PopTorah

Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, pop culture fanboys, and lovers of all things Jewish. Join them every other week for a conversation about what’s going on in pop culture from a Jewish perspective and about Judaism through the lens of pop culture.

The 94th Academy Awards are fast approaching, and Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky are here to talk about the Torah of this year’s Best Picture nominees. In this special episode, we discuss Licorice Pizza, CODA, King Richard, Nightmare Alley, West Side Story, and The Power of the Dog (and check out previous episodes on Dune and Don’t Look Up). Who should walk away with this year’s top prize? Who will win? And, most importantly, which movie has the deepest Torah? Join us and find out!

How do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, pop culture fanboys, and lovers of all things Jewish. Join them every other week for a conversation about what’s going on in pop culture from a Jewish perspective and about Judaism through the lens of pop culture.

The new Netflix limited series ‘Inventing Anna’ is a stylish and slick version of the true story of Anna Sorokin, aka Anna Delvey, a conwoman who pretended to be a German heiress in order to swindle New York’s elite on her way to fame and fortune. The show raises provocative questions about the roles of xenophobia, misogyny, and racism in a culture that prizes fame and fortune above all, even truth and justice. Join us as our resident VIPs Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky dig deep into these questions from a Jewish perspective.

How do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, pop culture fanboys, and lovers of all things Jewish. Join them every other week for a conversation about what’s going on in pop culture from a Jewish perspective and about Judaism through the lens of pop culture.

The new ABC mockumentary series Abbott Elementary does more than fill the void left by beloved shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family. It provides a window into the good, bad, and ugly aspects of inner city public education in modern America. Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky are joined by Dr. Hollee Freeman (a former teacher, nationally recognized education expert, and Executive Director of the Math Science Innovation Center) to discuss the show, what it says about the current state of public education in the US, and how it all connects with Jewish values.

How do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, pop culture fanboys, and lovers of all things Jewish. Join them every other week for a conversation about what’s going on in pop culture from a Jewish perspective and about Judaism through the lens of pop culture.

The new Disney animated feature ‘Encanto’, now streaming on Disney+, has become a sleeper hit. If you have young children — and, let’s be honest, even if you don’t — you are probably listening to the soundtrack on loop. And for good reason. ‘Encanto’ is a charming story featuring gorgeous animation, an all-Latinx cast, and music that absolutely slaps. It also explores meaningful themes like family and individuality, tradition and change, discovering your gifts and embracing your limits. Join Rabbis Knopf & Olitzky as they most definitely talk about Bruno — and everything else ‘Encanto’ — on this enchanting episode of PopTorah.

How do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, pop culture fanboys, and lovers of all things Jewish. Join them every other week for a conversation about what’s going on in pop culture from a Jewish perspective and about Judaism through the lens of pop culture.

The new Netflix film ‘Don’t Look Up,’ starring a host of Hollywood A-listers, is a satire about climate change, climate denial, political ineptitude and our collective failures to confront the significant challenges that face us. Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky are joined by legendary Jewish social justice leader Rabbi Arthur Waskow to explore how we as Jews should be thinking about the issues the film raises about the climate crisis, the media, social media culture, and our broken politics.

How do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, pop culture fanboys, and lovers of all things Jewish. Join them every other week for a conversation about what’s going on in pop culture from a Jewish perspective and about Judaism through the lens of pop culture.

When it originally came out, The Matrix trilogy was a pop culture phenomenon, changing the way movies were made, and influencing the way we think about technology, politics, gender, sexuality, violence — even the nature of reality itself. The new sequel, The Matrix Resurrections, attempts to, well, resurrect the franchise, but does it capture our imaginations like its predecessors? Free your mind, as Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky take the red pill and tumble down the rabbit hole of The Matrix Resurrections.

How do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, pop culture fanboys, and lovers of all things Jewish. Join them every other week for a conversation about what’s going on in pop culture from a Jewish perspective and about Judaism through the lens of pop culture.

Hawkeye, the MCU hero everyone loves to hate (or hates to love), is back with his very own limited series on Disney+ and this time…it’s personal. Seriously. As the sharp-shooting Avenger wrestles with grief and guilt and tries to make amends for his morally questionable choices, he also must come to terms with what it means to be a role model and take down a mysterious criminal syndicate, all while trying to make it home for Christmas. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky as they discuss why (or whether) Hawkeye matters, what it means to be a hero, the process of Teshuvah, and the true meaning of Christmas (just kidding).

How do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, pop culture fanboys, and lovers of all things Jewish. Join them every other week for a conversation about what’s going on in pop culture from a Jewish perspective and about Judaism through the lens of pop culture.

’The Beatles: Get Back’ is a new three-part docuseries on Disney+ chronicling the legendary rock band’s process of creating and recording Let it Be, their final album as a group, and last live performance. Painstakingly and beautifully adapted from many hours of previously unseen video footage and audio (some of which was used in Michael Lindsey-Hogg’s divisive 1970’s documentary Let it Be), producer-director Peter Jackson sheds new light on the Beatles extraordinary creativity, and on the tensions that ultimately caused the band to break up. Special guest Billy Planer, founder and director of Etgar 36, joins Rabbis Knopf & Olitzky to discuss the show and explore its themes from a Jewish perspective.

How do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, pop culture fanboys, and lovers of all things Jewish. Join them every other week for a conversation about what’s going on in pop culture from a Jewish perspective and about Judaism through the lens of pop culture.

The winter holiday season always heralds an abundance of Christmas-themed movies, shows, and music, but entertainment that centers on Hanukkah is harder to come by. But as always, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky have you covered for all things Jewish and pop culture related, sharing their favorite Hanukkah pop culture moments. Gather ‘round the menorah, grab a latke, spin the dreidel, and enjoy this special Hanukkah episode of PopTorah!

How do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, pop culture fanboys, and lovers of all things Jewish. Join them every other week for a conversation about what’s going on in pop culture from a Jewish perspective and about Judaism through the lens of pop culture.

Dune, now in theaters and streaming on HBOMax, is a sprawling (and some might say overly ponderous) epic adapted from Frank Herbert’s legendary sci-fi series. Featuring an all-powerful psychotropic mineral, a race of space witches, personal force fields, giant sand worms, and (for some reason) a character named Duncan Idaho, Dune explores themes such as power, greed, the nature of heroism — topics about which Judaism also has a lot to say. And the simultaneous release of such a big movie on the big and small screens raises provocative questions about both the future of movies and of religion. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky on a journey to the planet Arakis in the year 10,191 and back down to Earth on this interstellar episode.

How do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!