Search Results for “lev tahor” – Page 2

WATCH: Local Bosnian Tries To Befriend Lev Tahor Members

January 31, 2022 7:45 am 23 Comments

As YWN reported last week, some Lev Tahor members have taken residence in Sarajevo, in the latest of a series of destinations since leaving Guatemala. Neighbors of the cult members told local media that they are perturbed by the cult members’ presence in their vicinity and they want them removed from the area. Meanwhile, at least one young local resident decided to befriend the cult members. In a video obtained by B’Chadrei Chareidim he’s seen talking to the cult leaders in English and offering to assist them with whatever they need, adding that many locals and the media are saying negative things about them but he personally doesn’t believe them. The cult leaders seemed very interested in connecting with the young man and wanted to exchange phone numbers but were unable to do so because the encounter took place on Shabbos. They agreed that the man would come back the next night and meanwhile gave him some snacks as gifts. He also asked them how long they were staying and they answered him that they don’t know. It’s likely that the cult members received a ninety-day residence permit in the country and afterward will have to leave or file an extended asylum request. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

WATCH: Lev Tahor Cult Spotted In Bosnia, Perturbing Local Residents

January 27, 2022 1:00 pm 30 Comments

Members of the Lev Tahor cult have found a new residence after wandering from Guatemala to Iraq, Turkey, Albania, and Moldova, with a group of them having apparently settled in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Local Bosnian media outlets reported on the cult, quoting residents who expressed fears about their presence in the city, noting that “the leaders of this cult have been charged with the worst crimes.” One resident was quoted as saying: “The women are dressed in burqas, covered, as well as the girls. Men and boys are dressed the same. The moment I open my door, I see one of them watching me from the porch or the yard. I feel anxious and worried. We’re afraid for the children.” Residents emphasized that “there’s no place here for this group” and “we insist that they leave.” Some of them even said: “We’ll sell our houses. We don’t want to live in an environment in which we don’t feel that our children and families are safe. Should we wait for something to happen? They don’t have a place here. No excuses are acceptable. We want a solution.” One resident said that he read on the Internet that the group is “an extremist religious group that is fighting charges of kidnapping, marriages of minors and child abuse.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Israeli Man Desperately Seeking to Save Son From Lev Tahor

January 3, 2022 9:30 pm 7 Comments

An Israeli man who escaped the Lev Tahor cultists two years ago, Yisroel Amir, is now working with former Mossad agents as he attempts to rescue his 2-year-old son from the group’s clutches, The Jerusalem Post reports. Amir’s efforts have taken on new urgency recently as Lev Tahor attempts to move their group to Iran, which, if successful, would make it exceedingly difficult to rescue his son. It is also possible – even likely – that, instead of providing them refuge, the Iranian regime would use Lev Tahor members as a bargaining chip with Israel or publicly execute them to send a message. So far, Lev Tahor attempts to cross into Iran via Kurdistan have failed, with members of the cult caught in the country deported to Turkey, from which they were extradited back to Guatemala. Amir’s team has been able to gather some intelligence on the group, including an updated picture of his son, and photos of children sitting in cages. Additionally, the team has revealed that mothers entrapped by the cult have been ordered to kill their children and commit suicide if authorities ever penetrate the cult. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

HORROR EXPOSED: Lev Tahor Leaders Told Mothers To SHECT THEIR CHILDREN If Outsiders Enter [SEE THE VIDEO]

November 23, 2021 12:30 pm 49 Comments

In a video produced by Lev Tahor survivor Mendy Levy, he speaks about the shocking abuse and neglectful conditions he endured during his years in the cult. In one hair-raising segment of the video, a female Lev Tahor survivor is heard talking about the instructions of Lev Tahors leaders to the women of the cult to literally “shecht” their children in the case of authorities trying to take them away. She said that the cult leaders called them to a meeting and told them that there were threats from the authorities that their children will be taken away from them. “So he said that when the authorities come, the men will all go and talk to them, and meanwhile all the women will gather here together with their children. Then each mother will take their children and just as shechita is performed, each mother will take a knife take a knife and cut…” “Take a knife? Kill with a knife?” the interviewer interrupted to ask in astonishment. “Yes,” she responded. “He said to take a knife and cut. Close the eyes of the children and cut. Because you have many children, you should start with the small ones so the big ones can understand what they’re seeing. And you as mothers tell them that it’s very painful for you to do but it’s necessary because of the ones that are coming to take the children away. And better the children will die, better that the children should be dead rather than living with a goy. He said it will be considered like the shechita of a pure korban.” “Then we got scared,” she concluded. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Majority Of Lev Tahor Members Left Guatemala, Several Remain To Sell Possessions

November 17, 2021 6:15 pm 4 Comments

The majority of Lev Tahor members have left Guatemala and are now scattered between a number of countries, including Turkey, Romania, Brooklyn, Iraq, and possibly Mexico, Kikar H’Shabbat reported. Several cult members stayed behind in the Central American country to sell the cult’s possessions to locals. The large compound they were living in, which included a shul and a Talmud Torah, also held a large amount of equipment, including a flour grinder, washing machines, ovens, and even printing machines. In recent days, a group of Lev Tahor members who entered Moldova earlier this month were deported from the country and sent back to Turkey. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

28 Lev Tahor Members Deported From Moldova, 2 Escape

November 15, 2021 12:05 pm 4 Comments

A group of Lev Tahor members who entered Moldova earlier this month were deported from the country and sent back to Turkey, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported. Two Lev Tahor members managed to escape when Moldovan police raided the hotel where the cult members were living. However, the police are reportedly unconcerned, saying that there’s nowhere for the two escapees to go and they will eventually be detained. Chief Rabbi of Moldova Rav Pinchas Saltzman, in cooperation with the Moldovan government, offered to allow Lev Tahor members under age 18 to remain in Moldova but the offer was refused. After Rav Saltzman heard that the group of 30 Lev Tahor members had entered Moldova earlier this month, he quickly made urgent efforts to ensure that additional groups be refused entry into the country, fearing a rise of anti-Semitism if the cult would settle in the former Soviet republic. His efforts were successful and subsequent groups who tried to enter the country were refused entry. Lev Tahor members are currently scattered around the world, with members in Guatemala, Romania, Brooklyn, Iraq, and possibly Mexico. 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. Last week YWN reported that two leaders of the Lev Tahor cult were found guilty by a jury on all charges pertaining to the 2018 Shabbos kidnapping of two children who escaped the cult, and now face life in prison. Nachman Helbrans and Meyer Rosner, two Lev Tahor officials who were involved in the kidnapping, 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 Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

What Did Lev Tahor Leaders Write To Their Followers After The Trial?

November 11, 2021 1:00 pm 26 Comments

Following the conviction of Lev Tahor leaders Nachman Helbrans and Meyer Rosner on six criminal charges, they wrote a letter to their followers, who are currently traveling the world in a search for a country that won’t “persecute” them. They started out the letter by writing that they were only doing the will of their Father in Shamayim. “These days, Rabbeinu, has been judged by the wicked Roman kingdom and they accused us of all their claims, and there’s a great furor that the leader of the sadistic cult Lev Tahor has been convicted.” “Yes, we are happy to inform the Yirei Hashem that the fact that we’re guilty of transgressing the evil Roman laws isn’t something new but we’re guilty of this in every generation – of keeping the Torah HaKedosha and it’s considered a zechus and kavod for us.” “The Torah Hakedosha commanded us not to delay the marriages of our sons and daughters,” the letter stated and then quoted sources from the Chumash and Gemara on the topic. “We are subject to the true Da’as Torah from generation to generation and ada’raba in this generation we are obligated to be moser nefesh on this more and more and therefore we make efforts to marry our sons and daughters as early as possible and we have no fear of those who mock the ratzon Hashem.” “And yes, the indictment began that the reshaim acted on behalf of a woman who left our kehilla, and forcibly kidnapped her married daughter from her husband against her will, saying she is still a minor according to chukos hagoyim. They forcibly took her to the wicked United States, where the wicked Eirav Rav held her in a psychiatric hospital and afterward in a closed house under the guard of an unmarried man. The girl cried out but there was no one to help her, she appealed to every possible source to take her out of her captivity but all her cries for help went unanswered.” “When Rabbeinu heard this, he traveled especially to save her although he was well-aware of the inherent danger in it, and he took advantage of the first opportunity to save her, even on the day of Shabbos Kodesh (a source was quoted here from the Shulchan Aruch that one must save someone who is pursued, even on Shabbos). “Even after the reshaim admitted that the poor woman herself asked for help, they still convicted Rabbeinu with the crime of ‘kidnapping’ and they added other charges, that we helped her return to her husband, and according to their abominable laws, getting married k’das Moshe V’Yisrael is an obscene act that is illegal.” The letter continued that Lev Tahor has hundreds of proofs that the woman was “tortured” by her captors and that she married her husband willingly and with the consent of her parents…”but it’s clear to anyone who participated in this trial that they’re fighting against Hashem and His Moshiach.” The leaders then continued with their complaints that the court refused to hear their version of the story but “all the baseless stories of our enemies and pursuers were accepted with great respect.” The letter concluded with many quotes about serving Hashem under all circumstances, saying that despite their persecution, their spirit won’t be broken and “all

GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES! Two Lev Tahor Cult Leaders Face Life in Prison after Jury Finds Them Guilty of 2018 Kidnapping

November 10, 2021 12:29 pm 39 Comments

Two leaders of the Lev Tahor cult have been found guilty by a jury on all charges pertaining to the 2018 Shabbos kidnapping of two children who escaped the cult, and now face life in prison. Nachman Helbrans and Meyer Rosner, two Lev Tahor officials who were involved in the kidnapping, 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. “The defendants engaged in a brazen kidnapping of a minor girl in the middle of the night, taking her across the border to Mexico in order to reunite her with her adult ‘husband’ to continue their sexual relationship. These charges send a clear message that the sexual exploitation of children will not be tolerated,” US Attorney Audrey Strauss said when the cultists were charged in 2019. 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. RECEIVE 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. Reports indicate cult leaders have suggested death as better alternative than life outside the cult. YWN has been at the forefront for more than 10 years fighting the Lev Tahor cult – with dozens of articles over the years. 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, 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 Magzaine 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.” DOJ statement: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NACHMAN HELBRANS and MAYER ROSNER were convicted in White Plains federal court of child sexual exploitation offenses and kidnapping following a four-week jury trial. The defendants, leaders of an extremist Jewish sect called Lev Tahor, masterminded a scheme to kidnap a 14-year-old girl (“Minor-1”) and a 12-year-old boy (“Minor-2”) from their mother in Woodridge, New York. The defendants then smuggled the children across the U.S. border to Mexico, where they reunited Minor-1 with her adult “husband” to allow him to continue his illegal sexual relationship with Minor-1. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Nachman Helbrans and Mayer Rosner brazenly kidnapped two children from their mother in the middle of the night to return a 14-year-old girl to an illegal sexual relationship

New Details On Lev Tahor’s Attempt To Enter Iran

November 9, 2021 8:30 am 11 Comments

A Kikar H’Shabbat report on Monday revealed new details about the attempts of the Lev Tahor cult to enter Iran or other Middle Eastern countries. The report said that as is well-known by now, Lev Tahor leaders sought asylum in Iran while still living in Guatemala. However, after a long period of time passed and their request wasn’t answered, about 15 cult members traveled to the Kurdistan area of Iraq and met with a government official in an attempt to convince the authorities to allow the cult to settle there. “We’re a group of 300 people and we just want a place where no one will interfere with the fulfillment of our customs,” they said. The official never got back to them with a clear answer but the cult members quietly worked toward bringing groups of cult members to the country. However, their attempt at operating under the radar was a complete failure as Guatemalan authorities did everything they could to stop them, at the request of US and Israeli officials. In addition, Guatemalan authorities have been carrying out repeated raids of the group members still in the country even after the members left their compound and scattered in small groups in hostels and hotels. According to Kikar, the cult leaders are still doing everything they can to convince Iran to allow them entry. Although the leaders say they are just looking for a place that won’t interfere with their lifestyle, in reality, they are searching for a country where the US and Israel have no influence and the Islamic Republic, the archenemy of Israel and the US, is a prime choice. A group of 72 Lev Tahor members who were deported from Iraq to Turkey tried unsuccessfully to enter Romania and Moldova. They are now trying to gain entry to Syria, Lebanon or Albania. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Moldovan Chief Rabbi: Lev Tahor Tried To Enter Syria, Lebanon Or Albania

November 7, 2021 8:00 pm 7 Comments

Chief Rabbi of Moldova Rav Pinchas Saltzman spoke to B’Chadrei Chareidim on Sunday about the attempt of Lev Tahor members to enter Moldova. “After the Iranian government refused to accept them, a first group landed in Moldova overnight Thursday,” Rav Saltzman said. “I only found out about it after they landed and from that moment we began to make the most of our connections. We appealed to the Moldovan President, government ministers, and local security authorities.” “Our appeal was accepted. Another group of Lev Tahor members landed in Moldova on Shabbos (!) and they were sent back. A second group that wanted to board a flight on Shabbos from Turkey to Moldova were not permitted to board the flight.” “They’ve been wandering from place to place. They’ve created many many problems around them by marrying minors, abducting children, and an extremely non-standard lifestyle. We were afraid that after many years of no anti-Semitism in Moldova, it would suddenly return.” “I heard that they tried to be approved for entry in Lebanon, Syria, and also Albania – they weren’t accepted there either. They’re quite nervous since they don’t have many choices left and they may have to be deported to either Israel or the United States.” Rav Saltzman also made a generous offer. “I’m prepared to fully commit – anyone from the group under age 18 who comes to Moldova – we’ll accept them with love to live and eat at our expense.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Moldova Refuses Entry To Lev Tahor, Chief Rabbi Writes Urgent Letter

November 6, 2021 6:55 pm 12 Comments

A group of Lev Tahor members tried to enter Moldova on Thursday but were refused entry into the country. As YWN reported last week, 72 Lev Tahor members who traveled from Guatemala to Iraq were forced by local authorities to board a flight to Turkey, where they were held by Turkish authorities in a building near the Istanbul Aiport for several days. At least 30 members of the group then entered Romania, with other reports saying that all 72 members entered Romania. The Romanian authorities apparently later changed their mind about allowing the cult members to stay in the country and they continued to Moldova, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported on Friday. However, the authorities in Moldova also refused to allow them to stay in the country and told them to return where they came from. According to the report, some of the members returned to Turkey and others are still searching for a country that will allow them entry. In the early hours of Friday morning, the Chief Rabbi of Moldova, HaRav Pinchas Saltzman, sent an urgent letter to Moldovan President Maia Sandu requesting that she ban the entry of Lev Tahor members, explaining that Lev Tahor is a dangerous cult whose members have been indicted for terrible criminal acts. [The full letter can be read below.] Rav Saltzman added that the presence of Lev Tahor in the country could lead to a severe increase in anti-Semitism and their entry should be banned at all costs. Rav Mendy Chitrik, the Ashkenazi Rav of Turkey and president of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic Countries, told B’Chadrei: “I hope they don’t come to Turkey and instead will be sent to Israel or the US so that the children can be taken care of by welfare authorities and its leaders will be brought to justice. In any event, we have no intention of assisting them in any way.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

