CultNEWS101 Articles: 12/5/2025
Patrick Ryan
Times of Israel: 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.
"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."
" ... As part of his case to convince Maine District Judge Jennifer Nofsinger to stop his daughter from attending the church, Bradeen hired California sociology professor Janja Lalich, according to Liberty Counsel.
Liberty Counsel argued that Lalich, a "purported expert on 'recruitment and indoctrination processes, rules, and regulations,'" provided testimony that the district court found demonstrated that the Calvary Chapel was "a cultic organization."
"The district court noted that, after studying Calvary Chapel, Lalich came to the opinion that it is a prime example of a closed social system that follows the 'Moses model,'" Liberty Counsel wrote in its brief. "In the 'Moses model,' the district court found pastors have unquestioned authority and are not accountable to the parishioners, any other pastors, or overseeing organizations."
"The district court made a factual finding, based on the so-called cult expert's testimony, that the sermons at Calvary Chapel are filled with 'hateful rhetoric' — homophobia, disdain of science, and hatred of public schools," the attorneys for Bickford added.
Calvary Chapel is an association of hundreds of autonomous charismatic Evangelical churches worldwide, which began from Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in California during the 1960s. Smith was one of the leading figures of the "Jesus Movement" of the late '60s and early 1970s, which was the center of the 2023 film "Jesus Revolution."
Another conclusion the district court reached was that attending Calvary Chapel was harming Bickford's daughter, as the brief noted. As evidence, the district court cited the Calvary Chapel pastor leading the congregation in prayer over the custody battle at a worship service that Bickford and her daughter attended.
In addition to giving Bradeen the right to make the final decision about his daughter's participation in church and religious organizations, the district court granted him final decision-making authority over the child's medical care."
"An alleged NSW cult leader accused of grooming a child for more than a decade has been granted bail.
William "Little Pebble" Kamm has pleaded not guilty, as his lawyer cited his age and health while arguing for bail.
Mr Kamm, 75, is due to face trial next June over five charges."
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