Guatemala

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

Yoel Alter, who is suspected of holding a senior rank in the cult, was arrested for charges of organized crime and human trafficking in Guatemala in January at the request of Mexican authorities

|ByELI LEON
Lev Tahor member Yoel Alter, 35, is escorted by Guatemalan police officers after being arrested at court in Guatemala City on January 24, 2025.
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

The bus plunged into a ravine in an area known for dense fog that reduces visibility for drivers.

|ByREUTERS
Minors rescued in Colombia from the Lev Tahor sect.

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

Five of the minors had an Interpol Yellow Notice, used in cases of missing persons and human trafficking. The Lev Tahor victims were nationals from the United States, Canada, and Guatemala.

|ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN
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.

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.

|BySAM GLASSENBERG

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.

MAY 15, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
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.

MAY 11, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
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.

APRIL 5, 2025ByNOAM BEDEIN
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.

JANUARY 14, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
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.

DECEMBER 29, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
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.

DECEMBER 24, 2024ByMAYA COHEN, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
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.

DECEMBER 21, 2024ByREUTERS
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.

JULY 28, 2024ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
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?

JULY 7, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Mayapan

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

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

AUGUST 22, 2023ByJACOB KESSLER/JTA
Semilla party presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo poses for a photo during an interview with Reuters, in Guatemala City, Guatemala July 4, 2023.

Six new ambassadors present credentials to President Herzog

Herzog suggested that a positive step in this direction would be to have the president of Sri Lanka come to Israel with a delegation, and the ambassador said that he would be happy to recommend it

MAY 23, 2023ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
President Isaac Herzog with incoming Ethiopian Ambassador Tesfaye Yetayeh Anteneh