CultNEWS101 Articles: 1/8/2026
Patrick Ryan
" ... Authorities made arrests at a rural Alabama campsite that was occupied for months by a religious group. The members reportedly consider their leader to be an incarnation of Jesus Christ."
" ... Several members of the group of around 15 — who hailed from various U.S. states, including California, New York, Georgia and Florida — were arrested and “illegal narcotics” were recovered, along with a handgun, at the rural property, according to Smith. The sheriff also warned that any members will be arrested for trespassing, should they return."
"Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager forbids his followers from forming ties outside his Hasidic community, dictates whom they may marry, coerces them to hand over their money and stokes violence against his opponents. In the rebbe's 'holy method,' God takes a back seat."
This Haaretz investigative report, published on January 4, 2026, details allegations of psychological abuse and extreme manipulation within an insular religious community in Israel led by a charismatic rabbi.
Based on the article, here are the key findings:
The Leader and Community
The community is described as a cult-like environment centered around a specific rabbi (whose identity is often shielded by legal or communal barriers in early stages of such reports). The group targets religious families, often those seeking a deeper spiritual connection or "purity," and slowly isolates them from outside influences.
Methods of Control
The article highlights several "means of control" used by the leadership:
• Family Separation: The most striking allegation is the systematic separation of children from their biological parents. Children are often moved to different households or communal settings to break primary parental bonds and ensure their ultimate loyalty is to the rabbi/group rather than the family unit.
• Psychological Isolation: Members are encouraged to cut ties with "secular" or "insufficiently religious" relatives, including grandparents and siblings.
• Financial Exploitation: Families are often coerced into signed agreements or "donations" that strip them of their assets, making them financially dependent on the community for housing and basic needs.
Testimonies and Impact
The report features harrowing testimonies from former members and parents who have "escaped" or been cast out.
• Parental Alienation: Parents describe a process where their children were taught to view them as spiritually "dangerous" or "unclean," leading to a total breakdown of the parent-child relationship.
• The "Shadow" Education: The group operates its own educational frameworks that focus on the rabbi’s specific doctrines, often bypassing state oversight and leaving children without the tools to function in the outside world.
Guardian: ‘Arrested’ Nicolas Maduro’s Indian Connection: How Sathya Sai Baba Became Part of His Personal World
" ... Under Maduro’s rule, Sathya Sai organisations operate freely in Venezuela, even as many foreign NGOs face expulsion. Sai Baba centers ran schools and the Institute of Human Values, expanding their reach across the country.
Venezuela now hosts one of the largest Sai Baba devotee communities in Latin America, with roots dating back to 1974."
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