The video below may be shocking, and extremely disturbing to some. It is 45 minute “in depth” report on the Lev Tahor cult, which is run by convicted felon Shlomo Helbrans. The report was done by Chief Correspondent, Carolyn Jarvis of the “16×9” program of the Global News Network (Canada). She was granted unprecedented access to the cult, which is currently located in Chatham-Kent, Ontario.
Originally a citizen of Israel, cult leader Shlomo Helbrans went to the United States where he was convicted for kidnapping in 1994 and served a two-year prison term before being deported to Israel in 2000. He then settled in Canada.
In 1994 he was convicted in Brooklyn for the 1992 kidnapping of 13-year-old Shai Fhima Reuven, a Bar Mitzvah boy he was tutoring, and served a two-year prison term in the U.S. He was originally sentenced to four to 12 years in prison, but in June 1996 an appeals court reduced the sentence to two to six years. Three days later, he was placed in the work release program for prisoners less than two years away from the possibility of parole, where inmates are freed from prison if they have a job. After protests, he was moved back to prison.
The high-profile case drew much attention in the U.S., and gained further attention when Helbrans successfully convinced New York prison authorities to waive their requirement that all prisoners be shaved for a photograph upon entering prison, and to accept a computer-generated image of what he would have looked like clean-shaven instead. After the State Parole Board decided in November 1996 to release Helbrans after two years in prison, the case rose to near scandal with suspicions that the Pataki administration was providing him special treatment.
After his release from prison, Helbrans ran a yeshiva in Monsey, N.Y., and was deported to Israel in 2000. He then settled in Canada, where in 2003 he was granted refugee status, claiming his life was being threatened in Israel.
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28 Responses
This is what it is and what it has been. I just unfortunately dont see any real basis for the children to
be taken away from their parents. urinated beds is not enough of an excuse. This is a cult. It is a huge chillul hashem. The guy running it has obvious psychological and emotional problems for those that have followed with news of him and his community throughout the years. He is not even ashkenazic. He is from a sefardi irreligious israeli family.But I still think that the points the govt is touching on are not illegal and not strong enough for a case to be built or valid enough for kids to be taken away from their parents. And this Rosner guy is cunning and dangerous. It’s these guys that help facilitate the logistics and general existence of communities and twisted beliefs. What I would do is send them all back to their mother countries/deport them. Like this it would dissolve.
I watched the entire 45 minute video and read all the news stories floating around on this group. In a nutshell, legally all they are accused of is poor hygiene and not giving the children toys. Oh, and that they do not teach the children evolution and that toeiva is equal to regular marriage, thereby violating Quebec’s education requirements. They threw in allegations of marriages under the legal age of 16, but they could not find a single such case.
At this rate all frum Jews could be targeted next and have their children seized for reeducation camp.
Where is the video ?
#2
I don’t know who you are and if you’re part of this cult then I do not want you to derive from my writing any chizuk cus everything about this cult is neged hatorah.
But as I did say before; I don’t see any real illegalities to validate taking children away from parents. These kids are so cute and a mother as crazy as she is is a mother. I still think this community needs to be dissolved and deporting them all to their respective birthplaces would be a great solution cus they’re from all over.
#2
I do agree thought that some of the points quebec are touching on can affect the general jewish all over.
#4: I didn’t see your comment when I posted mine but I do agree with you about the legal point about this group. There is no case against them. The children belong with the parents. Otherwise all Jewish children are next.
About the religious issues, I haven’t heard them doing anything against halacha. What have you heard them do that is against halacha?
#2 they did get shocked a little too easily. But listen to 22:00 where he explains that they would take away the kids to punish the parents for not following the community. Also listen to 25:40-26:05
interjection: I saw that. That is Quebec’s Minister speaking. Quebec is known for official anti-semitism and they are not to be believed in any accusations against Jews.
You should all be ashamed of yourselves. These people have every right to live the way they want. They are not bothering anyone or forcing anyone to do anything. The children are happy, healthy, and taken care of.
I agree with Chuck Schwab. It is easy and intellectually lazy to dismiss them as a cult. I watched the whole video and all accusations are just that accusations. No proof whatsoever. The children look well taken care of and I saw nothing that is against halacha. I am not saying that everyone should join them but I’m am impressed with their strong conviction and dedication to the Torah. How many of you criticizing this group would follow Moshe in the desert when it meant dropping everything you know and have? The answer is not many. Only 1 out of 6 actually left mitzrayim the rest wanted to be “normal” and stay. I am prepping myself that if the time comes and I have to drop everything in order to stay a yid I will even if the consequences meant I would be called a cultist.
