PopTorah

In this episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky explore the haunting and thought-provoking world of AppleTV+’s Pluribus — a series in which nearly all of humanity becomes fused into a single hive mind, leaving only a handful of individuals to wrestle with what it means to remain distinct. Drawing on Jewish wisdom about individuality, community, agency, and the sacred dignity of difference, we consider how to hold the many and the one together without collapsing into conformity on the one hand or fragmentation on the other, as well as what Pluribus reveals about our own moment — when voices risk dissolving into echo chambers, tribal loyalties, or a numbing collective “join.”

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!

The rabbis are back in session! In this episode, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky convene a Beit Din to deliberate the ethical, emotional, and existential questions raised by Netflix’s Nobody Wants This. Joined by special guest Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ, the trio puts Netflix’s most Jewish the show on trial. What does Nobody Wants This reveal about the joys and pitfalls of clergy life, community expectations, gender, and vulnerability? With humor, honesty, and a healthy dose of rabbinic real talk, they explore what it means to lead, to love, and to be human… even when nobody wants this.

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.

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

What’s the role of a newsroom in an age of spin, clickbait, and fake news? The Paper — the new Office spinoff — takes us inside a struggling local newspaper where staffers battle not just deadlines and budgets, but the question of whether truth still matters. In this episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky explore the show’s funny, heartfelt take on journalism and why the pursuit of truth is as urgent as ever. Drawing on Jewish teachings about words, justice, and bearing witness, they unpack what it means to be people of integrity in a world where facts are up for debate and stories shape our lives.

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!

Netflix’s smash hit K-Pop Demon Hunters delivers more than catchy beats and dazzling visuals — it’s a story about guilt, redemption, and the courage to embrace who we really are. In this episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky unpack the film’s mythic lore, its banging music, its commentary on fan culture, and its deeper message: that true strength comes not from hiding our flaws, but from claiming them as part of our story.

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!

Before they’re the world’s greatest heroes, they’re a family — and family means hard choices. In Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel’s first family learns that the call to save the world can clash with the call to be there for the people we love most. In this episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky unpack the movie’s heartfelt take on loyalty, sacrifice, and what we owe to our children — and to the world.

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!

What if the real superpower isn’t leaping tall buildings — but refusing to harden your heart? In this episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky unpack the new Superman film’s bold message: that kindness is a kind of strength, and vulnerability is a virtue. With nods to Jewish teachings on welcoming the stranger, protecting life, and the sacred work of tikkun olam, we explore what this reboot gets so right — and so Jewish — about being a hero.

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!

In Netflix’s Sirens, myth meets modernity as ancient sea spirits crash into a coastal town’s contemporary chaos — leaving behind a trail of mystery, memory, and moral reckoning. On this episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky dive deep into the show’s haunting exploration of identity, womanhood, trauma, and truth — and the fragile, often painful bonds of family. What does it mean to be heard — or silenced — in a world afraid of what lies beneath the surface? Heed the siren song and join us!

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!

Mountainhead,’ the sharp new HBO film from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong, stars Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef as four tech billionaires on a poker retreat at a mountaintop villa — while the world unravels outside. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky as we unpack the film’s biting satire, shocking twists, and what it reveals about power, disinformation, the moral emptiness at the heart of tech culture, and what it means for all of us when the people shaping reality can no longer distinguish it from their own delusions.

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!

In this episode, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky dive into Netflix’s new dramedy The Four Seasons, a modern take on love, friendship, and the many seasons of life. Inspired by the eponymous 1981 film, the series invites us to reflect on aging, change, and the beauty and complexity of long-term relationships. Join us as we explore how the show’s themes resonate with Jewish wisdom about what it means to love deeply and live meaningfully.

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!