Afew months after moving from Canada to San Juan la Laguna village, in a remote part of Guatemala, to find religious freedom, a group from the ultra-orthodox Jewish Lev Tahor sect have been forced out of their homes, in a bitter conflict with village elders. The community was accused of trying to convert locals and scaring away tourists, who visit the village of 10,000 people.
Photo by Jorge Dan Lopez / Reuters
Ugly anti-Semitism or an attempt at religious coercion? A community of 230 ultra-Orthodox Jews began leaving an Indian village in Guatemala yesterday (Thursday), where they have lived for six years, following accusations and counter-accusations regarding discrimination and threats. Their departure from San Juan La Lugana, a town on the shores of Lake Atitlan 200 km from the capital Guatemala City, came following a meeting on Friday in which Jews and locals were unable to reach an agreement.
Continue reading at https://www-ynet-co-il.translate.goog/articles/0,7340,L-4565475,00.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Read this article in Hebrew: https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4565475,00.html
After fleeing Canada amid allegations of child abuse, about 230 members of the ultraorthodox Jewish group Lev Tahor have now been expelled from the Guatemalan village where they had reassembled their reclusive community.
An edict from a group of indigenous elders in the town of San Juan La Laguna, 150 kilometres west of Guatemala City, said that the Lev Tahor members were no longer welcome in the lakeside town.
Continue reading: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/08/29/jewish_group_lev_tahor_expelled_from_guatemala_sanctuary.html
Photo by Rick Madonick, Toronto Star