#4 why? Its a wonderful thing that they are out of Israel. Out and away. Remember that G-D said He vomits out the sinners from Eress Yisrael.
#6 their whole ideology is against the Torah. For starters being obsessed with all new types of “Humrot” is against Halacha. 2) Being against Israel and perpetuating the real endangerment of millions of Jews in Eress Yisrael.
TzViD: Chumros are part of halacha not against it. Same with opposition to zionism.
All these people want is to bring their children up in a pure environment without outside influences. I know the people involved and they couldn’t be nicer. They chose to follow this way and the children aren’t suffering, unless lack of secular education means suffering, or not knowing what a traffic light is. The children who were perfectly happy and secure in their parents love until now are in for a terrible shock when and if they have to live apart from their parents with total strangers. I have been in homes from “normal” backgrounds and the mattresses smelled like urine. It is a normal (in some homes) part of childhood. If they want to be ultra tsniusdik or extra careful with kashrus, it is not a sin. It is very wrong for Quebec and Ontario to persecute these families for wrongdoing when tehy did nothing wrong al pi our halacha (only that they didn’t give their kids a secular education) There were many gedolim who didn’t want secular education to be taught in the yeshivos of yore.
What ended up on the cutting floor in between the outtakes shown between 28:00 and 28:30? what is shown resembles a cross between pee wee herman and the wizard of oz.
Overall this was a fine piece of journalism. They presented two sides of an argument with no apparent bias.
“No proof whatsoever.”
To be perfectly honest, I hope there is no proof that the children had black fungus growing on their feet. And if their is proof, I wish I never see it. Yuck.
WOW! 5 KIDS IN A ROOM! ONE URINATED IN BED! FUNGUS ON THE FEET!!! WE MUST LOCK THEM UP! THEY ARE A THREAT TO HUMANKIND! …none of the allegations have been proven in court but police continue to investigate”
What is with you YWN putting on this nonsense and agreeing to it?!
MODERATORS RESPONSE: Where has YWN agreed to anything other than the FACT that a severely deranged individual, convicted of kidnapping, is running his own private community, while imposing insane rules and customs with no basis in Halacha or mesorah? Who cares about fungus on feet?
Interesting to note that you have in the past vehemently defended another tzadik in the comment sections. That was Rabbi Berland, who is totally innocent…..he just decided to run to Morocco, and now hiding in Zimbabwe, for no reason. Because everyone runs to Zimbabwe. You have a good track record.
We know. We know.
They are all being framed.
I personally spoke to some current and former Cult members, It’s much worse than anyone could imagine, It’s a great mitzvah to destroy and break up this Cult.
WOW! 5 KIDS IN A ROOM! ONE URINATED IN BED! FUNGUS ON THE FEET!!! WE MUST LOCK THEM UP! THEY ARE A THREAT TO HUMANKIND! …none of the allegations have been proven in court but police continue to investigate”
Thank you YWN for showing us how pathetic these accusations are.
response to MODERATOR: This has nothing to do with defending this man Shlomo Helbrans. I’m just pointing out how pathetic these accusations are as shown in the video.
With regards to Rav Berland that’s a different story altogether, in this case we have to listen to what the Gedolei Hador are saying. WOE to him who speaks l’h against him.
And if you have questions about why he ran away, ask the people who know him from the inside, not the secular Israeli media or that unstable guy who shot 3 bullets through a mea shearim families house… You’ll hear some amazing storied to write about, how he is moser nefesh and takes all the insult on him just so that no other Jew should get hurt…
Moderators Response: #1- You accused YWN of agreeing with this video and all types of accusations. We have clarified that we are just agreeing that a deranged individual, a convicted felon, a kidnapper, is running a cult.
#2- Regarding Rabbi Berland: Which Gadol Hador said anything about Rabbi Berland? Why would you fabricate such a story?
We find it sadly amusing, that you have ignored the point about how a convicted felon, a severely dangerous, deranged individual, is running this cult (that’s what it is – a cult). How he will disown his own daughter would leave his cult if she became an ordinary chasidic person. That, sir, is a cult. There is no basis in the Torah for his evil sickly deranged customs. No Rebbe in the world has the women in his chassidus wearing Burqas. That is just the tip of the iceberg.
