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This is about giving you the tools

to make new lives for yourselves.

And like anything else, it takes time. It's not always easy.

Hey, Adinah.

You wanted to tell the group...

..about something you experienced recently?

Oh, this is gonna be good.

- Oh, wait. - Um, yeah.

Uh, so, uh, I was on the subway going to work

and this man approached me in such a way.

You know, like making small talk, commenting on my skirt.

It was obvious what he wanted.

And I don't know, I was just like...

He was hitting on you.

Yeah, but this guy, he looked

like a person on TV looks like.

- Ohh. - You know, the jaw, so perfect.

Like so... Whatever.

What I'm saying is

he wasn't even trying to hide his intentions.

That's how it is - they see a shaina maidel,

and they just can't help themselves, right?

Hmm. That's just... That's the culture.

Yeah. It's crude.

- It's different. - Exactly.

I mean, life's different out here. It's, uh... This is...

This is exactly what the rabbis try to protect us from. Right?

- I mean... - Not protect us from.

To keep us from.

I'm saying maybe they're...

Some things they're right to keep us from.

- No? - Yeah, like what?

So, tell us. How was last week?

The job interview.

Oh. Um, I didn't... I didn't get the job.

Oh, sorry to hear that, Yacov. Can we talk about it?

I did the interview.

I thought it went pretty well.

Um... they were wanting me to bring in a resume and I... I...

I was writing the resume on a piece of loose paper.

That's what I've been saying.

We need more classes on this, you know?

- And basic living. - Yeah.

And your rent?

Uh... I mean, I'm struggling.

I don't... know what to say. Um...

The money's never enough. Uh...

I'm having to choose between medication and meals.

It's not so easy.

I guess it's a journey.

And being here struggling, the way you are,

is only one stop on that journey.

If we get bogged down and see this as the destination,

we lose hope.

I... just want to be normal.

And a big part of that is letting go.

Letting go of the pain.

The trauma that holds you back.

What matters is we left. Right?

No. What matters is we're moving forward.

- Yeah. - Yeah?

Oh, OK, be good.

- Are you OK? - Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm good. I'm good, I'm good.

- Want to go out for coffee? - I don't drink coffee.

Tea?

- Um... - One hot chocolate?

- Right now? - No.

Tomorrow or...

OK.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

- You sure? - Yeah, absolutely.

Good. Wanna take my number?

Oh! Um...

Take my number.

It's 917...

Wait, I just got the phone.

It's OK. The green... Yeah.

And then Contacts.

No, no. Can I?

Oh, please.

It's so cool, though, 'cause I was looking around on the net

and I found a flashlight.

And it's, like, it's my favourite.

And, I mean, having anything you find, it's unbelievable.

- You get text, right? - Yes. Yes.

OK, cool. Text me tomorrow.

And then we'll just take it from there, yeah?

OK.

- Cool. 'Bye. - Cool. OK.

- Oh. Good. - It's al... It's OK. Alright.

Sorry, I'm still learning the rules.

It's OK. We all are. It's good.

- Good. - Alright.

- 'Bye. - 'Bye.

- See you next week. - Yeah, it looks so natural.

One day...

He's here again?

Ah...

Hey!

Hey, excuse me!

Excuse me.

I thought we discussed this.

You coming here and harassing our membership.

I don't wanna call the police again.

It's OK, Lane. It's fine.

If Yacov wants to talk, he knows where to find you.

It's OK, really. It'll be OK.

Yacov, you come and get me

if this turns into something uncomfortable.

Thank you, Lane. Tonight was great. OK?

Yeah. I'll see you. Call me, yeah?

Yeah.

I'm OK. I made my choice.

Really, OK? I have my reasons for leaving, and that's it.

Ah, no.

No.

- Hmm? - No. I don't think I will.

200?

I'll do it for 5.

People in the community that don't have any family,

and no friends.

It's me, OK? I'm watching the body.

- OK. - Yeah?

- A deal? - OK. Yeah, a deal. Deal.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I never saw him out.

And the other Shomer, why was he leaving?

Mrs Litvak?

Reb?

Hello, Mrs Litvak.

I'm extremely sorry for your loss.

Who is this man? I thought you were getting a Shomer.

No.

He won't work.

He needs to leave now!

You have to leave now.

There's not going to be any problem.

Rebie, I'm coming here because I need a little bit of money, OK?

I'm agreeing to that and let's just leave it at that. Please.

- Um... OK. - OK.

- Oh, yeah? - OK.

OK.

OK.

Ugh!

Hmm.

Mrs Litvak?