30 Lev Tahor Members Enter Romania, Hundreds Are Leaving Guatemala [VIDEO]

November 4, 2021 7:30 pm 10 Comments

Thirty members of the group of 72 Lev Tahor members who have been held in a building near Istanbul Airport in Turkey since Tuesday morning, have entered Romania, Kikar H’Shabbat reported on Wednesday night. Other reports, including Turkish media reports, stated that all the members of the group were sent to Bucharest at their own request after spending three days in Istanbul. The Turkish report added that the group members held 19 Canadian passports, 24 American passports, 1 Portuguese passport, and 28 Guatemalan passports. Komşu kabul etmemişti! Türkiye’ye gönderilen “Lev Tahor” tarikatı üyelerinin akıbeti belli oldu https://t.co/E0oDOUqYE3 pic.twitter.com/ELHUdHeeVN — AKİT TV (@akittv) November 3, 2021 The group had traveled together from Guatemala to the Kurdistan area of Iraq but after only several days in the country, Iraqi authorities forced them to leave, putting them on a flight to Istanbul. Meanwhile, an earlier Kikar report revealed that the hundreds of Lev Tahor members in Guatemala have made a final decision to leave the country due to constant police raids. In recent years, the group members have lived in a large compound in the Central American country but they have now left the compound and are scattered in small groups in guest houses, hostels, and hotels. However, Guatemalan police are raiding the hotels and hostels as part of an investigation into cases of children who were reported missing. A group member told Kikar that they searching for a country to live in where they won’t be harassed. Below is a disturbing video of the group when they are still in Iraq, in which many children and some of the women seem to be in great distress. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

“My Life Has Been A Nightmare Since My Daughter Joined Lev Tahor”

November 4, 2021 8:00 am 6 Comments

R., a US citizen who lives in Israel, is living in a nightmare for five years, Ynet reported. It began when his daughter got married to a regular Chareidi bochur with a difficult family background. After the wedding, the couple moved to Israel and settled in Geula. “He learned in Brisk and was a regular bochur,” R. said. “After five years, a tragedy occurred in his family and one of his relatives connected him to a Mekubal. After the meeting with the Mekubal, he began davening most of the day instead of learning in Kollel.” R. financially supported his daughter and her family and they were in day-to-day contact but then the situation deteriorated. “My daughter was editing the sefarim of a Mekubal. When the Mekubal passed away, my son-in-law became even more extreme. He’s a charismatic person and he dragged my daughter along. She believed all the lies and the religious ideas.” “They continued to send their children to regular Chareidi schools in the period before they fled to Guatemala – a period of about five years. All along, we hoped that things would improve. The son of that Mekubal was connected to Lev Tahor. He got into trouble with the authorities and convinced my son-in-law to join the cult. The extremist ideology caused them to change their opinion on Zionism and Israel but it was apparent that despite their relative extremism, the group in Geulah wasn’t as extreme as the Lev Tahor group outside Israel. But the one who led the group wasn’t a strong leader and another group of followers decided to travel to Guatemala.” “We received a phone call from my daughter that she was there. I asked my daughter how they financed the trip. She received misinformation that some organization paid for it. She was instructed what to answer and what not to say. They were ordered to maintain complete secrecy.” “Then suddenly she went underground. All the phones were cut off or were ‘unavailable.’ It’s already over a week that she’s not in touch.” “I’m extremely worried about the lives of my daughter and grandchildren,” he said. “The risk is worsening every minute. Iran is much more dangerous than where they are now.” “Even now there are very serious issues. When my grandchildren called me, they complained of stomach aches and other physical ailments. My daughter told me strange stories. But I really don’t know what happens at the camp in Guatemala. She said they get bread, pumpkin seeds, and fruit. They don’t eat meat, chicken and fish. She says they get vitamins. I told her that she shouldn’t take the ‘vitamins’ under any circumstances but I don’t know if she listened to me. She’s convinced that her way is correct and it will bring the Moshiach.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

“We Don’t Want Lev Tahor Here,” Iraqi Official Says

November 3, 2021 4:30 pm 7 Comments

Over 70 Lev Tahor members have been held in a building near Istanbul Airport in Turkey since Tuesday morning, where they were forced to fly by Iraqi officials from Erbil Airport in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported. ֶThe Lev Tahor group had managed to successfully leave Guatemala and reach Iraq in an attempt to eventually enter Iran but were detained by Iraqi officials and forced to leave the country. An Iraqi official told B’Chadrei: “We don’t want [Lev Tahor] here. They already caused trouble in Guatemala, Canada, the US and Mexico and there are unpleasant stories about them. We’re not looking for people like that, we know they’ll cause trouble here also. We’ll do everything we can to prevent them from returning here.” Meanwhile, US, Israeli and Guatemalan officials have been in touch with Turkish and Iraqi authorities in order to ensure that they don’t grant entry permits to the Lev Tahor members. The cult members may soon have no choice but to enter Israel. B’Chadrei also spoke with a member of the Jewish community in Turkey who said that “the faster Lev Tahor leaves the country the better.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

WATCH: Dati Leumi Rav Drinks L’Chayim With Lev Tahor To The State Of Israel

November 2, 2021 4:30 pm 2 Comments

Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum, a well-known Dati Leumi Rav in Israel, drank a L’Chayim to the state of Israel together with Lev Tahor members this past April. Rabbi Birnbaum is the founding director of Ohr Torah Stone’s Emissary Training Programs and he travels around the world mentoring rabbis and teachers in the outreach and education organizations Ohr Torah Stone (OTS) dispatches to Jewish communities around the globe. He also researches Jewish kehillos around the world. In a video of the unusual scene, Rabbi Birnbaum is heard speaking and lamenting the fact that he’s not in Eretz Yisrael for Yom Ha’atzamut and the mesiras hanefesh he took for him to be with Lev Tahor instead. He also mentions that “tonight is Yom Hazikaron for fallen IDF soldiers. I was in the Lebanon War.” “I told Rav [Uriel] Goldman that it’s mesirus nefesh for me to be here today,” he said. “You’re not with me on this but today is Yom Ha’Atzmaut in Eretz Yisrael. And in our view – b’seder – it’s also a machlokes – but it’s also a neis from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. So I’m going to make a l’Chaim both in honor of the kehilla…and lichvod Yom Ha’Atzmaut. L’Chaim.” “L’Chaim,” the Lev Tahor members replied, and one of them added: “I understand the mesirus nefesh. Definitely.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

THE SAGA CONTINUES: Lev Tahor Group Detained By Army In Kurdistan Area, Transferred To Another Country

November 1, 2021 1:30 pm 13 Comments

A group of about 70 Lev Tahor members, including men, women, and children, managed to successfully leave Guatemala and reach the Kurdistan area this past Thursday, Kikar H’Shabbat reported on Monday. However, only 24 hours after they reached the Kurdistan area, local military forces raided the building they were staying in and detained the group. They were transferred to a compound on a military base, where the soldiers brought them fruits and vegetables to eat. On Motzei Shabbos, the soldiers brought the Lev Tahor members to the airport and tried to force them to board a flight but refused to tell them the flight’s destination. Pandemonium ensued as the Lev Tahor members refused to board the flight without knowing its destination. Eventually, the soldiers gave up on forcing the group to board the flight and brought them to a room in the airport, where they were placed under heavy guard and banned from leaving the area. On Sunday night, a large number of soldiers and guards forced the Lev Tahor on a private plane and they were flown to an unknown destination. Lev Tahor members still in Guatemala told Kikar that they are unaware of where their fellow cult members were taken to but they believe that it may have been Turkey. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Watch: Two Lev Tahor Leaders To Be Extradited To US From Guatemala

October 31, 2021 10:00 am 20 Comments

A Guatemalan court last week approved the extradition of Lev Tahor leader Yaakov Weingarten and his brother Shmuel Weingarten to the US to stand trial on charges of kidnapping and abuse of children. An extradition order for a third brother, Yoel Weingarten, is expected to be approved in the coming days. Yaakov Weingarten was arrested about seven months ago by Guatemalan security forces on the first day of Pesach after attempting to kidnap children on Shabbos, a tactic used by the cult to thwart the parents from pursuing them. 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.” “We are grateful for the excellent cooperation from our partners in Mexico and Guatemala who helped us hold these leaders of Lev Tahor accountable for their behavior,” FBI assistant director William F. Sweeney Jr said in April. “International borders will not stop the FBI from pursuing justice and enforcing violations of our laws, especially when you target children. The behavior alleged today is outrageous, and there is no justification for it whatsoever.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

