At an Orthodox Jewish Seder Table, a Long-Hidden Sexual Abuse Story Emerges

As extended families gather this week for their Passover seders, discussions are bound to get tense. That tension is taken to a whole other level in a new feature-length film by Toronto filmmaker and lawyer Joel Etienne, called Sisters of Fate.

In the film, an Orthodox family gathers together for Passover, when long-buried allegations of abuse at the hands of an old rabbi teacher surface, forcing everyone to break years of uncomfortable silence. Etienne and many of his actors are themselves Orthodox. They worried about staging this controversial topic on the big screen, because of how reluctant their community has been to discuss the problem and deal with the predators.

Joel Etienne and first-time actor Ahava Spillman, who plays Rebbetzin Rosen, join today’s episode of North Star, just ahead of Passover.

If you are in need of help Jewish Family & Child Service in the Greater Toronto Area runs a 24-hour phone hotline 1-800 404-1393. During business hours contact 416-638-7800

Related links

• Learn more about the film “Sisters of Fate” and the cast, and how to book screenings.
• Read The CJN’s coverage of the Rabbi Mund tria l in Montreal in 2025. The elderly teacher was acquitted of two sex crime charges, after being arrested on Passover 2022.
• Why do sexual abuse cases go unpunished in the Orthodox community, in The CJN from 2022.

Credits

• Host and writer: Ellin Bessner ( @ebessner )
• Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Andrea Varsany (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Alicia Richler (editorial director), Yael Sher (graphic designer)
• Music: Bret Higgins

Support our show

• Subscribe to The CJN newsletter
• Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt)
• Subscribe to North Star (Not sure how? Click here )
• Watch our podcasts on YouTube.
• Help others find this podcast by leaving us a review for “North Star” on Apple Podcasts via your iPhone or iPad device, or with your Android. (Spotify allows only starred ratings but you can do that, too!)