Harem

After two years of being out of touch with her parents, Maya, a member of the Shabtai Tzaddik (Righteous Shabtai) cult, contacts them for the first time. They think that she wants to leave the cult. But the opposite happens: Maya succeeds in pulling her younger sister Hagar into the Shabtai "family."

Tikva, mother of Maya and Hagar, discovers that Hagar has been 'taken prisoner' by the cult and the parents appeal to the Ministry of Welfare. But the women who is in charge of foster homes in the Ministry does not believe them, and the authorities continue to perceive the father, Joel, as the primary threat to Hagar.

An investigative reporter, to whom Joel and Tikva entrusted the story, secretly films Shabtai's 'Kabala' (Jewish mysticism) lessons and then stalks the commune home. But when she approaches Shabtai, she discovers her clandestine work was redundant. He invites her to come to the commune. He has nothing to hide, he tells her.

The reporter arrives at the commune and she begins filming Shabtai and his wives. Shabtai introduces the women, but he presents Maya as being his student, and not one of his wives. Maya breaks down. Naively she had assumed that after forcing himself on her he would consider her his wife. She comes to Shabtai's quarters unannounced and confronts him, but he manages to turn the tables on her.

Joel and Maya see each other in court. Maya has requested an extension of the restraining order against her father. Joel could have sent his lawyer, but he came in person because there is no other way for him to tell Maya that her mother has been hospitalized, with a severe attack of her autoimmune disease. But Maya does not believe him.

Shabtaifears that he will lose his fragile grip on Hagar and he instructs Maya to prevent Hagar from going to the funeral. If Hagar leaves the family, he threatens, Maya will have to follow. But Hagar, despite everything, goes to the funeral, and there she hears her father's heartbreaking eulogy: the attempt to save the two girls from the cult cost Tikva her life.

Tamar is discovered by the school janitor, sleeping in some remote corner, on the floor, with cuts on her arm. The school principal, who has noted her distress before, takes her to her office and bandages her cuts. Eleanor, her mother, arrives to take Tamar home, but the principal refuses to hand her over before she sees a social worker.

Maya sees a tiny wedding dress in Shabtai's home and understands that Shabtai is indeed planning to "sanctify" his granddaughter, Tamar. Worse still, Ariel now finds out that Tamar is not Shabtai's granddaughter at all. She is his daughter. Ariel confronts his mother and discovers Atara's secret: it was Shabtaiwho got his stepdaughter pregnant.