FAKERS: Anti-Zionist Lev Tahor Cult Members Praise Israel In Video

October 21, 2021 8:00 pm 2 Comments

A video has come to light of two Lev Tahor members praising the state of Israel, a stark departure from their usual vehement anti-Israel and anti-Zionist rhetoric and quite risky since they currently are engaging in efforts to reach Israel’s archenemy Iran. Uriel Goldman, who is now in the Kurdistan area along with two other cult members, is seen in the video praising Israel for its behavior during its recent war with Gaza and in previous operations, when the Israeli army does everything it can to avoid harming civilians. The Zoom video was recorded shortly after Operation Guardian of the Walls, which took place in May. Goldman’s praise of Israel is not only completely uncharacteristic of normal Lev Tahor rhetoric but it is especially ironic considering the fact that their bid to enter Iran is based on the claim that the cult is “persecuted by the Zionist authorities in Israel.” Another one of the cult’s leaders, Shmiel Weingarten, is seen in the video sitting next to Goldman. Weingarten was arrested in Guatemala on the first day of Pesach in a joint US and Guatemalan raid on charges of suspected involvement in the abuse and kidnapping of children. “I just learned a big lesson from what’s going on in Gaza – all this stuff,” Goldman says in the video. “You know what? The people who are attacking the humanitarian acts that Israel do is like a joke. I just thought of it in the last few days. The people are saying: ‘How come you’re attacking children? There are casualties with children, and they’re attacking so many…’” “And it’s nonsense because you know how they [Israel] so care about things, much more than Americans. But there are people that are always going to have – ‘we found a new thing about Israel, Israel – this, that.’ And it’s just people who hate Israel and use every single thing…like to attack.” “And we thought sometimes – people about our [Lev Tahor] community is the same. That always they find some new things and new findings. ‘I heard someone said this, said that.” And it’s like…what’s going on?” “So you understand what I’m saying? I know that Israel tried to do the best they can if and when it’s a war. But we are laughing when they say: ‘Oh, what the Palestinians -nebach…they’re attacking them. It’s a joke. Between me and you – everybody knows it’s a joke.” Shana Aaronson, the Executive Director at Magen for Jewish Communities, which assists families who have relatives in the cult, responded to the video by stating: “This video is another example of the lies of the cult leaders, who show how much of their behavior is based on an attempt to control cult members, and is not based on religion as they claim.” “They lie about kashrus issues in order to keep certain food from cult members, they are mechallel Shabbos in order to ensure the continued existence of the cult, and they are lying about the ultimate destination of their journey and are not informing cult members that they intend to enter Iran. The state of Israel must end this saga and arrange for the international arrest of some of the cult leaders and bring the children back to Israel.” “We are also calling on the

VIDEO: Drama In Guatemala: Lev Tahor Members Arrested On Way To Mexico

October 18, 2021 7:00 am 5 Comments

Members of the Lev Tahor cult, who are currently on a mission to travel to Iran, were arrested by Guatemalan authorities on the way to Mexico on two buses. The cult members, who were prevented from flying out of Guatemala by security authorities about ten days ago, tried to evade the authorities this time by traveling to Mexico, from where they planned to fly to the Kurdistan area and then enter Iran. A video of the incident shows the cult members on the bus being returned to their place of residence in Guatemala. The sound of small children and babies crying can be heard in the background. The male cult members have apparently tried to disguise their identity by wearing baseball caps with their payos tucked in and regular clothing. The women are wearing Muslim-style head coverings (hijabs, which cover the head and the neck) and aren’t wearing the capes and shawls typically worn by female cult members. Last week, a Lev Tahor family was caught on video trying to evade authorities in Guatemala’s airport by disguising their affiliation with the cult, with the man dressed in casual clothing and a baseball cap and his wife and children in typical “frum” clothing. As YWN reported, the cult members are being prevented from leaving the country following the intervention of the Israeli Foreign Ministry in cooperation with the US State Department and Canada’s Global Affairs department. .(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

DRAMA IN THE CULT: At Least 3 Lev Tahor Members Split Off From Main Group

October 15, 2021 9:00 am 1 Comment

At least three members of the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala left the main group and moved to another area in Guatemala, according to a Kikar H’Shabbat report on Wednesday. The members split off due to their fears of moving to Iran. The cult is currently attempting to leave Guatemala in groups in order to fly to the Kurdistan area (comprised of Turkey, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, and northern Syria), and then enter Iran. At least three Lev Tahor members have already moved to the area. One of the Lev Tahor leaders told Kikar that “we will make it to Iran because they’re persecuting us in Guatemala.” Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Ministry, in conjunction with its counterparts in the US and Canada, is attempting to thwart the cult’s plans after concerned relatives of cult members appealed to them due to serious fears about the safety of their family members. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has appealed via the Israeli Ambassador to Guatemala Matti Cohen to Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras, to prevent the Lev Tahor members from leaving the country. They also requested that legal proceedings be advanced against the cult leaders, following the testimony of several Israeli and Canadian victims of the cult to Guatemalan authorities. The three Lev Tahor members, Amram Moshe Yosef Rosner, Yoel Henoch Halbrens and Uriel Goldman, who are already in the Kurdistan area – reportedly Iraq – are waiting for the other members of the cult before continuing to Iran. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Rare Video: Lev Tahor Family In “Disguise” In Guatemalan Airport In Attempt To Reach Iran

October 14, 2021 9:30 pm 12 Comments

As YWN has reported, the members of the Lev Tahor cult have been attempting to leave Guatemala in recent days in an attempt to travel to the Kurdistan area and then enter Iran. Fortunately, due to the intervention of concerned relatives in Israel, Israel’s Foreign Ministry has become involved and has requested that Guatemalan authorities prevent the families from leaving the country. US and Canadian authorities are also involved in the effort. In a video obtained by B’Chadrei Chareidim, a Lev Tahor family is seen waiting in line for a flight, with the father “disguised” in an attempt to hide his identity. He is wearing standard clothing and sneakers, his payos are tucked into a baseball cap, and he is busily scrolling on his smartphone. His wife and children are wearing “frum clothing” but aren’t wearing the capes or shawls associated with the cult. One of the askanaim involved in the issue told B’Chadrei that the families are purposedly trying to disguise their appearance in an attempt to evade the Guatemalan authorities. When asked how a member of Lev Tahor, where meat is forbidden due to their distrust of shechita, is using a smartphone, the askan responded: “They allow it for themselves in emergency situations.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Israel’s Foreign Ministry Confirms It Is Working To Thwart Lev Tahor’s Plan To Reach Iran

October 14, 2021 11:00 am 5 Comments

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed for the first time on Wednesday that it is working together with other countries, to stop the members of the Lev Tahor cult from traveling to Iran. “The state of Israel is taking action regarding the Lev Tahor cult via a variety of channels – political, legal, and others, in coordination with a number of other relevant countries,” a Foreign Ministry official stated. “The activities are being carried out subject to restrictions arising from the fact that the cult is located outside Israel, with all its implications.” According to a Ynet report, the departure of some of the members of the cult was thwarted recently when an Israeli family was caught presenting forged passports for their children. The Ynet report said that Israel’s Foreign Ministry is coordinating with Canada and the US in order to prevent the cult members’ planned emigration to Iran after concerned relatives of cult members appealed to them due to serious fears about the safety of their family members. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

“Shalit Deal Will Be Child’s Play:” Israelis Fear Reports Of 100s Of Lev Tahor Members Traveling To Iran