Please compare, “the cult” kicks out those that don’t/won’t comply with the ‘cult’s” rules. AND a nation locks up/DEPORTS those that don’t won’t comply with the rules. Hmmm…. So the USA and CANADA are ‘cults’ ?
Join the ARMY, and then refuse to wear the uniform, or go where they send you…. You get kicked out. So the Military is a cult ?
I don’t care much for the life style of Lev Tahor…it’ looks a lot like those extreme mormon ‘cult’s that allow multiple wives, have ‘lots of kids’, take FEDERAL tax dollars, and ‘DRESS FUNNY’. BUT they only thing I see that is lacking, is them giving the kids a general public education. Reading, writing, and arithmetic, and general awareness of the modern world. If your religion & faith is “too weak” to even view the modern world, they you and your faith & religion have bigger problems.
No one bothers to find out what they learn, or what they preach. No one bothers to find out if maybe they have sources in Halahca to their mode of dress.
Because they’re Lev Tahor. Holier than Thou, is what caused hate and venom by their own fellow brothers and sisters.
It’s all fun and games until they come to you.
If I knew yeshiva world were such KANOIM for DVAR HASHEM with MESIRUS NEFESH… enough said, enough SHMAD
helbrans and berland should open a cult together….two sefardim turning into chassidish leaders.
Why are people defending this cult?
This man is a convicted felon. He was convicted for kidnapping. Why is he around children?
It is obvious that he is not well.
Someone should rescue the children, and get this evil person into a mental institution.
Find out who is funding these people. Millions go through their bank accounts.
The truth will come out one day.
First of all Rabbi Helbrans never kidnapped Shai Fima. It was recorded on tape by Shai Fima as an adult that he was not kidnapped. He ran away from an abusive mother and mother’s boyfriend to take refuge in Rabbi Helbrans’ community. Second of all you can call it a cult, but, no one is being recruited to join them and those who want to leave them can. But, there are those who truly wish to live this way and why shouldn’t they have that choice? I would never want to be like them, but, I will staunchly defend their rights. They are nice people and they are just trying to live a Torah life to the utmost. As far as “millions” going through their bank – there are several hundred in their community including children. Nowadays a family needs about 50,000 to 100,000 a year just to exist. How much is “millions”? 2 million? It is hardly enough for a group of that size. They are not well to do at all, in fact they are quite poor and rabbi Helbrans is not hoarding the money.
Lev Tahor
Miriam Helbrans
The leader of this Cult: Solomon Arez Hell-branz and his son Nuchman are control freaks!”Arez Shlomo was convicted” in Brooklyn NY Supreme Court of felonies and then deported.
They are cult-leaders a bunch of phony frauds as they have always been known to be. Child abuse has been going on there since the beginning of times.
Every single organization on earth has been rebuking this cult, even in public, as this is no different than the David Koresh cult in Waco, or the Jones-town cult.
We should be keeping a spotlight on this fraudster as much as possible and call it what it really is: “A CULT”. Cult leader: Solomo Arez Helbrans is accused of hitting children with tire irons, forcing loving couples to divorce, forcing little girls into marriage with old men, forcing children to wear small shoes, forcing people to get nude so he can give them 39 lashes, placing people in solitary confinement, denying people of food, issuing monetary fines, placing little children with strange families against the wishes of parents for periods of two years or more from the age of six months, and forcing people to take psychiatric pills without being diagnosed by doctors, sexual abuse.
Their cult “leader” shlomo and his evil son Nuchman are two VERY dangerous man, who uses mind-control techniques to pray on the weak minded. Plus child and women abuse. Especially Nuchman his son cannot be trusted, he is a big huge lire without even a drop truth.
Every cult or obscure sect with a central charismatic figure is usually allied with some religious denomination or another. Hiding behind religion regardless of the offenses committed, is a most effective way to avoid prosecution, as every cult leader in history has instinctively known.
Believe it or not, it is VERY easy to start a cult if you want to. All it takes is a few lost souls as Lev Tahor has done, who are willing to have a boatload of children for you, and you are in the CULT business.
Go ask the Rebbetzin of Shlomo and his own sun Nossen what’s
going on in the cult, go investigate what happened to his sun in law Teller, when he was forced to leave his wife with 5 small children to marry the 15 year old daughter of the monster Shlomo, and a similar story with the other daughter of his. Tell me that there is nothing neged halocho by braking family’s what they did to his own sun
They broke his family because he was not willing to fight against his mother when she was not complying with all the craziness of the cult. This is a dangerous cult, it’s a big Mitzvah to destroy it by all means.