Yoil Weingarten. Interestingly, the victim, referred to as Jane Doe, expressed support for the brothers in court and urged leniency, describing them as rescuers rather than kidnappers. The victims, Jane and John Doe, were among six children of Sara Helbrans, the daughter of Lev Tahor’s late founder, Shlomo Helbrans. The children had been living in Guatemala with the Lev Tahor community, which had relocated there after fleeing child welfare investigations in Canada. The kidnapping plot began when Sara Helbrans objected to her 13-year-old daughter’s marriage to 19-year-old Yaakov Rosner. Unable to prevent the wedding, she eventually escaped Lev Tahor with three of her children and moved to Brooklyn. Later, when her husband took three of the children to Mexico to obtain new passports, authorities intervened and sent the children back to their mother in New York. Sara obtained a Family Court order granting her custody and prohibiting contact from the father. Despite unsuccessful legal challenges, the Weingarten brothers persisted in their efforts to retrieve the children. On December 8, 2018 – in middle of Shabbos Chanukah – they kidnapped Jane and John Doe from a home in Woodridge, NY. The children were taken to a hotel, changed, and then driven to an airport in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Nachman Helbrans accompanied them on a subsequent journey to Mexico where the children were hidden in a house until December 18, 2018, when the property was raided, and some kidnappers were arrested. However, the children remained missing until authorities located them nine days later and arrested Shmiel and Yoil Weingarten. Yakov Weingarten later attempted another kidnapping, which was thwarted. Judge Roman’s sentencing took into account the serious nature of the crimes, yet recognized the harshness of potential sentences. The prosecution recommended sentences of more than 12 years for each brother, citing their roles in the kidnapping and subsequent actions, including perjury and obstruction of justice. Speaking in court, the brothers remained unrepentant. Shmiel Weingarten described the prosecution’s efforts as an attack on Lev Tahor, while Yoil and Yakov reiterated their twisted belief that their actions were sanctioned by the Torah. The victim, Jane Doe, also pleaded for their release, asserting that their imprisonment was causing her ongoing suffering. Prosecutors, however, emphasized the dangerous precedent set by the brothers’ actions and their lack of remorse, arguing that they posed a continuing threat. Specifically, they expressed concerns that the Weingartens would resume arranging child marriages and kidnapping escapees from Lev Tahor upon release. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

JUSTICE: 3 Lev Tahor Members Convicted Of Kidnapping Two Children On Shabbos From The Catskills

March 27, 2024 9:05 pm 9 Comments

Three members of the infamous Lev Tahor cult – Yoel Weingarten, Yakov Weingarten, and Shmiel Weingarten – have been found guilty of kidnapping a 12-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl, and then spiriting the girl outside the United States to continue an illegal and forced marriage with her adult “husband.” The kidnapping occurred on a Shabbos in December 2018, when Lev Tahor cultists kidnapped two children from the Teller family, who had escaped the clutches of the cult and traveled to the United States just a month earlier, and were spending Shabbos in Woodridge, NY. Their mother, Mrs. Sara Feiga Teller, is a sister of current (now jailed) Lev Tahor leader, Nachman Helbrans. She is married to Aron Aryeh Teller, rosh yeshivah of Lev Tahor. Yaakov and Shmiel Weingarten were extradited to the United States in 2022 to face charges over the kidnapping. “The defendants’ conduct — which included forced child marriages, physical beatings, and family separations — is unthinkable and has caused irreparable harm to children in their formative years,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who prosecuted the case. “Whether in the name of religion or any other belief system, subjecting children to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse will never be tolerated by this Office. With Wednesday’s verdict, all nine Lev Tahor leaders and operatives charged for these heinous crimes have been held to account, and will spend decades in prison for their evil acts. The three Weingartens join the monsters who ran the lev Tahor cult, Nachman Helbrans and Mayer Rosner, who were sentenced in 2022 to twelve years in prison. Editor’s Note: YWN has been at the forefront of fighting the Lev Tahor cult for more than 15 years, with dozens of articles published over the years. YWN has spoken to many victims of the Lev Tahor cult who managed to escape. To say they were terribly abused sexually, suffering constant violent beatings, forced starvation and other horrific abuse, understates the atrocities they endured. The world is a safer place now that these monsters are behind bars. Our hope is that the rest of the leadership in charge of this cult are arrested and thrown behind bars. YWN has received many, many emails and phone calls from desperate parents and siblings of cult members who were unfortunately sucked into this nightmare and have lost contact with their loved ones. Most importantly, all possible efforts should be made to save children who are being dragged around the world now as this cult is on the run. Rescuing these children is literally Pikuach Nefashos. Lev Tahor was founded and led by Shlomo Helbrans, from the 1980s until his drowning death in Mexico in 2017. Since then, the leadership has moved into the hands of his son Nachman Helbrans, along with Mayer Rosner, and Yankel and Yoel Weingarten – who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. Thankfully, they are all on prison. In 2014, YWN ran an article titled “Cults and the War of the Jewish Magazines” in response to Mishpacha and Ami magazines running articles on Lev Tahor. Mishpacha Magazine had run a fifteen page “expose” on the group, essentially describing Lev Tahor as a cult that has some serious issues involving medicating children, and behaviors that resemble child abuse. Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter of Ami Magazine claimed the