October 13, 2021 7:30 pm 11 Comments

Israelis with relatives in the Lev Tahor cult, who are currently trying to reach Iran, are terrified of the possible consequences of hundreds of Jews congregated in an area frequented by ISIS terrorists, close to the Iranian border. As YWN reported, hundreds of Lev Tahor members are attempting to leave Guatemala and move to Iran. Their Israeli relatives have urgently appealed to Israel’s Foreign Ministry to intervene and US relatives of cult members are appealing to the US State Department. “If they reach the Iranian-Kurdistan border, it can lead to a mega political-security incident,” the relatives warned. “The Shalit deal will be like child’s play compared to this.” Israel’s Foreign Ministry has appealed via the Israeli Ambassador to Guatemala Matti Cohen to Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras, to prevent the Lev Tahor members from leaving the country. They also requested that legal proceedings be advanced against the cult leaders, following the testimony of several Israeli and Canadian victims of the cult to Guatemalan authorities. Several days ago, Guatemalan authorities detained another group of Lev Tahor members with US passports, including small children, on the way to Iran, where they plan on requesting political asylum. It was the US that reportedly intervened and requested that Guatemalan security officials stop them from leaving the country. The Jews in that group are reportedly back in the Lev Tahor compound. Rabbi Tzvi Gluck, the director of the Amudim organization, is involving in trying to assist the families. He told Ynet that the cult has 280 members with Israeli, US or Canadian citizenship, and many of them have dual citizenship. “Most of them are Israeli citizens so I expect the Israeli government to do everything in its power to find a way to help these people,” he said. He added that in the past three years, the babies born into the cult aren’t officially registered in any country “so if a raid takes place, they won’t be able to take the children since there’s no documentation of their existence. Additionally, when a new family joins them, they confiscate all their passports.” The cult has begun preparations for the move to the Kurdish region, to northeastern Iraq (Erbil area) which borders Iran. Cult leaders believe that the area is the biblical Bavel and Moshiach will arrive there first. Some cult members are already in the area seeking to purchase land and begin building a living compound. Others are in the process of leaving Guatemala in groups, both via the airport and by land, via Mexico and El Salvador. Rabbi Gluck said that the cult members are currently trying to leave Guatemala in groups of 70. “I appealed to the Israeli authorities – a family with five children who were born in Israel and are Israeli citizens, are there. The Israeli officials said that they’re aware of what’s going on and they’re taking care of it but they cannot reveal any details. They emphasized that they’re doing everything they can to prevent cult members from reaching Iran.” Lev Tahor members previously sought “political asylum” in the Islamic Republic, sending a letter to Iran in Hebrew, English and Arabic in 2018 requesting political asylum, in which the cult members “declared their loyalty and submission to the Supreme Leader and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” They presented

Drama In Guatemalan Airport: Lev Tahor Members Try To Fly To Iran

October 6, 2021 11:59 am 26 Comments

Several families from the Lev Tahor cult were detained by Guatemalan security officials at the airport on Wednesday, where they had arrived in an attempt to fly to Iran. The Lev Tahor members claimed that they “are being persecuted” in Guatemala but Guatemalan security forces did not allow them to board the flight. Sources tell YWN that the Lev Tahor members were planning on first flying to Kurdistan and from there to Iran. In fact, three Lev Tahor members are already in Kurdistan, where they’re waiting for the other members of the cult before continuing to Iran. The three Lev Tahor members in Kurdistan are Amram Moshe Yosef Rosner, Yoel Henoch Halbrens and Uriel Goldman. This isn’t the first time that Lev Tahor members have tried to travel to Iran. As YWN previously reported, cult members previously sought “political asylum” in the Islamic Republic. See the attached documents (below), where the cult “declared their loyalty and submission to the Supreme Leader and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. There are currently multiple Lev Tahor cult leaders in Federal prison awaiting trials. Among them are Nachman Helbrans, 36; Mayer Rosner, 42, and his son Jacob Rosner, 20; Aron Rosner, 45, of Brooklyn, Mayer Rosner’s brother. A fifth man, Lev Tahor member Matityau Malka, and Mordechai Yoel Malka. YWN has been at the forefront for more than 10 years fighting the Lev Tahor cult – with dozens of articles over the years. Violent beatings, abuse, rampant pedophelia were and are still common in the cult that currently remains in Guatemala. They were facing various charges including kidnapping, identity theft, (use of fake passports) conspiracy to defraud the United States and international parental kidnapping. Four are being held without bond (due to flight risks). Aron Rosner was released on a $10 million bond to home confinement and electronic monitoring. Former members of Lev Tahor (who either escaped or were otherwise expelled) do not recall learning Mishnayos or Gemara, nor any Mitzvos Bein Adam LeChaveiro. They spend the majority of the day in deep prayer and are only allowed to study certain sections of the Chumash, with Lev Tahor commentary. Lev Tahor practices include women and girls wearing black head-to-toe coverings day and night, arranged marriages between teenagers, and a violent form of Malkos. Lev Tahor only permits certain fruits and vegetables to be eaten, as well as whole wheat flour made into bread with a stone press. [LEV TAHOR HORROR: Tales of Beatings and Torture Emerge From Excommunicated Cult Members] Reports indicate cult leaders have suggested death as better alternative than life outside the cult. 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, Yankel and Yoel Weingarten, who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

2 Bnei Brak Families Join Lev Tahor Cult In Guatemala

September 29, 2021 7:43 pm 6 Comments

Two Chareidi families from Bnei Brak recently sold their apartments and moved to Guatemala to join the Lev Tahor cult, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported. The families sold their apartments, and the proceeds, as well as their personal funds, were transferred to the cult in Central America. The identities of the families are currently unknown. The families were recruited and “assisted” in their endeavor by Lev Tahor leader Eliezer Rompler, who managed to escape Israel mid-trial in December and return to Guatemala despite a restraining order against him. As YWN reported, Rompler disappeared from Israel, leaving behind a 17-page letter with his lawyer Gabriel Tronisoili, saying that “it’s clear that I won’t see justice from the Zionist state.” He was standing trial for assaulting and physically and emotionally abusing children from 2009-2011 in his position as a principal of the Lev Tahor school in Canada. According to the B’Chadrei report, it is now known that Rompler has been actively working from his base in Guatemala to recruit new families to the cult. He succeeded in convincing the two Bnei Brak families to join Lev Tahor and transfer all their money to the cult, where members live in deplorable conditions in dire poverty. Rompler became the leader of Lev Tahor after its former leaders were imprisoned in the US for kidnapping, child abuse and money laundering. B’Chadrei also recently obtained photos of Lev Tahor member Ariel Goldman walking the streets of Boro Park in an attempt to recruit new members and collect money. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

LEV TAHOR CULT BUST: U.S. and Guatemalen Forces Raid Lev Tahor Compound In Guatemala, Arrest Top Level Cult Leaders

July 7, 2021 7:00 am 13 Comments

US forces and local Guatemalan police raided the compound of the Lev Tahor cult on Tuesday, taking two senior cult officials into custody. Yoel and Shmuel Weingarten were apprehended by authorities after infiltrating the compound in Guatemala. The operation began last week when an agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and two from the National Civil Police (PNC) infiltrated the cult living on a farm in the village of El Amatillo, in Oratorio, Santa Rosa. The agents posed as people carrying humanitarian aid. They arrived with toys and gifts for the children, while gaining the trust of the adults, who opened the doors of the community for them. The undercover agents reportedly lived with the residents for a week. Warrants have been out in the U.S. for the arrest of the Weingartens for kidnapping and child abuse. Cult members are also wanted for creating forced marriages involving girls as young as 12-years-old with much older men in the cult. Security agencies in Guatemala, as well as FBI agents, have been searching for Yoel and Shmuel for a number of years, but the pair have continued to evade capture by posing as locals, until now. There are currently multiple Lev Tahor cult leaders in United States Federal prison awaiting trials. Among them are Nachman Helbrans, 36; Mayer Rosner, 42, and his son Jacob Rosner, 20; Aron Rosner, 45, of Brooklyn, Mayer Rosner’s brother. A fifth man, Lev Tahor member Matityau Malka, and Mordechai Yoel Malka. YWN has been at the forefront for more than 10 years fighting the Lev Tahor cult – with dozens of articles over the years. Violent beatings, abuse, rampant pedophilia were and are still common in the cult that currently remains in Guatemala. They were facing various charges including kidnapping, identity theft, (use of fake passports) conspiracy to defraud the United States and international parental kidnapping. Four are being held without bond (due to flight risks). Aron Rosner was released on a $10 million bond to home confinement and electronic monitoring. Former members of Lev Tahor (who either escaped or were otherwise expelled) do not recall learning Mishnayos or Gemara, nor any Mitzvos Bein Adam LeChaveiro. They spend the majority of the day in deep prayer and are only allowed to study certain sections of the Chumash, with Lev Tahor commentary. Lev Tahor practices include women and girls wearing black head-to-toe coverings day and night, arranged marriages between teenagers, and a violent form of Malkos. Lev Tahor only permits certain fruits and vegetables to be eaten, as well as whole wheat flour made into bread with a stone press. [LEV TAHOR HORROR: Tales of Beatings and Torture Emerge From Excommunicated Cult Members] Reports indicate cult leaders have suggested death as better alternative than life outside the cult. 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, Yankel and Yoel Weingarten, who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. After a number of years of YWN labeling Lev Tahor as a cult, an author of an article that appeared in Mishpacha Magazine did the same. Others, however, claimed that there is nothing cult-like about the movement. Rabbi Yitzchok