Is anyone there?

No, no, no. They're only tricks.

Boing!

Oh!

Hey! Hey, little man!

- A little Jew boy. - Look at this asshole.

What the hell you're ignoring me, man?

I'm just trying to ask you a question. Slow down.

Ouch!

Working.

What?

What the heck?

Mrs Litvak?

Mrs Litvak?

Are you down here?

It's deleted.

Hello.

You've reached the voicemail of Dr Marvin Kohlberg.

I can't take your call at the moment,

but please leave a message,

including your name and phone number,

and I'll call you back as soon as possible.

If this is a medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911.

Thank you.

Hi, Dr Kohlberg.

Um, this is Yacov Ronen and, um...

..I'm sorry to call you in the middle of the night.

I don't want to bother you, but I...

I'm having a little bit of trouble right now.

Um... I'm seeing things...

..and... and I'm hearing things.

Um, it's... it's worse than it's ever been before.

And, um...

I, uh...

..I'm... I'm almost out of the pills.

So, I... was really hoping to talk to you.

I don't think that I need to go back into the hospital.

Um...

But... I would like to talk to you as soon as possible.

So if you please could just get back to me,

I'd really appreciate it, thank you.

Ahhhh.

Argh!

Ahh...

They're not nightmares.

Oh.

They're memories.

Not your memories, but...

Sorry about the mess, Mrs Litvak.

I'm gonna clean this up right now.

Why did you come here?

I'm Yacov, Mrs Litvak. I'm the Shomer.

I'm here to protect and comfort your husband's soul.

Protect it against what?

Do you know my children?

I drove them away as far as they could go.

They think they left...

..on their own accord.

That it was their choice.

Hmm.

But I drove them away.

I drove them away.

You know why...

..I made them leave?

This is not a place for children.

It was a... bunker.

In a wilderness.

A place that you go to, but never return from.

Do you know my husband?

He was broken by memories.

Hmm.

Those kind of memories that you saw.

They bite.

They bite and the biting never stops.

He was so lost, he didn't know what to do.

Mrs Litvak, I'm very sorry for waking you up.

We should get you back to sleep now.

- Mrs Litvak, your hand. - Ah! Ah! Ah!

- You've got to let me help you. - No!

You're bleeding. Please. Wait.

No, no. No.

Wait, Mrs Litvak, let me help you.

..once told me...

..that these demons who destroy us...

..who are born between the days of creation...

..given life...

..but no soul and no form.

These are not beings in the true sense of the word.

They do not have a... a will,

a connection to the higher power,

but they are animalistic.

These demons...

..they are parasites.

In tractates Berakhot...

..the Mazzikim are interchangeable

with the shedim.

But I've spent the last five decades

studying the one who followed me home from Buchenwald.

I do not know where it came from originally,

but what it has shown me, it is very, very old.

I suppose it was lying in wait,

hibernating in its way,

in the forest.

Dormant until my pain awakened it.

The Mazzik appears as a figure

with its head turned

like so.

But all the way around.

It is damned to look backwards

to stare in the past.

This demon,

it showed me dreadful things.

10 years ago,

I found an inscription in a text by Moses ben Shem-Tov.

It says the only way to escape the Mazzik

is to burn its true face

the first night it appears.

But if you do not do this by dawn...

..it will never leave you.

For me...

..this time has long passed.

When I am gone...

..the Mazzik will find another broken person.

Someone else chained

to some terrible pain they cannot let go.

When it finds its next host...

..it will slowly consume their soul

just as it did to me.

Chewing.

Gnawing down through the spiritual aspects.

The five essences of us all.

It worms its way through Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah

and Chayah.

And finally to Yechidah.

The direct link to Hashem.

Behind you.

And so I make these tapes,

I write it down, put it on the walls,

explain it,

in the hopes that whoever finds the Mazzik next

won't be doomed...

..consumed... as I was.

Hello?

Yacov.

It's Dr Kohlberg.

Dr Kohlberg! Baruch Hashem.

I'm, uh... I'm not doing so great.

Why? What's wrong?

I'm seeing things

and I'm hearing, um...

It's a lot. It's a lot.

And I, uh... I took a tablet,

one of the Ativan, a little while ago, but I...

Seeing who, Yacov?

Who are you seeing?

I don't know.

Where are you right now?

I'm in Boro Park. I, uh...

I took a job as a Shomer for the night.

Reb Shulem is paying me, so...

Are you safe?

I don't know. I think so.

These things you're seeing, do you think that they're real?

No, they can't be.