WATCH: Lev Tahor Members Escape Mexican Jail

September 29, 2022 11:30 am 23 Comments

All the members of the Lev Tahor cult who were arrested a week ago in Mexico escaped their jail on Wednesday at midnight. However, two Lev Tahor members who were accused of serious crimes are still in Mexican custody as they are being held in a separate prison. The cult members bribed the guards in order to escape. A video of the “escape” shows the guards refraining from making efforts to stop the cult members from fleeing. Earlier on Wednesday, local Mexican media reported that three Lev Tahor members who weren’t arrested demonstrated outside the jail, demanding the release of the cult members. According to a Mexican report, during the raid, the children were distanced from the adults out of fear that the adult members would kill the children rather than allowing them to live outside the cult. In the video below, the children of the cult seem to be expressing their anger toward their guards. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Mexican Police Raid Lev Tahor Compound, Arrest 26 Members

September 27, 2022 8:10 pm 10 Comments

Mexican police raided a local immigration facility near the border with Guatemala on Friday and arrested 26 Lev Tahor members, Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated on Motzei Shabbos. The raid, which took place in the city of Tapachula, was carried out by dozens of police officers and welfare officials. Two of the cult members, a Canadian citizen and an Israeli citizen, were arrested for alleged human trafficking and sexual offenses punishable by about 20 years in prison. Yisrael Amir, who escaped the cult several years ago, and several of his relatives, paticpated in the raid in order to identify his four-year-old son. His son was found and transferred to his custody and the two flew to Israel together. According to a Channel 12 News report, Amir has been working on a plan to bring his son to Israel since he escaped the cult three years ago. He reportedly worked with former Mossad agents to formulate a plan to save his son amid reports of the children in the cult being abused and neglected. Amir told Channel 12 that his one dream from the moment he escaped the cult was to save his son from what he himself experienced there, what Amir called “a nightmare.” “I couldn’t leave him there,” he said. בנו הקטן של ישראל עמיר, צעיר שברח מכת "לב טהור" – הושב לזרועותיו בעקבות הפשיטה במקסיקו, והם נחתו בארץ pic.twitter.com/673mM6Brxr — ynet עדכוני (@ynetalerts) September 27, 2022 ישראל עמיר, שחילץ את בנו מהכת החרדית-קיצונית במקסיקו בתגובה ראשונה: "הגשמתי חלום בערב ראש השנה. מהרגע שברחתי בעצמי מהכת, הייתה לי משאלה אחת – להציל את הבן שלי מהסיוט הזה. עכשיו אנחנו בבית – נחים, אוכלים ובעיקר מחובקים. אני מתחיל לבנות את החיים החדשים שלי כאבא צעיר במדינת ישראל" pic.twitter.com/nsdB86aj15 — החדשות – N12 (@N12News) September 27, 2022 Five cult members are expected to be deported for staying in the country illegally and the rest of the cult members at the compound were transferred to the Mexican Welfare Ministry. The Israeli consulate in Mexico reported that despite attempts to persuade them, the children and families who have guardianship orders in Israel refused to return to Israel. “Our request to deport them to Israel is expected to be answered positively but we wouldn’t want significant force to be used against them and a violent deportation. It should be noted that in light of the residency certificates they somehow obtained, they may be able to remain in Mexico.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