Lev Tahor Leaders Charged With Child Exploitation Offenses

April 19, 2021 3:38 pm 10 Comments

Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced new charges against NACHMAN HELBRANS, MAYER ROSNER, YAKOV WEINGARTEN, SHMIEL WEINGARTEN, and YOIL WEINGARTEN for conspiring to (1) transport a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and (2) travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in connection with the kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl (“Minor-1”) from New York to reunite her with her adult “husband” outside the United States for purposes of continuing their sexual relationship. The defendants, among other members of Lev Tahor, were previously charged with several other crimes related to the kidnapping of Minor-1 and her younger brother. U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss stated: “As alleged, the defendants engaged in a brazen kidnapping of a minor girl in the middle of the night, taking her across the border to Mexico in order to reunite her with her adult ‘husband’ to continue their sexual relationship. These charges send a clear message that the sexual exploitation of children will not be tolerated.” FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. stated: “International borders will not stop the FBI from pursuing justice and enforcing violations of our laws, especially when you target children. The behavior alleged today is outrageous, and there is no justification for it whatsoever. We are grateful for the excellent cooperation from our partners in Mexico and Guatemala who helped us hold these leaders of Lev Tahor accountable for their behavior. Protecting innocent children should be a priority for all of society – it’s certainly one of ours. If you know of children who are being trafficked, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or fbi.tips.gov.” According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings: NACHMAN HELBRANS, MAYER ROSNER, YAKOV WEINGARTEN, SHMIEL WEINGARTEN, and YOIL WEINGARTEN are U.S. citizens and senior leaders of Lev Tahor, an extremist Jewish sect previously based in New York and Canada, and currently based in Guatemala. HELBRANS became the leader of Lev Tahor in or about 2017. After HELBRANS and his leadership team took over, they seized tight control over the group and embraced several extreme practices, including strict, 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. In or about 2017, HELBRANS arranged for his then-12-year-old niece, Minor-1, to be “married” to a then-18-year-old man, defendant JACOB ROSNER. They were religiously “married” the following year, when Minor-1 was 13 and JACOB ROSNER was 19, and immediately began a sexual relationship with the goal of procreation. They were never legally married. Lev Tahor leadership, including the defendants, required young brides to have sex with their husbands, to tell people outside Lev Tahor that they were not married, to pretend to be older, and to deliver babies inside their homes instead of at a hospital, partially to conceal from the public the mothers’ young ages. In or about October 2018, the mother of Minor-1 (who is also HELBRANS’s sister) determined that it was no longer safe for her children to remain in the Lev Tahor community in Guatemala. The mother escaped

Lev Tahor Cult Leader Arrested By Guatemalan Police On 1st Day Of Pesach

March 30, 2021 10:30 am 11 Comments

Yaakov Weingarten, one of the leaders of the Lev Tahor cult who is suspected of kidnapping and child abuse, was arrested by Guatemalan security forces on the first day of Pesach, YWN has confirmed. Many of the other cult leaders have already been arrested for kidnapping and child abuse and are already serving prison sentences. The leaders’ cruel practice was to kidnap children from their parents on Shabbos to make it more difficult for them to be pursued. Weingarten’s case will be heard in a Guatemalan court on Wednesday, according to local media reports. Kikar Shabbos reports that due to the Guatemalan authorities’ pursuit of the cult leaders, they have decided that they have no other choice but to flee to Iran. “We already tried in the past to flee there,” one of the Lev Tahor members reportedly said. “This time we have no other choice and we’ll have to do everything we can to move to Iran.” There are currently multiple Lev Tahor cult leaders in Federal prison awaiting trials. Among them are Nachman Helbrans, 36; Mayer Rosner, 42, and his son Jacob Rosner, 20; Aron Rosner, 45, of Brooklyn, Mayer Rosner’s brother. A fifth man, Lev Tahor member Matityau Malka, and Mordechai Yoel Malka. YWN has been at the forefront for more than 10 years fighting the Lev Tahor cult – with dozens of articles over the years. Violent beatings, abuse, rampant pedophelia were and are still common in the cult that currently remains in Guatemala. They were facing various charges including kidnapping, identity theft, (use of fake passports) conspiracy to defraud the United States and international parental kidnapping. Four are being held without bond (due to flight risks). Aron Rosner was released on a $10 million bond to home confinement and electronic monitoring. Former members of Lev Tahor (who either escaped or were otherwise expelled) do not recall learning Mishnayos or Gemara, nor any Mitzvos Bein Adam LeChaveiro. They spend the majority of the day in deep prayer and are only allowed to study certain sections of the Chumash, with Lev Tahor commentary. Lev Tahor practices include women and girls wearing black head-to-toe coverings day and night, arranged marriages between teenagers, and a violent form of Malkos. Lev Tahor only permits certain fruits and vegetables to be eaten, as well as whole wheat flour made into bread with a stone press. [LEV TAHOR HORROR: Tales of Beatings and Torture Emerge From Excommunicated Cult Members] Reports indicate cult leaders have suggested death as better alternative than life outside the cult. 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, Yankel and Yoel Weingarten, who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Lev Tahor Leader Indicted For Child Abuse Flees Israel

December 1, 2020 2:00 pm 7 Comments

Elazar Rompler, 46, a leader of the Lev Tahor cult fled Israel mid-trial and traveled to Guatemala despite a restraining order against him, his lawyer said on Tuesday. It is unknown how Rompler succeeded in leaving the country. Rompler left a 17-page letter with his lawyer Gabriel Tronisoili, saying that “it’s clear that I won’t see justice from the Zionist state.” The letter was addressed to the judge of his case, Rivka Friedman-Feldman, and Tronisoili transferred the letter to her on Tuesday, when Rompler was supposed to appear in the Jerusalem District Court for a hearing. Rompler was indicted for child abuse six months ago. He was charged with assaulting and abusing children physically and emotionally from 2009-2011 in his position as a principal of the Lev Tahor school in Canada. According to the indictment, Rompler and others severely abused a child of 9 or 10 whom they suspected of stealing from tzedaka funds. They stripped him of his clothing, tied him down to a table and beat him with a belt and stick for hours. He was beaten so severely that when they finished their vicious beating, the child was unable to walk and the perpetrators carried him to his home. Another case described in the indictment is a similar case of a child being beaten for being suspected of lying by two teachers in the school, while Rompler and other teachers watched. In his long rambling letter to the judge, Rompler wrote that he’s now in Guatemala with his wife and children and community. He then proceeded to explain the origins of the Lev Tahor cult and the long history of “persecution” against Helbrans and the cult. The rest of the letter was a lengthy denial of the charges against him. Rompler also claimed that the only reason the charges were filed against him in the “Zionist state” and not Canada was due to political and religious persecution. He concluded the letter by explaining that he was forced to return to Guatemala because his wife is collapsing from the burden of raising his children. He also complained of being prevented from visiting his elderly mother, and the kever of his father as well his children who live in Israel (from his first marriage). He signed off by writing: “With hope that you will understand my heart, and that justice and compassion will overcome the pressure of the media and incitement. I thank you in advance and faithfully sign, Elazer Rompler.” There are currently multiple Lev Tahor cult leaders in United States Federal prison awaiting trials. Among them are Nachman Helbrans, 36; Mayer Rosner, 42, and his son Jacob Rosner, 20; Aron Rosner, 45, of Brooklyn, Mayer Rosner’s brother. A fifth man, Lev Tahor member Matityau Malka, and Mordechai Yoel Malka. They face various charges including kidnapping, identity theft, (use of fake passports) conspiracy to defraud the United States and international parental kidnapping. Four are being held without bond (due to flight risks). Aron Rosner was released on a $10 million bond to home confinement and electronic monitoring. Former members of Lev Tahor (who either escaped or were otherwise expelled) do not recall learning Mishnayos or Gemara, nor any Mitzvos Bein Adam LeChaveiro. They spend the majority of the day in deep prayer and are only allowed to study

