Lev Tahor Lunatics Kill 9 babies

In a heart-wrenching saga of courage and tragedy, two brothers, Yoel and Mendi Levi, escaped the ultra-Orthodox extremist cult “Lev Tahor” as teenagers and spent seven years exposing its horrors, culminating in the rescue of their family, parents and nine siblings, from its compound in Guatemala. The family landed in Israel last week, aided by Israeli authorities and the Jewish Agency.

Their story, revealed by *Behadrey Haredim* and reported by Itamar Eichner, uncovers a chilling reality: nine infants died in the cult’s compound due to malnutrition and neglect, with their graves discovered during a December 2024 raid by Guatemalan authorities.

Yoel and Mendi Levi fled Lev Tahor at ages 15 and 16, leaving behind a life of abuse, brainwashing, and ruthless control under leader Nachman Helbrans, now serving a prison sentence in the U.S. for kidnapping and child abuse. The brothers’ father, Yehoshua Levi, died after being denied critical medical care on Helbrans’ orders, buried in a forest near the cult’s shacks in Guatemala. “They only took him to a hospital when it was too late,” the brothers told *Behadrey Haredim*. For seven years, Yoel and Mendi worked tirelessly to expose the cult’s atrocities, including forced marriages of children as young as 13 and severe medical neglect.

A turning point came eight months ago when Guatemalan authorities raided the Lev Tahor compound, relocating children to welfare facilities and separating them from adult members. Yoel flew to Guatemala, painstakingly coaxing the children to reveal the abuse they endured, no dental care, no vaccinations, and a diet of only fruits and vegetables, leaving them frail and emaciated. The raid uncovered a horrific truth: at least nine infants had died over the past five years due to malnutrition and their young parents’ inability to care for them, with sniffer dogs revealing hidden graves in the compound.

Arie Spinner, a former Lev Tahor member who escaped to Israel 20 years ago at age 14, helped the brothers. Spinner is now a vocal advocate against the cult. He exposed its abuses in a 2012 *Real Faces* TV appearance, where he reconnected with his brother, married off at 13. His activism helped brand Lev Tahor a dangerous cult in Israel in 2016, leading to its expulsion from Canada. Discovering Yoel was his step-nephew, Spinner joined forces with him, and their combined efforts, through media, lectures, and social media, paved the way for the family’s rescue.

After the raid, Guatemalan welfare officials offered families a deal: leave the cult and prove you have a destination to reclaim your children. With support from Israel’s Welfare Ministry and the Jewish Agency, the Levi family, mother, stepfather, and nine children, was reunited and relocated to Israel. Adult cult members repeatedly tried to abduct the children to neighboring countries with weaker enforcement, while leaders ran a deceptive PR campaign, claiming persecution. A slip by one member about child marriages only fueled authorities’ investigations.

The family’s arrival in Israel marks a bittersweet victory. “I’m overjoyed to rediscover my brother after 20 years and meet my new nephews and nieces,” Spinner said. “They face a long recovery, but after what they endured, I’m confident they’ll heal well.”