3 Lev Tahor Members Sentenced To Prison This Week

September 11, 2022 10:30 pm 12 Comments

Three Lev Tahor members were sentenced to prison this week for their roles in the kidnapping of children in 2018. “This was a horrific, horrendous, crime that was committed,” Judge Nelson Roman said on Friday during the sentencing of one of the defendants, Mordechai Malka. Prior to the sentencing, Malka apologized for his role in the kidnapping but the judge dismissed his remarks, noting his lack of remorse during the trial itself, and sentenced him to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Earlier last week, the judge sentenced Matisyahu Moshe Malka (Mordechai’s brother) and Yaakov Rosner for their roles in the kidnapping. Rosner also expressed remorse for his role in the kidnapping as well as his newfound enlightenment about the cult’s toxicity. His words were apparently perceived as sincere by the judge who released Rosner on account of the time he has served since March 2021. In contrast, Malka was sentenced to 66 months in prison. Mordechai Malka’s brothers-in-law, the Weingarten brothers, will be facing trial in the near future. Two of them have already been extradited to the United States from Guatemala in order to face trial. “I feel bad though,” said Lev Tahor survivor Mendy Levy, who escaped the cult several years ago. “Because Mordechai Malka was not really a bad guy. He was just forced to do what he did by the Weingartens, Nachman Helbrans, and Mayer Rosner.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Has The Lev Tahor Cult Disbanded?

July 10, 2022 1:30 pm 16 Comments

After years of wandering the world and many of its leaders being sent to prison, the Lev Tahor cult has essentially disbanded, three cult members told Kikar H’Shabbat. According to the report, cult members are scatted in a number of countries around the world in recent months. A small number of members are still in Guatemala and are trying desperately to rehabilitate the cult. Some cult members returned to Israel and have been seen on the streets of Jerusalem in recent days. This past Friday, some cult members were also spotted in London buying food for Shabbos. תפרסם שהכת לב טהור הגיעו ללונדון, צילמתי את התמנות האלו לפני שעה pic.twitter.com/PlNqTHwwzs — צבי (@AtVQaOWRyA2VZyc) July 8, 2022 (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Brothers Who Escaped Lev Tahor Revisit Cult’s Former Site, Daven at Murdered Father’s Kever

June 8, 2022 7:15 am 9 Comments

Yoel and Mendy Levy, two brothers who escaped from the clutches of the Lev Tahor cult, returned to the site of their captivity in Guatemala to daven at their father’s grave, whose death is directly attributable to the cult’s leaders. The boys’ father, Yehoshua, died at the site of group’s settlement in the South American country from severe neglect, with Lev Tahor leaders refusing to allow him to obtain critical medical treatment. Yehoshua sadly passed away and was buried in a forest not far from the Lev Tahor camp. After Yehoshua’s death, cult leader Nachman Helbrans – now serving a lengthy sentence in a U.S. prison – decided that the family’s children should be taken from their mother and placed in other homes. Yoel and Mendy subsequently escaped from the group and currently live in Canada. In their visit to their former torturous home, Yoel and Mendy roamed the grounds of the former camp and davened at their father’s kever. Their mother is still sadly a member of Lev Tahor. YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN LEVAYA WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

