What is Lev Tahor, the Jewish cult in the spotlight for child trafficking?

 

Earlier this week, Guatemalan authorities, in coordination with Interpol, arrested Yoel Alter, a 35-year-old senior figure in the controversial Jewish sect Lev Tahor.

Alter, wearing the group’s signature brown cloak, was detained outside a government-run centre for minors in Guatemala City.

He was wanted in Mexico for human trafficking and is expected to be extradited soon.

The arrest comes amid a deepening crisis involving Lev Tahor in Guatemala.

Authorities have taken at least 148 children into protective custody after separating them from their parents, who are accused of severe abuse, including rape, according to prosecutors.

The operation carried out in Oratorio, a rural area about 78 kilometres southeast of Guatemala City, has renewed concerns over the group’s practices, which have been linked to similar accusations in the past.

“Based on the statements of the complainants, the evidence obtained, and the medical examinations, it was possible to establish that there are forms of human trafficking against these minors, such as forced marriage, abuse, and related crimes,” said Nancy Paiz, a prosecutor with Guatemala’s Office Against Human Trafficking.

The children remain under government protection while investigations continue.

Authorities also allege that some of the group’s young mothers deliberately starved their children under orders from Lev Tahor leaders to pressure the government.

Alter is the second Lev Tahor member arrested in Central America this month.

Earlier, Jonathan Emmanuel Cardona Castillo, who had been on the run after facing child abuse and rape charges, was captured.

In December, Guatemalan police raided the sect’s compound in Santa Rosa, rescuing 160 minors and 40 women.

What is Lev Tahor?

Lev Tahor is an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect widely described as a cult due to reports of child abuse, rape, forced marriages, and human trafficking.

It was founded in the 1980s by Shlomo Helbrans in Israel but later moved to the US, Canada, and eventually to Latin America to avoid law enforcement.

The sect imposes strict control over its members, limiting their education, interactions with outsiders, and even arranging marriages, some involving minors.

Many former members describe the group as highly manipulative, making it difficult for people to leave.

Reports have surfaced of children being trafficked across borders for illegal marriages, while several of the group’s leaders have been arrested or investigated for crimes ranging from child endangerment to sex trafficking.

Lev Tahor has repeatedly moved locations to escape legal scrutiny, shifting from Canada to Guatemala, then Mexico, and beyond.

In 2022, Mexican authorities raided a Lev Tahor camp in Chiapas, near the Guatemalan border, rescuing children and teenagers from conditions of abuse.

The Jewish Community of Guatemala has distanced itself from Lev Tahor, stating that the sect is not connected to its organisation. In a statement, it expressed support for Guatemalan authorities in investigating the group “to protect the lives and integrity of minors and other vulnerable groups that may be at risk.”

The organisation also called on the “government and diplomatic corps of countries from whose nationalities make up members of Lev Tahor to join forces to protect those whose rights may be violated.”