Lev Tahor Cult: Colombia Rescues 17 Minors Amid Abuse

Colombian authorities announced Sunday the successful rescue of 17 minors from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect Lev Tahor, which is under investigation for alleged child sexual abuse and other forms of mistreatment.

The operation, conducted by migration officials and the army's anti-kidnapping unit, took place in northern Colombia where the group had recently settled, as reported by Times of Israel.

According to the country's immigration service, five of the rescued children were subjects of Interpol "yellow notices" for missing persons, often linked to cases of human trafficking or abduction. Photos released by authorities showed the minors with blurred faces for privacy, as they were transferred to protective custody. No arrests were reported in connection with the rescue, but the sect's activities remain under scrutiny.

Lev Tahor, ironically meaning "pure heart" in Hebrew, was founded in the 1980s in Jerusalem by Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans. The group adheres to an extreme interpretation of Judaism, including strict kosher laws and requiring women and girls over age 3 to wear full-body black robes, earning it the nickname "Jewish Taliban." Members are largely isolated from the outside world, with men dedicating much of their time to prayer and Torah study. Estimates place the sect's membership at several hundred, led by a core group accused of exerting control over followers.

The sect has a history of relocating to evade authorities, having sought refuge in countries including Israel, the United States, Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Iran, Bosnia, and Morocco. Allegations against Lev Tahor include child abuse, forced marriages, mistreatment, and rape. In December 2024, Guatemalan officials raided a Lev Tahor farm, rescuing 160 minors amid reports of "forced pregnancy, mistreatment of minors, and rape."

A 2022 raid in Mexico also led to the removal of children from the group.Current leader Nachman Helbrans, son of the founder, is serving a prison sentence in New York for kidnapping two children whose mother had fled the sect. Shlomo Helbrans himself was imprisoned in the 1990s for a similar kidnapping offense.

A group called Lev Tahor Survivors claims many members are held against their will and estimates the sect's tight control over its followers. Lev Tahor has consistently denied the allegations, accusing governments, including Israel's, of religious persecution.