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)
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9 Responses
Joseph,
Lies, all lies, right? How is your bestie, the “ger tzedek” doing in jail and how is your pidyon shvuim fundraiser going?
this “rabbi hecht” sounds like a moser.
His claims of “abuse” are his parroting of the non-Jews claim that parents are vaguely “not living up to responsibilities”. His second hand evidence is he expresses as being shocked by someone guidence not to give “too much love” or a father not kissing their children.
These are his cherry-picked example of why to me motzei sheim ra on these yidden?
What’s with the story with his red kippa?? Never seen something like that
as soon as i saw the headline, i literally opened it to find the motsi shem rah of r frankfruter again, an amazing perosn, and there it is- right there in bold and capitals, YWN shame on you. cant we focus on the issue at hand
Moderators Response: Motzei Shem Ra is something that isn’t true. This is 100% true. Ami attacked YWN viciously at the time. Anyone (including rabbonim who are all of a sudden signing letters to save the children, and who previously raised MILLIONS for these reshoyim) who helped them should be held accountable. These children were MURDERED. And people like Ami assisted in this murder. We will say it forever without any shame. They have yet to issue an apology.
@Moderator
I understand that you claim many rabbonim signed letters to support Lev Tahor. Are there any major Rabbonim that have signed letters against Lev Tahor, or is it only the type of “Rabbonim” that parrot the claims of the non-Jews?
Prominent Rabonim have labelled this cult as a terrorist organisation!!
https://matzav.com/rabbonim-convene-in-boro-park-to-discuss-the-rescue-of-the-children-of-lev-tahor/
Second hand evidence? He put out a video last week together with Satmar Dayan Weiss on the location. He has seen it all.
All those questions about Rabbi Hecht and his expertise and his red yarmulke must not have been around in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s or read his books from back in the day. He is the closest thing we have to a cult buster in the frum community and he has been doing it successfully for decades.
May we never need to know about his work!
PS read up on him, he has helped MANY in BP, Lkwd, Monsey etc over the years to leave cults r’l
A delegation of senior rabbis arrived in Guatemala to assess the situation of the children of the Lev Tahor cult, describing the group as a ‘terror organization.’
In the delegation were Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Weiss from Antwerp and Rabbi Joshua Hecht, a cult dismantling expert from Canada.
“They are more dangerous than any terror organization in the world,” said Rabbi Hecht during the visit. “Families were separated, and infants were taken from their parents just days after birth.”
Rabbi Hecht broke down in tears during the visit, appealing to the authorities: “My heart goes out to these children. We ask to give them the help they need.”
Rabbi Weiss emphasized the need for immediate action: “I urge the authorities to do everything possible to give these children regular and happy lives. This cult is very dangerous.”
some:
It’s interesting how easy it is to just scream moser when you don’t like what someone said. Here’s a dose of reality, not some fantasy. The leaders of this evil cult are rodfim,and halacha requires us to stop them through any possible means. While in times of the gemora, this could include murder, today it graciously includes giving these rodfim over to authorities. Yes, I would be agreeable to the courts using the death penalty, if that was possible. But that is unlikely. But these rodfim should spend the rest of their days under heavy lockup, and any suffering they experience was earned.
If you’re a supporter of this murderous clan, I pity your din. Maybe there is time for teshuvah.