CONVICTED: 2 Lev Tahor Leaders Found GUILTY of Sick Kidnapping

June 2, 2022 11:17 am No Comments

Mordechai and Mattisyahu Malka, two top officials in the Lev Tahor cult, have been convicted in White Plains federal court of kidnapping following a three-week jury trial. The two were key participants in the kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy from their mother in Woodridge, New York in December 2018. The kidnappers smuggled the children across the U.S. border to Mexico, where they reunited the girl with her adult “husband,” who she had “married” when she was 13 years old. After the children were recovered and returned to their mother, the defendants and their co-conspirators tried to kidnap the children a second time in March 2019. Two co-conspirators, Nachman Helbrans and Mayer Rosner, were previously convicted of kidnapping and sexual exploitation charges in connection with this case after an October 2021 trial and have each been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Evidence presented at the Malka’s trial showed that in October 2018, the mother and her children escaped from Lev Tahor’s compound in Guatemala, arriving in the United States in early November 2018. Also in November 2018, a Brooklyn family court granted her sole custody of the children and prohibited the children’s father, a leader within Lev Tahor, from communicating with the children. After the mother fled and settled in New York with her children, Mordechai Malka and other Lev Tahor members devised a plan to return the children to the Lev Tahor cult. In December 2018, the kidnappers took the children in the middle of the night – on Shabbos – from a home in upstate New York and transported them through various states and, eventually, to Mexico. Mordechai Malka and his co-conspirators used disguises, aliases, drop phones, fake travel documents, an encrypted application, and a secret pact to execute on their kidnapping plan. At the time of the kidnapping, Lev Tahor leadership was seeking asylum for the entire Lev Tahor community in Iran. Following a three-week search involving hundreds of local, federal, and international law enforcement officers, the children were recovered in Mexico and returned to their mother in New York. Then, in March 2019, members of Lev Tahor again tried to kidnap the children. The leader of Lev Tahor, Nachman Helbrans, attempted another kidnapping of the children while incarcerated in Westchester, New York. Mattisyahu Malka acted as the operative on the ground to execute the attempted kidnapping. Mordechai, 27, and Mattisyahu, 30, Malka were convicted of one count of conspiring to commit international parental kidnapping, to unlawfully use a means of identification, and to enter by false pretenses the secure area of an airport, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Mordechai was also convicted of two counts of international parental kidnapping, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each count. Mattisyahu was also convicted of one count of attempted international parental kidnapping, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each count.

2 Lev Tahor Leaders Extradited To The US From Guatemala

April 25, 2022 7:45 am 17 Comments

Two Lev Tahor leaders who were arrested last year in Guatemala have been extradited to the United States to face trial. Yaakov and Shmuel Weingarten are facing charges of suspected kidnapping and abuse of children. The kidnapping attempt was purposely carried out on Shabbos to make it more difficult for the parents to pursue them. Yaakov Weingarten was arrested on the first day of Pesach last year. The brothers’ father, Yisrael Weingarten, is serving a 30-year prison sentence in the United State for serious criminal offenses. Another brother, Yoel Weingarten, was also arrested in Guatemala for kidnapping and child abuse and is facing extradition to the US. The measure follows last month’s sentencing of Lev Tahor cult leaders Nachman Helbrans and Mayer Rosner to a 12-year prison sentence for the same kidnapping and other serious offenses. According to the US Department of Justice, Lev Tahor leaders not only engaged in kidnapping but “embraced several extreme practices, including invasive monitoring of members, frequent beatings, and forced marriages of minors to adult members. Children in Lev Tahor are often subject to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

MONSTERS SENTENCED: Lev Tahor Cult Leaders Nachman Helbrans And Mayer RosnerSentenced To 12 Years

March 31, 2022 12:38 pm 30 Comments

A federal judge has sentenced Lev Tahor cult leaders Nachman Helbrans and Mayer Rosner to 144 months (12 years) in prison followed by 5 years of supervised released for the 2018 Shabbos kidnapping of two children who escaped the cult Back in November of 2021, Helbrans and Rosner were found guilty on all six charges they faced, including conspiracy to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and conspiracy to commit international parental kidnapping. Several other Lev Tahor cultists have been arrested in connection with the case, including brothers Yoel, Yaakov, and Shmiel Weingarten, who were picked up by Guatemala authorities earlier this year. They are expected to be extradited to the United States to face charges and a trial. Three others in the United States are reportedly cooperating with authorities. YWN has been at the forefront for more than 10 years fighting the Lev Tahor cult – with dozens of articles over the years. YWN has spoken to many victims of the Lev Tahor cult who managed to escape. To say they were terribly abused sexually, suffering constant violent beatings, forced starvation and other horrific abuse, would be an understatement. The world is a safer place now that these two monsters are behind bars. Our hope is that the rest of the leadership in charge of this cult are arrested and thrown behind bars. YWN has received many, many emails and phone calls from desperate parents and siblings of cult members who were unfortunately sucked into this nightmare and have lost contact with their loved ones. Most importantly, all possible efforts should be made to save children who are being dragged around the world now as this cult is on the run. Rescuing these children is literally Pikuach Nefashos. Lev Tahor was founded and led by Shlomo Helbrans, from the 1980s until his drowning death in Mexico in 2017. Since then, the leadership has moved into the hands of his son Nachman Helbrans, along with Mayer Rosner, and Yankel and Yoel Weingarten – who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. In 2014, YWN ran an article titled “Cults and the War of the Jewish Magazines” in response to Mishpacha and Ami magazines running articles on Lev Tahor. Mishpacha Magazine had run a fifteen page “expose” on the group, essentially describing Lev Tahor as a cult that has some serious issues involving medicating children, and behaviors that resemble child abuse. Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter of Ami Magazine claimed the exact opposite – and ran the following sentence below their headline, “The unjust persecution of a group of pious Jews, and the unsettling silence of the Jewish community.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Lev Tahor Spotted Fundraising in Crown Heights