Lev Tahor Cult School Principal Indicted In Jerusalem For Child Abuse

May 26, 2020 11:21 pm 11 Comments

On Tuesday, in the Jerusalem District Court, an indictment was filed against Elazar Rompler for child abuse. Rompler served as a school principal in Canada for the Lev Tahor cult and is charged with mentally and physically abusing at least two children, ages 8 and 9 respectively between the years of 2009-2011. Rompler, 46, held his position before the group fled from Canada to Guatemala in 2014. The children in question, were children who belonged to the cult and were under his tutelage. In one case Rompler allegedly had a child stripped, tied up, and beaten with a stick for several hours over suspicions that the child stole money from a tzedaka box. He is also accused of instructing other teachers to hold a child down and beat the child repeatedly for allegedly lying. There are currently multiple Lev Tahor cult leaders in United States Federal prison awaiting trials. Among them are Nachman Helbrans, 36; Mayer Rosner, 42, and his son Jacob Rosner, 20; Aron Rosner, 45, of Brooklyn, Mayer Rosner’s brother. A fifth man, Lev Tahor member Matityau Malka, and Mordechai Yoel Malka. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. They face various charges including kidnapping, identity theft, (use of fake passports) conspiracy to defraud the United States and international parental kidnapping. Four are being held without bond (due to flight risks). Aron Rosner was released on a $10 million bond to home confinement and electronic monitoring. Former members of Lev Tahor (who either escaped or were otherwise expelled) do not recall learning Mishnayos or Gemara, nor any Mitzvos Bein Adam LeChaveiro. They spend the majority of the day in deep prayer and are only allowed to study certain sections of the Chumash, with Lev Tahor commentary. Lev Tahor practices include women and girls wearing black head-to-toe coverings day and night, arranged marriages between teenagers, and a violent form of Malkos. Lev Tahor only permits certain fruits and vegetables to be eaten, as well as whole wheat flour made into bread with a stone press. [LEV TAHOR HORROR: Tales of Beatings and Torture Emerge From Excommunicated Cult Members] Reports indicate cult leaders have suggested death as better alternative than life outside the cult. 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, Yankel and Yoel Weingarten, who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

BOMBSHELL: Lev Tahor Cult Was Seeking Asylum In Iran – [SEE THE YWN EXCLUSIVE DOCUMENTS]

September 21, 2019 10:40 pm 28 Comments

YWN has been at the forefront for more than 10 years fighting the Lev Tahor cult – with dozens of articles over the years. Violent beatings, abuse, rampant pedophelia were and are still common in the cult that currently remains in Guatemala. But this latest development, may top everything YWN has published until now. In a trove of documents filed in Federal Court last Thursday, one batch of documents is simply shocking: The Lev Tahor Cult was (and possibly still is) actively seeking asylum in the terrorist country of Iran. See the attached documents (below), where the cult “declared their loyalty and submission to the Supreme Leader and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. The cult requests “asylum, protection and religious freedom of the families of its loyal members in Cheshek Shlomo community”. There are currently multiple Lev Tahor cult leaders in Federal prison awaiting trials. Among them are Nachman Helbrans, 36; Mayer Rosner, 42, and his son Jacob Rosner, 20; Aron Rosner, 45, of Brooklyn, Mayer Rosner’s brother. A fifth man, Lev Tahor member Matityau Malka, and Mordechai Yoel Malka. They were face various charges including kidnapping, identity theft, (use of fake passports) conspiracy to defraud the United States and international parental kidnapping. Four are being held without bond (due to flight risks). Aron Rosner was released on a $10 million bond to home confinement and electronic monitoring. Former members of Lev Tahor (who either escaped or were otherwise expelled) do not recall learning Mishnayos or Gemara, nor any Mitzvos Bein Adam LeChaveiro. They spend the majority of the day in deep prayer and are only allowed to study certain sections of the Chumash, with Lev Tahor commentary. Lev Tahor practices include women and girls wearing black head-to-toe coverings day and night, arranged marriages between teenagers, and a violent form of Malkos. Lev Tahor only permits certain fruits and vegetables to be eaten, as well as whole wheat flour made into bread with a stone press. [LEV TAHOR HORROR: Tales of Beatings and Torture Emerge From Excommunicated Cult Members] Reports indicate cult leaders have suggested death as better alternative than life outside the cult. 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, Yankel and Yoel Weingarten, who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. Internal documents of Lev Tahor show that Shlomo Helbrans made his followers swear and sign to uphold the following principles among others. (1) Everyone must negate his or her mind and mind thoroughly and completely, to the leader of Lev Tahor. 2) They must subjugate soul, spirit, and will. 3) Each man accepts upon his descendants and descendant’s descendants until the end of all generations to be subjugated under the will of Lev Tahor’s leader.. this should be said openly to the leader himself. 4) Everyone must be ready at any time and moment of 24 hours of the day, whether on the Shabbath and Yom Tov, summer and winter, healthy or sick, to do the will of the leader. 5) Whether the person is a young man or an old man, virgins and women they must accept to do the will of the leader. 6)

Lev Tahor MICHALEL SHABBOS Cult Member Arrested At NY Airport

August 2, 2019 10:34 am 20 Comments

A Lev Tahor cult member was arrested in New York, Wednesday night, and is being charged with kidnapping. Mordechai Yoel Malka was arrested upon his arrival at Newark Airport, as he arrived on a flight from Guatemala. He was expected to be charged with identity theft, as he allegedly used a fake passport to fly to the United States, and kidnapping charges. Malka was allegedly the Michallel Shabbos who drove 14-year-old Yante Teller and her 12-year-old brother Chaim when they were kidnapped from Woodridge early on a Shabbos morning in December of 2018. The two children of the Teller family had recently escaped from the cult in Guatemala and were spending Shabbos in the Catskills, when the kidnapping occurred. The mother had been a member of Lev Tahor – her father, Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans, founded the sect in 1994 – but fled the group last year after its leadership, which include her brother Mayer Rosner, became increasingly extreme, according to the FBI. Earlier this week, YWN reported the indictments of Nachman Helbrans, 36; Mayer Rosner, 42, and his son Jacob Rosner, 20; and Aron Rosner, 45, of Brooklyn, Mayer Rosner’s brother. A fifth man, Lev Tahor member Matityau Malka, was charged with aiding a second kidnapping plot in March. Mordechai Yoel Malka who was arrested last night is a brother of Matisyau Malka, who was previously charged and indicted with kidnapping. [LEV TAHOR HORROR: Tales of Beatings and Torture Emerge From Excommunicated Cult Members] An indictment handed up earlier this month charges all five men with conspiracy to defraud the United States and international parental kidnapping. All entered not-guilty pleas, and the case has now been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Nelson S. Roman. They were indicted earlier this month in District Court in New York on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and international parental kidnapping. They have all pleaded not guilty. Four are being held without bond. Aron Rosner was released on a $10 million bond to home confinement and electronic monitoring. Former members of Lev Tahor (who either escaped or were otherwise expelled) do not recall learning Mishnayos or Gemara, nor any Mitzvos Bein Adam LeChaveiro. They spend the majority of the day in deep prayer and are only allowed to study certain sections of the Chumash, with Lev Tahor commentary. Reports indicate cult leaders have suggested death as better alternative than life outside the cult. YWN has been at the forefront for more than 10 years fighting the Lev Tahor cult – with dozens of articles over the years. 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, Yankel and Yoel Weingarten, who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Five Lev Tahor Members Indicted On Kidnapping – Including Cult Leader Nachman Helbrans

