Uriel Goldman, spokesperson for the fundamentalist Jewish group Lev Tahor speaks in in Chatham, Ontario on November 28, 2013.
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Yoil Weingarten, a member of the ultra-orthodox Jewish sect Lev Tahor, defends his community and accuses Israel of being behind the persecution of his community. Weingarten also responds to the allegation of neglect, and poor hygiene. Video shot outside his home in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, 100 kilometres north of Montreal, on Tuesday, November 26, 2013. Over 200 members of the sect, which is led by Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans, left their homes in Quebec for Ontario amid allegations of neglect by youth protection services. The group claims that they were leaving because of harsh youth protection and education laws. (Dario Ayala / THE GAZETTE)
There is a small, tight-knit and strict community of Jews currently in Canada who call themselves “Lev Tahor,” which means “pure heart.” The group is also known by the nickname “the Jewish Taliban.”
This sect is considered an extremist group even by haredi standards. Probably a short hand way to explain that is the women members wear clothing that resemble burkas. The group has about 200 members. It is anti-Zionist and has been residing in Quebec, near Montreal, for the past ten years.
However, there have been difficulties between the Canadian authorities and the Lev Tahor sect, primarily over the issues of educating their youth. In addition, there are ongoing child welfare investigations prompted by outsiders or relatives of the sect members who allege the children don’t have proper hygiene, are neglected and suffer from psychological abuse. There are also rumors of forced marriages.
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