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.

What is the meaning and purpose of our lives, and what happens to us after we die? These are the central questions every person grapples with at one point or another, and, amazingly, they are the questions at the heart of a new children’s movie, Disney/Pixar’s ‘Soul,’ featuring the voices of Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky as they discuss the very adult issues raised by this uncommonly deep and complex kid’s movie.

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.

Almost exactly one year ago, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky talked about the so-called “Streaming Wars” upon the launch of Disney+, discussing what the new media landscape can teach us about spiritual and religious life in America today. With the pandemic upending our lives and Warner Bros. releasing its highly-anticipated Wonder Woman 1984 direct to streaming on HBO Max, the Rabbis revisit this conversation, and unpack the Jewish messages in the superhero sequel.

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 rabbis are talking Christmas! Seriously. The new Hulu Christmas movie, Happiest Season, raises challenging questions about what LGBTQIA+ inclusion looks like in our households and our communities in the 21st century. Special guest CJ Prince, Executive Director of North Jersey Pride, joins Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky to discuss the movie, her own experience coming out as gay in an Orthodox Jewish community, and what congregations should be doing today to be welcoming, supportive, and safe spaces for all.

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.

Time out! Put on your favorite neon tank top, crank up Hot Sunday on your Walkman, and make it to the corner before the bus flies by — cuz we’re going back to Bayside High! We’re so excited, we’re so excited, we’re so…scared (not really; we’re mostly excited…we just couldn’t resist on that one)! In this very special episode, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky talk about the new Saved by the Bell reboot on Peacock, discussing how the new series highlights privilege, allyship, equity, and the value of young people’s perspectives. Get ready for a Zack Attack on 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.

At the age of 15, Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg made a sign reading “Youth Strike for Climate” and camped out in front of the Swedish parliament to draw attention to the climate crisis. Little did she know at the time that this one modest act would be the spark that would ignite a global movement. Special guest Claudia Sachs, a Jewish teenager from Richmond, Virginia who has become a climate justice leader, joins Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky to talk about the new Hulu documentary ‘I am Greta’, discussing what Judaism says about the global climate crisis and the importance of youth activism.

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.

In the span of just two weeks, we were gifted with two new(ish) Aaron Sorkin gems — a West Wing reunion special on HBOMax, and the film The Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix. West Wing and Chicago 7 both address the ways change does and doesn’t happen in America, which make them perfect for thinking and talking about the upcoming presidential election and the state of American democracy today. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky as the welcome special guest Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster (Deputy Director of T’ruah) for an important and timely conversation about human rights, protest, voting, and bending the arc of the moral universe toward justice.

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+ / National Geographic series The Right Stuff, based on the eponymous novel by Tom Wolfe, depicts the Mercury initiative, NASA’s early 1960’s program to send American astronauts into space. Focusing on Alan Shepard, the first American to leave the Earth’s atmosphere, and John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, The Right Stuff raises interesting questions about hero worship, the relationship between scientific progress and war, and what “the right stuff” really is. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky for a truly out-of-this-world conversation about these questions, and more.

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.

On Erev Rosh Hashanah, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. The magnitude of this loss cannot be overstated, for the Jewish community and for the country. Special guest Dr. Judith Rosenbaum, CEO of Jewish Women’s Archive, joins Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky to talk about RBG’s legacy, her late-in-life iconic place in pop culture, and the Jewish values reflected in her life’s work.

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.

In their very first episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky discussed the Amazon Prime series, The Boys. Well, The Boys are back for a second season, and the rabbis celebrate the podcast’s one-year anniversary by discussing the dark superhero satire, weaving in a conversation about truth, justice, revenge, and forgiveness that is both timeless and deeply resonant for the upcoming High Holy Days.

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