Dr Kohlberg, the... the man who was living here,

um, and his wife,

I think that they went crazy together, living in the house.

Um...

She's... She's got very bad dementia.

It's very sad.

And he...

..um... was obsessed with demons.

Demons?

Something called a Mazzik.

And is this what you think you've been seeing? A demon?

Shadows, shadows.

Yacov, we talked about what happened to your little brother,

about post-traumatic stress and your fears.

I know. I know.

Tell me, Yacov, is your heart racing?

Ferocious? Like it's gonna break your ribs?

Yes.

And you're sweating?

Uh... Uh-uh.

You are shaking?

I'm trying to calm down.

Yacov, tell me what it is that you're seeing.

I... um...

You said that it's a person.

It's shadows. Like someone in... in the shadows.

I've... I've... I don't...

The person that you're seeing,

this one that's in the shadows...

..do you think that he's really there, watching you?

No, of course not. I know he's not.

Excellent. Excellent. That's good.

Now, Yacov, I want you to...

I want you to take your time and think about this.

Can you describe this person?

Blurry. It's...

It's always...

I... I don't... I don't...

It's blurry.

I understand. That's fine.

Is his head turned backwards? Can you tell me?

What?

Is his head turned around, Yacov?

Yacov, what do you see?

Yacov, what do you see?

Uh...

What? What?

Dr Kohlberg, can you hold on for one second, please?

Hello?

Yacov, hi. It's Dr Kohlberg.

Look, I just got your message

and I'm sorry it's taken me a little bit to call you back.

I hope everything's alright.

Yacov?

Dr Kohlberg, can you hold on for one second, please?

Hello?

Yacov.

Who is this?

Yacov.

I need you to leave me alone.

Why did you let me die?

Mrs Litvak.

Mrs Litvak?

Mrs Litvak!

Do you want some tea?

It won't let you leave.

We have to go. Now.

I've left many times.

But where is there for me to go?

My obligation is to my home, my Rubin.

I can suffer.

My pain was not his.

Mrs Litvak, what won't let me leave?

The Mazzik.

It's playing with you.

The way a cat plays with a mouse.

It wants your pain.

And it will make you see things.

Terrible things.

Me, I am not enough for it.

But your agony...

We're leaving.

We have to go now.

There is something very, very wrong here.

If you run out,

the Mazzik will make you crawl right back.

Come on! Let's go!

You've already been in this house too long.

I'm gonna call Reb Shulem, OK?

We're going to come back and get you.

Just five minutes. I'll be back.

Ohhh!

Ohh.

Oh!

Oh!

Hey, what the hell's your problem?

Just trying to ask you a question.

Yo, yo, yo, stop messing around.

Relax.

Got a tough guy here, the way he comes off.

Tough guy, hey.

Look at the little Jew girl. Huh?

Relax, you little brat. We're just messing around.

- Alright, alright, alright... - Burech!

Burech!

Oh!

Ahhh.

Hello. You've reached Sarah Feldman.

I can't come to the phone. Please leave...

Um... I'm so sorry to wake you up.

- I'm so sorry. - What time is it?

4:30.

Where are you, Yacov?

Sarah, I'm, uh...

There's something evil in this house.

It was...

It was following Mr Litvak and then it was feeding off of him.

What?

I...

I think it wants me now.

Have you tried to leave?

Um... yeah, I... I...

The house, have you tried to leave?

Yes. It won't let me. It won't let me leave. I...

You need to go upstairs, Yacov.

What?

Sarah?

Don't s...

Sarah.

You just watched him die!

Sarah!

Yacov.

Yacov.

Why did you let me die?

I wasn't...

I wasn't strong for you, Burech.

I was lost in my weakness.

Please.

I'm so sorry, Burech.

I've failed you. I...

Mrs Litvak.

Thank you for the bandage.

I didn't do it.

My Rubin did.

Mrs Litvak, where is your husband now?

He's down the hall.

Wait a minute.

Here.

It may help.

In 1919,

my grandfather saw his parents murdered in Kiev.

Neighbours smuggled him out.

I loved my grandfather.

I remember most

that he davened with tallis and tefillin every day.

It is when he was truly...

..at ease with the world and himself.

If you find my Rubin...

Let him go.

Let him go.

Let him go.

Let him go!

Let him go!

Let him go.

My poor Rubin.

I often wonder what he would have become.

The father he would have been...

..had life happened differently.

Oh.

My dear.

I miss you so.

I'm gonna go out into the sunlight now.

She went out for a morning walk.

Hmm.

OK.

Look, Shulem...

OK?

But not today.

Ah!

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