Michael Laitman
Sole leader of the cult. Five women have testified about sexual violations by him. Never questioned.
Michael Laitman, leader of the Bnei Baruch cult
Michael Laitman is the sole leader of the Bnei Baruch cult. Five women testified about sexual abuse by Laitman; the cult's lawyer, Hanoch Milwidsky, was questioned under caution by Lahav 433. This site brings together testimony, documents and reporting on abuse, money and the cult's political cover.
Suspicions and investigative theories are marked separately from documentarily confirmed facts. More on the methodology →
Recommended route
Eight stops: from the first blow against the cult through money and politics to what Laitman himself says about women. Each leads to one main article; inside — links to related materials.
1 Overview Cult leader, five witnesses on abuse, night regime, maaser, political cover 2 Entry into the system How the cult draws you in: regime, suppression of criticism, night lessons 3 The main investigation Five women against Laitman — and the machine that silences their testimonies 4 Lawyers and lawsuits Milwidsky under investigation, SLAPP lawsuits against critics, the path to the Knesset 5 Money and family Amutot, reports, and the financial architecture of the cult 6 Politics The 50-million bill and the personnel network inside the state 7 Checklist Signs of a cult: 11 documented markers against Hassan's criteria 8 His words Women in Laitman's teaching: the doctrine in his own words
Key figures
Hanoch Milwidsky
Bnei Baruch lawyer, Likud Knesset member. Questioned under caution at Lahav 433 on suspicion of obstruction of justice and rape.
Eli Vinokur
Vice President of Gordon Academic College. Questioned by police for obstruction of justice alongside Milwidsky.
The witnesses
Katia, Mona, and "Olesya"/A. — former participants whose testimonies of sexual assault by Laitman form the basis of the investigation.
Gilad Shadmon
Director general of the Ministry of Regional Cooperation, whose wife admitted in court under oath that she did nothing about complaints of rape by Laitman.
Hagit Telem
Former secretary and lover of Laitman. Landed a realistic slot on the Religious Zionism municipal list in Petah Tikva — the city where the cult's administrative center is located.
How we work with the material
Every claim on the site is assigned to one of four levels, so the reader can distinguish what is confirmed from what is alleged.
Documentarily verifiable
Court proceedings, media publications, dates, appointments, lawsuits, interrogations, and public documents.
Testimonies
Accounts of former participants, including the stories of Katia, Mona, Olesya/A., and materials on other complaints.
Suspicions and investigative theories
Stated as suspicions, police reports, or media publications — not as guilt established by a court.
Editorial conclusions
Drawn only where several independent lines point to the same thing: sexual abuse by the leader, dependence of participants, suppression of complaints, pressure on witnesses, legal protection, money, and political access.
Sources
The library of external publications is on a separate page: sources and materials. Each source has a number, a verification status, and a link to the relevant dossier material.
The Dossier methodology and help page explains how the evidence levels work, how to read the materials, and where former participants and their families can turn.
Who's who around the cult — leader, family, lawyers, financial nodes, political ties — is gathered into one map on the power map page.
Every accusation on this site rests on a document, testimony, or media publication. The editors draw conclusions only where facts from independent sources converge into a single picture.
