NEW YORK (VINnews) — HHasidic journalist and Ami Magazine White House correspondent Shloime Zionce has released a podcast interview with Rabbi Yoel Yeshaya Heshel Blum, a community activist who has spent the past two years working to assist efforts involving children and families connected to the controversial Lev Tahor sect.

The interview, recorded in upstate New York on May 27, spans more than three and a half hours and was recently uploaded to Zionce’s “Teef Teef” YouTube channel. The episode has drawn nearly 30,000 views within days of its release.

Speaking in Yiddish, Blum explains that his involvement began because his sister had been affiliated with Lev Tahor for nearly 30 years. He said her situation prompted him to become involved in efforts to help individuals affected by the group and to work with authorities investigating allegations surrounding the sect.

During the interview, Blum describes working with officials in Canada, the United States, Guatemala and Israel in efforts that resulted in children being removed from Lev Tahor communities and placed into protective custody. Lev Tahor has faced allegations of child abuse, forced marriages and other misconduct, leading to investigations and law enforcement actions in multiple countries.

Blum discusses what he described as widespread verbal, emotional, physical and sexual abuse suffered by children within the group. He explains why authorities determined it was necessary to remove children from their homes despite the emotional difficulty associated with separating families.

According to Blum, two years after a major operation involving children removed from the sect, many have since been reunited with parents who left the group and began rebuilding their lives outside of it. Others, he said, have been placed with foster families who continue to care for them while their parents work toward rejoining mainstream society.

The interview provides a detailed account of the efforts by activists, law enforcement agencies and child welfare authorities across several countries to address concerns surrounding the welfare of children connected to the sect.

Zionce is known for his reporting on Jewish communities around the world and has produced numerous interviews and documentaries focused on issues affecting Orthodox Jewry.