
Lev Tahor (Hebrew: לֵב טָהוֹר, lit. "pure heart") is an extremist religious group founded by Shlomo Helbrans in 1988. Often described as a cult, it consists of about 200–300 members. The group follows a fundamentalist form of Jewish practice and adheres to its own atypical interpretations of Jewish law, including practices such as lengthy prayer sessions, arranged marriages between teenagers, and head-to-toe black coverings for girls and women beginning at the age of three. The group has faced allegations of kidnapping, sexual abuse, and child abuse.
The group has moved frequently, being located in Israel from 1988 to 1990, the United States from 1990 to 2000, Israel again from 2000 to 2003, Canada from 2003 to 2014, Guatemala in 2014, Mexico since around 2017, and since late 2021, Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since February 2022 they are present in North Macedonia as well. They often move in an attempt to flee government child welfare agencies