Colombia says 17 minors rescued from Jewish cult Lev Tahor amid abuse allegations
Five of those rescued were subjects of Interpol missing person alerts; leader of extremist sect, dubbed ‘Jewish Taliban,’ in prison for kidnapping child whose mother left the group
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Colombian authorities said Sunday they had rescued 17 minors from Lev Tahor, an extremist ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect under investigation for alleged child sex abuse.
“We have rescued 17 boys, girls and teens,” the country’s immigration service said on X, posting pictures of some of the children with their faces blurred or shielded from view.
Five of the minors rescued were identified as missing persons whom Interpol had issued “yellow notices” to find, authorities said.
Founded in Jerusalem in the 1980s, Lev Tahor — literally, “pure heart” in Hebrew — has been dogged by allegations of child abuse for years, and Israel and others have called it a cult. Its leader is in prison for kidnapping children.
A group called Lev Tahor Survivors has estimated the sect’s membership at several hundred people and says it is led by a core cohort, with the rest being held mostly against their will.
The group adheres to an extreme, idiosyncratic interpretation of Judaism and kosher dietary laws that largely shields members from the outside world.
Women and girls above the age of 3 are required to dress in black robes that completely cover their bodies, leading some to call the group the “Jewish Taliban.” The men spend most of their days in prayer and studying specific portions of the Torah.
???? Desde @MigracionCol lideramos un operativo en Yarumal (Antioquia) junto al Gaula Militar Oriente, donde rescatamos 17 niños niñas y adolescentes de la secta judío ortoxa Lev Tahor. Cinco de ellos tenían circular amarilla de @Interpol pic.twitter.com/mqub1BwfGf
— Migración Colombia (@MigracionCol) November 23, 2025
Lev Tahor jumped borders for years, under scrutiny from authorities, with members seeking refuge at various times in Mexico, Canada, Iran, Bosnia, and Morocco, among other locations.
In December 2024, Guatemalan authorities took 160 minors into protective custody from a farm occupied by Lev Tahor, alleging they were being abused.
At the time, Guatemalan public prosecutor Dimas Jimenez told a press conference that the raid was carried out due to suspicions of “forced pregnancy, mistreatment of minors and rape.”
The group has gone to extreme lengths to retrieve children taken from the sect in the past.
Group leader Nachman Helbrans and other members of Lev Tahor’s leadership are in prison in New York for kidnapping two children whose mother left Lev Tahor for the children’s safety. Helbrans’s father, Shlomo, the group’s founder, was also imprisoned for kidnapping in the 1990s.
The group rejects all allegations of abuse and has accused various governments, including Israel’s, of religious persecution.
The Times of Israel Community.