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) They must agree to throw away all his physical needs, including eating sleep and rest until he fulfills the desires the leader.
7) It is the obligation of each of them at the beginning of the morning prayers to recite and accept upon themselves all of the above with full mouth and supreme joy.
Some observers have written that these are signs of a cult. Indeed, this was the position of an author of an article that appeared in Mishpacha Magazine. Others, however, claim that there is nothing cult-like about the movement. Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter of Ami Magazine met with Helbrans and assured his readership that it was not a cult, even though a previous Ami article stated that it was.
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. 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.”
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28 Responses
I keep seeing assertions about how radical & “aggressive” Yoil Weingarten is, but no concrete allegations or evidence…?
perfect place for them
nOt A CUlt
-Ami Magazine-
Wonder if they’re descendants of the עירוב רב
Are Lev Tamei and Neturei Karta connected?
That is why some people doubted the death of the leader and claimed he really relocated to Iran to prepare for the move of the cult. It’s also the reason probably as to why not more is being done to intervene and rescue the poor cult members. May Hashem have mercy and free them from their suffering.
Something is fisshy in here.
This emsil was sent to one of the lev tahor members. Not from the lev tahor member to Iran.
Sounds like a new pashkevil if I’m not mistaking.
Where could I see the entire letter?
Can this “latest development” really ” top” -“Violent beatings, abuse, rampant pedophelia”- (pedophilia)?
If it walks out of the refrigerator… just let it go.
A “violent form of makos”- I’m not real smart, but is there a non violent form of makos?
let the leaders go to Iran and release the poor brainless followers to be treated by professionals.
What is the bombshell?
We have had iran supporters in our midsts for years, unfortunatly.
1. How on earth did they manage to raise $10 million to bail Aron Rosner? Where is the funding coming from? The BinLaden family? I just hope they don’t have armies of international Tzdakah collectors decieving people and funding this despicable movement.
2. Do they honestly think the Iranians will embrace them? They butchered their Jewish citizens long before Zionism was their excuse. If a Jew stepped out of line he was massacred mercilessly for being a Jew. They have a deep rooted hatred of Jews going back thousands of years.
Another dumb Lev Tahor idea.
hilarious
Eliminate the cult leaders and reeducate the unfortunate
They are awaiting trials not trails.
@bobbydaboy
A “violent form of makos”- I’m not real smart, but is there a non violent form of makos?
Yes there is, very gentle with a gartel on erev yom kippur. This is done by holy jews who have a minhag. Unlike Lev Tahor who beat the kishkes out of their members.
The Rosner from New York got a 10 million bail bund, which was reduced recently due to that fact that the FBI decreased the charges, and instead of being able to get out of his house just for 2 hours a week, he could walk around free 24/7.
Even the FBI had to take the charges down for all of them, and most jewish brothers just hate their fellow brother out of jealousy and ignorance.
The other 4 did’nt even try ti put a bail bond together yet. Due to some reckless fellow jews like you.
And now you all wonder why they were seeking ausulm in Iran?
We the careless Yiddishe brothers that do not help them, and most of the time just add pain to them, are pushing away our own sisters and brothers with our own bloody hands!
I’m a simple jewish woman, and I’ve bern following this story forabout 6-7 years, and one think I could tell you is: No allegations against them was ever proved, it is all made up by some Zionist And some people that were justicfully thrown out of their community.
Every community has their own rules and conducts.
Just because we cannot achieve what they did, doesnt give us te permission to suck their blood!
Yiddishe kinderlach, we got to do teshuva before it will be to late!
We see very clear the whole world is in danger and bifrat the jews.
Hitler ym”s would’ve make a difference if we would’ve be dressed in a black long cape, or if we are proud to wear a long wig!
Come on, wake up and help them out before it is to late, when Hashem will reveal himself to klall yisroel entirely, and ask us for a din vechesbon!
Where will we “normal” yidden hide then? in IRAN?
Its erev yom tov now. Do you guys want zechusim or ……?
Be truthfull with yourself.
Wake up the yiddishe pintelle from your cold heart!!!
Listen to the cries of those innocent prisoners, wives if prisonners, children of prissoners, and those kids that wereforecefulle abducted from their bloved father, family and friends.
Maybe they deserve to have a simchas yom tov?
Please anyone tell me hiw I could send them some money for yom tov.
I wanna have a zechus in their teffilas yom tov!
Chanagb= very simple very stupid.
Chanagb:
What is your name so that we can be mispallel on R”H for your refuah?
This cult is purely evil, and there is nothing consistent between how they function and true Torah lifestyle. Pledging allegiance to a leader daily? Is that Kabolas Ohl Malchus Shomayim? Or does it more strongly resemble avodah zarah? Blocking parts of Torah? That is a twice repeated issur in the Torah. The beatings, and the rest of the things itemized here? Any semblance of a Torah life, even a secular moral life? Not a trace of similarity. The extent of thievery, kidnapping, violence, forgery, etc., all testify that this is a cult composed of evil, wicked thugs whose connection is to tum’ah and rish’us. All that we, the rest of Klal Yisroel, are left with is the formidable task of figuring out how to rescue the victims, and how to free the Klal of the cancer they have inflicted upon us.
I have zero interest in your expected attacks on me. I, and several people I know, have actually spoken to several of the victims that have managed to escape. The reports on YWN are true, and there is much more that has not been described here. This cult needs to be eliminated. Victims rescued and helped, and the perpetrators locked up for life. Our Torah leaders need to state loudly and boldly that such movements cannot hide behind their tailored version of Torah, as that is a bizayon and disgrace. I await the Torah itself to avenge its honor.
Yes, it is Elul. You can do teshuvah, and stop defending these confirmed resho’im. A good besurah would be that the complete rescue has taken place.
Pray that the cult leaders get judged on yom kippur to suffer!
@chanagb Yeah whatever, zionists blah blah blah…… come off it. aLev Tahoe is a violent cult, and no amount of run-on blather will change that. That said, these articles are painful to read. If Yeshiva World want’s to portray themselves as professional maverick journalists, it would behoove them to write coherently
I don’t have a problem with you attacking me.
I also know some victims of כלל ישראל In there.
I know much more rhen you claim to know.
All the things that you mentioned above are BIG FAT LIES, thats been repeated by blood suckers again and again.
They are the real Torah Jews, I wish I would’ve be one of them.
And please, please stop torturing them, and to רודף Them, if you really hope that the Torah will show the truth….
Because you are a the שקרן yourself, and one nice day the whole truth will come up, then you will all look for a corner where to hide, and השם Will expose you with all your sins…
נעבעך on you…..
I don’t have a problem to say my name, I’m proud to be blessed with knowing the truth, but I really don’t want your tumah’ne תפילות on such a holy day of יום כיפור.
I will have you in mind by some תפילות.
chanag-
‘even the FBI had to take down the charges for all of them, and most jewish brothers just hate their fellow bro out of jealousy and ignorance’- no we are definitely not jealous of these cult leaders, and we are not careless people, but most will not support or help this cult leadership. And no allegations was made up by some zionist. dont know where you got that one from. yes the victims should be helped and rescued, and the cult leaders locked up so they dont cause any more harm to innocent children and women
i agree with Chanagb, I have been a fighter against Loshon Hora and Motzee Shem Ra my whole life
Stop hating!