July 30, 2019 10:45 pm 19 Comments

Five men have been indicted in the kidnapping of 14-year-old Yante Teller and her 12-year-old brother Chaim from Woodridge and later from Brooklyn to return them to the Lev Tahor Cult. They were abducted as the result of a plot by Nachman Helbrans, 36; Mayer Rosner, 42, and his son Jacob Rosner, 20; members of the Lev Tahor sect, which their mother had fled; and Aron Rosner, 45, of Brooklyn, Mayer Rosner’s brother. A fifth man, Lev Tahor member Matityau Malka, was charged with aiding a second kidnapping plot in March. The FBI said Malka and other members of Lev Tahor planned to kidnap 14-year-old Yante Teller and her 12-year old brother Chaim Teller, three months after they were taken from their mother in upstate New York – on a Shabbos morning – and later recovered by law enforcement in Mexico. Authorities said Malka gave several cellphones to the girl in Brooklyn, so that cult leaders – including Sara’s brother, Nachman, who is incarcerated in Westchester County Jail – could talk secretly to her about her recapture. The mother had been a member of Lev Tahor – her father, Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans, founded the sect in 1994 – but fled the group last year after its leadership, which include her brother Mayer Rosner, became increasingly extreme, according to the FBI. An indictment handed up earlier this month charges all five men with conspiracy to defraud the United States and international parental kidnapping. All entered not-guilty pleas, and the case has now been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Nelson S. Roman. [LEV TAHOR HORROR: Tales of Beatings and Torture Emerge From Excommunicated Cult Members] They were indicted earlier this month in District Court in New York on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and international parental kidnapping. They have all pleaded not guilty. Four are being held without bond. Aron Rosner was released on a $10 million bond to home confinement and electronic monitoring. Former members of Lev Tahor (who either escaped or were otherwise expelled) do not recall learning Mishnayos or Gemara, nor any Mitzvos Bein Adam LeChaveiro. They spend the majority of the day in deep prayer and are only allowed to study certain sections of the Chumash, with Lev Tahor commentary. Reports indicate cult leaders have suggested death as better alternative than life outside the cult. YWN has been at the forefront for more than 10 years fighting the Lev Tahor cult – with dozens of articles over the years. 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, Yankel and Yoel Weingarten, who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WHILE IN JAIL! Lev Tahor Cult Plotted to Abduct Children AGAIN – Fight Mother “TO THE DEATH”

March 30, 2019 10:10 pm 36 Comments

As reported on YWN earlier this week, federal authorities arrested a 5th member of the Lev Tahor Cult, in connection to a plot to once again abduct two children who had escaped from the cult in Guatemala. [Yechezkel] Matityau Moshe Malka appeared in federal court in White Plains, New York, on Tuesday on kidnapping and obstruction of justice charges. The FBI said Malka and other members of Lev Tahor planned to kidnap 14-year-old Yante Teller and her 12-year old brother Chaim Teller, three months after they were taken from their mother in upstate New York – on a Shabbos morning – and later recovered by law enforcement in Mexico. Authorities said Malka gave several cellphones to the girl in Brooklyn, so that cult leaders — including Sara’s brother, Nachman, who is incarcerated in Westchester County Jail — could talk secretly to her about her recapture. The indictment states that, speaking by phone in Yiddish, an unnamed member of the cult in Guatemala — likely one of two brothers named Weingarten — “used violent language” toward the children’s mother, “including that he will fight the mother until the last drop of blood and that they will fight her to the death.” “I will take them out from under your hands,” the “boss” warned the mom of her children – during a call she secretly recorded for the feds, the indictment said. “And will take them back to their [cult member] father, with God’s help,” the unnamed leader allegedly threatened in the phone call. He “indicated that there are people in New York prepared to execute” another kidnapping. [CLICK HERE to read the full indictment] Authorities charged four other members of Lev Tahor in December with abducting the same boy and girl and taking them out of the country. The children eventually were found in the Mexican town of Tenango del Aire and reunited with their mother in New York. The criminal complaint says Lev Tahor considers the 14-year-old girl to be the wife of Jacob Rosner, one of the men charged in the December kidnapping. The indictment states the Cult was especially hell-bent on re-capturing the girl, so that she couldn’t testify against them. A message seeking comment was sent to Malka’s defense attorney. The mother had been a member of Lev Tahor — her father, Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans, founded the sect in 1994 — but fled the group last year after its leadership, which include her brother Mayer Rosner, became increasingly extreme, according to the FBI. [PIDYON SHVUYIM?! Is There a Mitzvah To Assist The Imprisoned Lev Tahor Cult Leaders? – Halachic Analysis] Lev Tahor practices include women and girls wearing black head-to-toe coverings day and night, arranged marriages between teenagers, and a violent form of Malkos. Lev Tahor only permits certain fruits and vegetables to be eaten, as well as whole wheat flour made into bread with a stone press. [LEV TAHOR HORROR: Tales of Beatings and Torture Emerge From Excommunicated Cult Members] Former members of Lev Tahor (who either escaped or were otherwise expelled) do not recall learning Mishnayos or Gemara, nor any Mitzvos Bein Adam LeChaveiro. They spend the majority of the day in deep prayer and are only allowed to study certain sections of the Chumash, with Lev Tahor commentary. Reports indicate cult leaders have suggested death as better alternative than life outside the

YWN EXCLUSIVE: Another Lev Tahor Cult Member Gets Arrested

March 27, 2019 11:35 am 35 Comments

YWN has learned that authorities have made an additional arrest in connection to the Lev Tahor Cult overnight. Yechezkel Moshe Matisyahu Malka was reportedly taken into custody by Federal Law Enforcement Personnel. The charges against him along with additional details will be published by YWN shortly. As YWN reported in December, 5 members of the Lev Tahor Cult – including the cult leader – were arrested and are still sitting in jail without bail. Four of them were apprehended in Mexico, in a joint operation between Interpol and the FBI. Police had raided two out of three Lev Tahor owned properties in the country in the middle of the night. The four people arrested in Mexico were: Nachman Helbrans Meyer Rosner Chaim Yankel Rosner Uriel Goldman Aron Rosner was arrested in Williamsburg. They were indicted for the kidnapping of 14-year-old Yante Teller and her 12-year old brother Chaim Teller from their family in upstate New York, and conspiring to transport them to Mexico. YWN previously reported that the siblings were kidnapped on a Shabbos morning (December 8, 2018) in the town of Woodridge. The teens were seen getting into a vehicle in front of the home in middle of the night. Aron Rosner is believed to have driven the vehicle transporting the kidnapped children from Woodridge to the airport in Scranton, on Shabbos R”L. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TheYeshivaWorld.com (@theyeshivaworld) on Mar 27, 2019 at 9:31pm PDT [PIDYON SHVUYIM?! Is There a Mitzvah To Assist The Imprisoned Lev Tahor Cult Leaders? – Halachic Analysis] YWN has been at the forefront for more than 10 years fighting the Lev Tahor cult – with dozens of articles over the years. Lev Tahor practices include women and girls wearing black head-to-toe coverings day and night, arranged marriages between teenagers, and a violent form of Malkos. Lev Tahor only permits certain fruits and vegetables to be eaten, as well as whole wheat flour made into bread with a stone press. [LEV TAHOR HORROR: Tales of Beatings and Torture Emerge From Excommunicated Cult Members] Former members of Lev Tahor (who either escaped or were otherwise expelled) do not recall learning Mishnayos or Gemara, nor any Mitzvos Bein Adam LeChaveiro. They spend the majority of the day in deep prayer and are only allowed to study certain sections of the Chumash, with Lev Tahor commentary. Reports indicate cult leaders have suggested death as better alternative than life outside the cult. 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, Yankel and Yoel Weingarten, who are even more radical and aggressive than the late founder. Internal documents of Lev Tahor show that Shlomo Helbrans made his followers swear and sign to uphold the following principles among others. (1) Everyone must negate his or her mind and mind thoroughly and completely, to the leader of Lev Tahor. 2) They must subjugate soul, spirit, and will. 3) Each man accepts upon his descendants and descendant’s descendants until the end of all generations to be subjugated under the will of Lev Tahor’s leader.. this should be said openly to the leader himself. 4) Everyone must be ready at any time and moment of 24 hours of the day,

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