Épisodes

  • Pluribus’ and the Paradox of Peoplehood

    Pluribus’ and the Paradox of Peoplehood
    Dec 4 2025
    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, […]
    Voir plus Voir moins
    40 min
  • Bringing ‘Nobody Wants This’ Before the Beit Din

    Bringing ‘Nobody Wants This’ Before the Beit Din
    Nov 13 2025
    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 […]
    Voir plus Voir moins
    1 h et 2 min
  • The Rabbis Are Kvelling for Tay-Tay

    The Rabbis Are Kvelling for Tay-Tay
    Oct 30 2025
    Taylor Swift is smiling, and so are we. In Life of a Showgirl, the world’s biggest pop star turns the page from heartbreak to happiness—finding meaning, playfulness, and joy in the spotlight. In this latest episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky explore what Jewish tradition teaches about the holiness of joy, the spiritual work of […]
    Voir plus Voir moins
    44 min
  • Extra! Extra! The Torah of ’The Paper’

    Extra! Extra! The Torah of ’The Paper’
    Sep 25 2025
    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 […]
    Voir plus Voir moins
    42 min
  • Holy Harmony in K-Pop Demon Hunters

    Holy Harmony in K-Pop Demon Hunters
    Sep 11 2025
    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 […]
    Voir plus Voir moins
    41 min
  • ‘Fantastic Four’ the World… or Just Your Family?

    ‘Fantastic Four’ the World… or Just Your Family?
    Aug 28 2025
    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 […]
    Voir plus Voir moins
    42 min
  • Superman’ is a Super-Mensch

    Superman’ is a Super-Mensch
    Aug 7 2025
    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, […]
    Voir plus Voir moins
    1 h et 2 min
  • Sound and Fury, Sisters and ‘Sirens’

    Sound and Fury, Sisters and ‘Sirens’
    Jul 24 2025
    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 […]
    Voir plus Voir moins
    38 min