Guatemala

Jerusalem court sends senior Lev Tahor cult leader Elazar Rumpler to prison in child abuse case

Elazar Rumpler, a Lev Tahor haredi cult leader, was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a total of NIS 22,000 in fines and compensation for assaulting a 10-year-old child.

Elazar Rumpler, a senior leader within haredi cult Lev Tahor, appearing in the Jerusalem District Court for a hearing in 2020; illustrative.
Lev Tahor member Yoel Alter, 35, is escorted by Guatemalan police officers after being arrested at court in Guatemala City on January 24, 2025.

Leader of ultra-Orthodox Lev Tahor sect extradited to Mexico, charged with human trafficking

Police officers load the bodies of the victims who died in a road accident onto a truck at Cumbre de Alaska in Totonicapan, Guatemala, on December 27, 2025.

At least 15 dead, 19 injured in Guatemala bus accident

Minors rescued in Colombia from the Lev Tahor sect.

Colombian authorities, Interpol rescue 17 minors from ultra-Orthodox Lev Tahor sect


If there’s famine in Gaza, there’s famine almost everywhere - opinion

If Gaza’s malnutrition crisis merits the word “famine,” then Guatemala’s deserves it, too.

A sign showing the signs of malnourishment in children hangs on a wall in a nutritional recovery center in Rabinal, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala August 16, 2023.

Police find infant, four US minors' remnants in Lev Tahor raid - KAN

"The safety of US citizens is our top priority," the US Embassy in Guatemala tweeted, thanking the local government for its assistance.

 Members of the Lev Tahor Jewish community stand outside the facilities of the Guatemala Attorney General's Office after Guatemalan authorities rescued several children and adolescents from the Jewish community following allegations of child abuse, in Guatemala December 20, 2024.

Human remains in Guatemala's Cueva de Sangre reveal ancient Maya ritual sacrifices

Archaeologists found items known to have been used in rituals, such as obsidian blades and red ochre, in the cave.

 Human remains in Guatemala's Cueva de Sangre reveal ancient Maya ritual sacrifices.

Between cultures and craters: Exploring Jewish life in Guatemala

Guatemala’s relationship with the Jewish people is a testament to the power of shared values and mutual respect.

Israeli flag in Panajachel. A bold statement of friendship between Guatemala and Israel, it flies proudly on the shores of Lake Atitlán.

Lev Tahor cult leader arrested in El Salvador, to be extradited to Israel

Rumpler is wanted on charges of serious child abuse and attempted to leave Guatemala on a fake passport after previously being placed under a travel ban, according to reports in Israeli media.

Eliezer Rumpler, from the Lev Tahor Haredi Jewish sect   arrives to the Jerusalem District Court for a court hearing on June 28, 2020.

INTERPOL issues Red Notice for Lev Tahor fugitive accused of rape, human trafficking

Guatemala has issued an arrest warrant against Castillo, who has been declared a fugitive.

INTERPOL wanted page for Jonathan Emmanuel Cardona Castillo.

Relative of rescued Lev Tahor member discusses group's psychological abuse - interview

Oded Twik emotionally described the most meaningful moments in the process of rescuing family members from the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala.

A Lev Tahor members demands the release of members of the community after prosecutors say Guatemalan authorities rescued several children and teenagers from the Jewish community following allegations of child abuse, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, December 21, 2024.

Guatemalan authorities rescue 160 children from Jewish Lev Tahor cult

Guatemalan authorities determined that the Lev Tahor cult engaged in human trafficking against minors.

 Members of the Lev Tahor Jewish community stand outside the facilities of the Guatemala Attorney General's Office after Guatemalan authorities rescued several children and adolescents from the Jewish community following allegations of child abuse, in Guatemala December 20, 2024.

Grapevine July 28, 2024: For whom the bell tolls

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

View of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. November 29, 2020.

Everything you'd ever want to know about the Maya civilization

Who were the Maya? What do we know about them? What language did they use? What calendar? Did they use human sacrifice?

Mayapan

Five Jewish facts about Guatemala’s new Hebrew-speaking president

Guatemala’s president-elect has a unique history with Jews and Israel.

 Semilla party presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo poses for a photo during an interview with Reuters, in Guatemala City, Guatemala July 4, 2023.