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.

How does one talk about, let alone resolve, the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially when people on either side of the divide don’t know or won’t talk to one another? That’s the challenging question posed by the new HBO Max film Oslo, based on the J. T. Rogers play of the same name, which dramatizes the secret back-channel negotiations between Israel and the PLO that led to the 1993 Oslo Accords. The question has taken on renewed urgency following last month’s violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky are joined by special guest Leah Solomon, Chief Education Officer of Encounter, to discuss the power of seeing and knowing the “other” and to explore what each of us can do to pursue peace.

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 Bad Batch, now streaming on Disney+, is the latest canonical Star Wars TV series from creator Dave Filoni. Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky never tire of talking Star Wars, and in this episode we talk about The Bad Batch as well as other installments in the Filoni-verse, Clone Wars, Rebels, Resistance, and The Mandalorian, and explore what these shows have to say about the complicated nature of good and evil, the spirituality of parenting, and the importance of diversity.

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.

Is the reboot of Mortal Kombat, out now in select theaters and on HBO Max, a “flawless victory” or a “fatality”? Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky are as split as a victim of Kano’s finishing move. But the movie provides a good opportunity to discuss what needs to be rebooted in Judaism, and what a Jewish reboot would, could, and should look like. The rabbis also discuss the connection between Jewish tradition and an idea in the film that everyone has an “arcana,” unique talent they need to discover and learn how to use. Test your might and join us for some Torah Kombat!

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 series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the newest Marvel Studios/Disney+ experiment in original TV content. It continues the stories of Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the events of Avengers Endgame. Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky discuss what this show has to say about the ethics of historical memory, the importance of symbolism, and the morality of power. Is a new Captain America relevant in our challenging times, and does it have anything to do with 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.

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.

Ever since the superhero team-up film Justice League, released under a cloud of tragedy and studio intrigue, bombed with critics and at the box office, director Zack Snyder’s (sometimes abusive) fans have been clamoring for Warner Bros. to release the “Snyder Cut,” the filmmaker’s fabled unadulterated vision for the movie. Four years and a reported $70 million later, the Snyder Cut has dropped, and the rabbis have…a lot of thoughts. Join them, along with very special guest Henry Bernstein (Jewish educator, Superman’s biggest fan, and co-host of the “Funny, They Don’t Look Jewish” podcast), as they talk all about this artistic and commercial curiosity, considering what — if anything — is Jewish about all of this.

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 film Nomadland from writer-director Chloé Zhao, based on the eponymous 2017 book by Jessica Bruder, is a beautiful but brooding look at economic hardship in contemporary American life. It recently won the Golden Globe for Best Picture, and is also favored to win top prizes at this year’s Academy Awards. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky as they discuss this powerful and provocative film, exploring the meaning of home, the message of sojourning in the wilderness, the challenge of the American dream, and the morality of the marketplace.

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.

Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky welcome special guest Rev. Dr. Corey D. B. Walker (Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities at Wake Forest University) to discuss the new film Judas and the Black Messiah, exploring liberation as a spiritual and religious concern, considering whether some forms of extremism can actually be right and good, and examining what it takes to build diverse coalitions for social justice and sustain a multiracial democracy.

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 documentary Framing Britney Spears, now on Hulu, is the latest installment in The New York Times Presents. It explores the complicated situation of pop star Britney Spears, whose celebrity has at times been consumed by personal drama, family strife, and legal battles over her independence. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky as they discuss Britney and Framing Britney Spears, exploring the important questions the film raises about privacy, slanderous speech, agency, and responsibility.

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.

How do we grieve for and heal from loss? What are the costs of just trying to move on and blend in? These are the central questions of the new Marvel series, WandaVision, now streaming on Disney+. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky as they nerd out on this inventive superhero show, as well as sign deep into the powerful issues it raises.

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