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The new AppleTV+ series ‘Manhunt’, adapted from James L. Swanson’s eponymous book, follows the 12 day search for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. As the hunt for Booth unfolds, it exposes a deeper conspiracy — one aimed at restoring white men to political dominance, despite the South losing the war. In this episode, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky talk about how we continue to experience the consequences of this history, underscoring the Jewish imperative to uphold truth and pursue justice, and how we navigate affirming those values when they seem to be in tension with the demands of peace. Spoiler alert: Booth dies. But is justice done, delayed, or denied? And what does that mean for us today?

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!

This week, Brad and Steven follow up on their discussion of the Trump bible and talk about religious groups like Mormons and Chabad. They also talk about how Jews are becoming less welcome on college campuses and what happens when Jews are removed (or remove themselves) from public forums. Put on some headphones and have a listen!

You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your favorite RSS aggregator.

Brad and Steven are back this week after a brief hiatus with another episode of your favorite podcast. The guys catch up on some of the things they missed, like the passing of Joe Lieberman and Louis Gossett, Jr and Trump’s decision to start selling bibles. They also talk about Covid, hand washing, and staying in hotels. Have a listen!

You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your favorite RSS aggregator.

The 96th Academy Awards are behind us, and Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky are here to talk about the Torah of this year’s nominees. In this special episode, we discuss Oppenheimer, Barbie, Poor Things, The Zone of Interest, and more! Who won, who lost, who was snubbed, who stirred controversy, and who got the coveted “PopTorah Bump”? And, most importantly, which movie has the deepest Torah? Join us and find out!

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!

This week, Brad and Steven conjure up the memory of Steven’s late father, Michael Cook, to talk about how to avoid being screwed over. They’re back to talking about junk fees on auto rentals, the advantages of having lawyers and doctors in the family, and finally about a situation with Con Edison that can only be solved by calling Seven on Your Side. Have a listen and enjpy!

You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your favorite RSS aggregator.

Jon Stewart’s back, baby! The influential Jewish comic who made ‘The Daily Show’ a cultural juggernaut before leaving in 2015 has returned, for a limited time, to his old seat. Does he have what it takes to make the show, and basic cable, relevant again? Is he the political savior we’ve been waiting for, who will bring us back from the edge of the abyss? Or is everyone just out of new ideas? “The Best Freakin’ Rabbinic Team on the Planet,” Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky, talk about the inherent Jewishness of political comedy, ‘The Daily Show’s place in the pop cultural pantheon, and what Stewart’s return says about where we are — and where we might be going — as a Jewish community and as a society.

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!

This week, Brad and Steven talk about the State of the Union address, junk fees, disgraced former politicians, President Buden’s age (as if we needed more people talking about this), and wonder about pronouns. Have a listen while you enjoy the extra hour of daylight!

You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your favorite RSS aggregator.

This week, Brad and Steven are back, talking about the soon to be released Alex Van Halen autobiography, the departure of Mitch McConnell, Steven’s turn to the right, what should and should not go into scones, and just for good measure, a little about their beloved Yankees. Have a listen and enjoy!

You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your favorite RSS aggregator.

HBO’s long-running comedy series, Curb Your Enthusiasm, starring legendary comedian and ‘Seinfeld’ co-creator Larry David as a slightly fictionalized version of himself, is coming to an end with its 12th and final season. Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky take a look back at the hilarious highs and cringe-worthy lows of Larry’s many exploits, and discuss the Jewishness of it all — including what makes us kvel and kvetch about having such a successful show that is so self-consciously Jewish. Join us for this pretty, pretty…pretty good episode of 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 do you listen to PopTorah? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

This week, Brad and Steven talk about their daughters and college (spoiler alert: it involves ED and happy endings), IVF and Alabama, South Carolina, the hypocrisy of Trump supporters (we know, shocking!), and yet more about pizza. Have a listen!

You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your favorite RSS aggregator.