February 15, 2022 9:45 am 14 Comments

Uriel Goldman, a prominent member of the Lev Tahor cult, has been spotted knocking on doors in Brooklyn to fundraise for the organization. Goldman, who is a member of the so-called Lev Tahor “hanhala” and who serves as their spokesman, was recognized by a woman in Crown Heights, who phoned Crown Heights Shomrim to warn them of Goldman’s presence. Goldman has reportedly been residing in Boro Park for the last few months as he attempts to raise money for the group as many of its leaders sit in prison for their inhumane crimes, including kidnapping and child abuse. According to multiple people who Goldman asked for donations, he claims that the group doesn’t have money for even the basic necessities – despite the group having recently had the funds to buy dozens of plane tickets in an attempt to get the group to Iran. Do not give “tzedakah” or any form of assistance to Uriel Goldman. RECEIVE YWN BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WATCH: Curious Locals Speak To Lev Tahor Members At Their Latest Stop -NORTH MACEDONIA!

February 14, 2022 10:30 pm 11 Comments

In their latest destination in their recent wanderings in the Balkan area of southeast Europe, a group of Lev Tahor members is now residing in North Macedonia. As YWN reported, Lev Tahor members left Bosnia a week and a half ago and briefly crossed into Montenegro before continuing to Albania. Apparently, they weren’t granted permission to stay in Albania and crossed into neighboring North Macedonia, where they are now temporarily residing. Their strange attire has attracted much attention from their neighbors, who have been videoing the Lev Tahor members and posting them on social media along with footage of group members from security cameras. In one video posted on Monday, locals can be heard trying to engage one of the Lev Tahor members in conversation, asking him in English: “Do you work? Do you study?” The Lev Tahor member can be heard responding that “we came here to visit,” but the rest of the conversation is drowned out by the loud voices of the locals speaking to each other. The locals have apparently done their online research because as the Lev Tahor member turns to go back inside, one of the locals asks him: “You’re Lev Tahor, right?” The Lev Tahor member doesn’t respond and heads toward the door, where another Lev Tahor member beckons him to come back in. RECEIVE YWN BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Lev Tahor Members Leave Bosnia, Cross Into Albania

February 7, 2022 7:30 pm 7 Comments

A group of Lev Tahor members left Bosnia through the Deleuša border crossing last week on Thursday evening and briefly crossed into Montenegro before continuing to Albania, local Bosnia media reported. The report comes after Bosnian Human Rights and Refugees Minister Miloš Lučić announced last week that the cult members will be deported from the country in the wake of the opposition of local residents to the cult members’ presence in their neighborhood after reading about the allegations of child abuse and kidnapping against them. “These are citizens of the United States, Canada, and Guatemala who have caused public unrest recently, based on claims that they are members of the radical Lev Tahor sect,” the BiH media outlet stated. The report noted that the group left the country prior to the expiration of their stay, under their own direction, respecting the legal regulations regarding foreigners, adding that Bosnian authorities had determined that the cult members did not pose a threat to national security. The report added a brief description of the cult: “Lev Tahor is a conservative group of Jews. It currently has about 250 members and literally means ‘pure heart’ from the Biblical passage: ‘Create in me a pure heart, G-d, and renew a steadfast spirit within me’ (Psalm 51:10).” “They have strict rules regarding food and their prayers are longer and louder than those in other Jewish denominations.” “The leader of the group, Shlomo Helbrans, was born in 1962. He and his followers, who often change their place of residence, have been repeatedly accused of child abuse.” Prior to their departure, Lev Tahor members took the unusual step of allowing local media reporters into their residence and agreeing to be photographed. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Lev Tahor Women Speak To Media, Describe Horrifying Experience In Iraq

