“Israel must act to save the children of the Lev Tahor cult. They’re in real danger,” says Yosef (a pseudonym), a former member of the extremist sect operating in Guatemala. While Yosef managed to escape, many of his family members and friends remain trapped in the cult’s compound.
Following the rescue of 160 children and 40 women, and the arrest of 200 members during a police raid in Guatemala, Yosef described life inside the cult as oppressive and abusive. “The cult operates like a communist terror regime. Members aren’t allowed to think for themselves, let alone handle money,” he said.
The rescue operation in Guatemala
Extreme control and punishments
Yosef recounted the extent of the cult’s control. “If a woman needs something personal, she can’t ask her husband for money, it has to come from the cult leaders,” he explained. “There are physical and psychological punishments. If someone misses a sermon, laughs during it or is caught lying, they might lose their spouse for a year. The offender is forced to sleep in the synagogue and is forbidden from entering their home.”
The cult also enforces child marriages, marrying off girls as young as 12 and boys at 13. Parents who oppose the marriages are publicly humiliated during synagogue services. “Sermons can last 10 to 12 hours. Anyone who doesn’t listen is punished,” Yosef added.
The cult has its own “police” force and a detention facility for members deemed noncompliant. Members are prohibited from earning money, asking religious questions or expressing dissent. Yosef revealed that men who fail to meet the cult's behavioral standards are forced to divorce their wives to demonstrate loyalty to the community. “Only after a year of proving themselves can they reunite with their spouse,” he said.
On Friday, Guatemalan authorities launched a large-scale raid on the cult’s compound, deploying police and military forces backed by two helicopters. “In the past, the cult mocked law enforcement and blocked their entry,” Yosef said. “But this time, the police succeeded and arrested 200 members.”
Yosef noted the hypocrisy of cult leaders during the raid. “They desecrated the Sabbath without hesitation – protesting outside welfare centers, driving cars, using mobile phones and filming videos.”
Yosef explained that the rescued children are too afraid to speak or identify themselves. “Authorities announced they will issue detention orders if the children don’t cooperate within five days,” he said.
He also revealed the cult’s oppressive practices: “Leaders force members into starvation diets and ban them from asking questions. They use brainwashing tactics and punish dissenters by exiling them within the community.”
The cult runs small shops in Guatemala selling produce and trinkets to sustain itself financially. Yosef criticized Israel for not doing enough to assist escapees. “There are cases where former members, who are Israeli citizens, were denied passports by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, even though they want to start new lives,” he said.
He urged Israel to negotiate with Guatemalan authorities to transfer rescued children to safe locations of their choice.
Attorney Mordechai Tzivin, representing a woman in the cult, condemned the lack of support for victims. “This tragic case isn’t Guatemala’s fault. It’s on us – Israel, Jewish communities worldwide and ultra-Orthodox leaders who rush to help drug smugglers but remain silent on this. Why isn’t anyone rescuing these children from physical, psychological and sexual abuse?” he said.
Tzivin called on the Israeli government and global Jewish organizations to take urgent action, emphasizing that the cult’s activities bear no resemblance to Judaism. “Lev Tahor uses religion as a tool for control, but their practices are deeply corrupt,” he said.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said ina statement: “Since the raid by Guatemalan authorities, Israel’s embassy in Guatemala has been in contact with local officials and U.S. and Canadian representatives, as their citizens are also involved. The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem is working with other agencies to identify Israeli nationals among the rescued. We will assist any Israeli citizen seeking to return home. All rescued individuals are under the care of Guatemalan social services, and our embassy maintains close communication with them.”