February 3, 2022 9:30 pm 17 Comments

Following the report that Bosnian authorities are deporting 24 members of the Lev Tahor cult who had taken residence in the capital city of Sarajevo, cult members took the unusual step of allowing local media reporters into their residence. After a long period of time during which cult members refrained from allowing photographers into their compound and shying away from interviews, on Wednesday, local Bosnian news outlet N1 interviewed and photographed the cult members. N1 wrote: “After several rejections, the N1 team was received by members of Lev Tahor at their temporary home in Istocna Ilidza. Two members, Esther and Chayeh, spoke about their way of life, raising children but also about numerous accusations against their community. This group of 37 should leave Bosnia and Herzegovina soon, and they do not want to reveal their next destination, because they claim that they are constantly persecuted because they are different.” Esther told N1 that she was born into Lev Tahor and isn’t interested in knowing about other ways of life. She said that the Lev Tahor members were happy in Canada but then the social services “knocked on their doors.” “They came, they came, they came, trying to make us send our children to their public schools,” she said. “But we know that’s not the way we want to raise them. It is not written that way in our holy book, to learn various things like that man came from an animal, from a monkey. I will not allow my children to learn such things.” Esther said that the discrimination became unbearable and after three families were summoned to court, they realized they had to leave. “We knew what that meant, we knew the next step was to take our children away and then we decided to leave,” she said. Chaya, originally from Belgium, joined Lev Tahor when she was 24. She admitted to N1 that her husband is in the US awaiting trial on charges of kidnapping but claimed it was a misunderstanding based on a family conflict. “He is still awaiting trial, he has no right to bail, as if it is a danger to the community, for the United States, he has been there for 2.5 years, without good reason, he didn’t commit any crime, he only helped save the child from his mother and her friends who abused him.” The woman told N1 that now they are persecuted wherever they go but their worst experience was in the Kurdistan area of Iraq, where they were interrogated for days due to the numerous accusations against their community. “We tried to get in touch with the Red Cross, human rights organizations, but they took away our phones, kept us trapped with very little food, just enough to survive, without beds, showers, clothes to change,” Chaya said. “When they let us go, the children already had fungus on their feet for the first time in their lives. On Saturday afternoon they carried us to the airport, holding our arms and legs, taking our children from our arms, and today the children live in fear, they talk about it, my daughter hurt her arm because she clung to me.” The reporter ended the article by describing some details about the cult members’ living space. “The men pray in the house next

Lev Tahor Cultists Being Forced Out of Bosnia

February 2, 2022 9:00 pm 10 Comments

Bosnian authorities are on the verge of kicking 37 members of the Lev Tahor cult out of their country, the latest blow to the demented “Jewish Taliban” cultists. The three dozen Lev Tahor adherents are believed to have arrived in Bosnia-Herzegovina in November 2021, where they have been living quietly while trying to stay under the radar. Despite not having knowingly broken any laws, Human Rights and Refugees Minister Milos Lucic announced on Tuesday that 24 Lev Tahor members were being forced to leave the country on February 5th, and the rest of the group will follow on February 20th. This latest shunning is nothing new for Lev Tahor. The group has been accused of numerous crimes against humanity, including kidnapping and forced child marriages, and have spent the last few decades searching for a country that is willing to accept them and their twisted beliefs. Many of the cultists have been tossed from the United States, Canada, Guatemala, and Mexico in recent years. They have also tried to get asylum in Iran, though their plan to get to the Islamist country fell apart when they were deported from Iraq to Turkey. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Search Results for: lev tahor