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PODCAST

PopTorah

Welcome to PopTorah with Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky. 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.

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

38:44

Chad Powers and the Trouble with Second Chances

PopTorah ·

2026/10/01

What happens when your shot at redemption begins with a lie? In Hulu’s Chad Powers, disgraced quarterback Russ Holliday (Glenn Powell) disguises himself as an eccentric walk-on for the struggling South Georgia Catfish (get it?), hoping to play the game he loves again. It’s a ridiculous premise with a surprisingly serious question at its heart: Can […]

en-US

35:41

We Still Believe in ‘Ted Lasso’

PopTorah ·

2026/09/17

Five years ago, we declared that we believed in Ted Lasso, whose radical kindness and relentless optimism felt like just what the world needed. Now Ted is back — this time coaching AFC Richmond’s new women’s team — and so are we. In this episode of PopTorah, we return to the Torah of Ted Lasso and ask what […]

en-US

57:49

You Seem Pretty Sad for a “Spider-Man” So in Love

PopTorah ·

2026/08/27

In this spoiler-filled episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky debate whether Spider-Man: Brand New Day succeeds as a Spider-Man story — or gets tangled in the MCU’s ever-expanding web. Along the way, we explore Peter Parker’s self-imposed isolation, the ways protecting others can become an excuse for keeping them at a distance, and the Torah’s insistence […]

en-US

55:03

A ‘Toy Story’ for the Anxious Generation

PopTorah ·

2026/07/30

What happens when playtime gives way to screen time? In this episode of PopTorah, we explore Toy Story 5’s encounter between beloved old-school toys and a new generation of smart devices. Along the way, we discuss parenting in the age of tablets and social media, the pressure children feel to fit in, what technology does to […]

en-US

40:44

Hacking It: Ambition, Reinvention, and the Friends We...

PopTorah ·

2026/06/18

In this episode of PopTorah, we dive into the acclaimed HBO series Hacks. Beneath the sharp jokes and show-business drama lies a surprisingly rich story about reinvention, aging, ambition, and the complicated relationships that shape us. Through the evolving partnership between Deborah and Ava, Hacks asks what we owe one another, whether people can truly change, and how […]

en-US

45:09

Power, Persona, and Purpose in Marvel’s “Wonder Man”

PopTorah ·

2026/03/12

In this episode of PopTorah, we dive into Marvel’s newest Disney+ series, “Wonder Man.” This isn’t just another superhero origin story. The show explores the tension between public image and inner truth, the seduction of fame, discovering your purpose and finding your people, and the difficulty of balancing safety and freedom. It’s a meta Hollywood […]

en-US

35:09

If You Got It, Flaunt It: Mel Brooks at 99

PopTorah ·

2026/02/19

In this episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky talk about Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, the HBO Max documentary celebrating Mel Brooks and a lifetime of unapologetic comedy. From The Producers to Blazing Saddles, Brooks never hid what he was doing or why — using laughter to mock power, puncture tyranny, and refuse the demand for Jewish silence or […]

en-US

37:45

Faith, False Prophets, and Fool’s Gold in Wake Up...

PopTorah ·

2026/02/05

What happens when a miracle involves a murder — and who benefits when the truth stays buried? In this spoiler-filled episode of PopTorah, we dive into Wake Up Dead Man, the darkest and most theologically charged entry in Rian Johnson’s whodunit series. Set inside a fractured church community obsessed with power, purity, and control, the […]

en-US

41:52

Shadows, Light, and Stranger Things

PopTorah ·

2026/01/22

Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky return to Hawkins for the final season of the Netflix juggernaut Stranger Things. Beyond monsters and nostalgia, the show offers a sobering meditation on fear, power, and the seductions of militarism and authoritarian control. Through a Jewish lens, the conversation explores what it means to grow up, take responsibility for one another, […]

en-US

35:42

‘Wicked’: For Good?

PopTorah ·

2026/01/09

What does it really mean to choose the side of “good” — and what does it cost? In this follow-up journey back to Oz, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky explore Wicked: For Good, the second chapter of Elphaba and Glinda’s story, and what it reveals about loyalty, love, sacrifice, and the messy moral terrain between heroism and […]

en-US

1:00:04

The Good, The Bad, and The ‘Wicked’

PopTorah ·

2026/01/08

What does it mean to be good? And who gets to decide? In this magical episode of PopTorah, we dive into the world of Wicked, the spellbinding prequel to The Wizard of Oz that flips the script on the nature of good and evil. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky as they explore how the tale […]

en-US

43:23

Mind Over ‘Mountainhead’

PopTorah ·

2025/07/10

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 […]

en-US

52:34

Andor and the Art of Resistance

PopTorah ·

2025/06/05

Set during the ascendancy of the evil galactic empire, Andor, whose full second and final season is now out on Disney+, strips away the mythic and reveals the human cost of rebellion. In this episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky explore the critically acclaimed Star Wars series that trades spectacle for soul-searching — and asks what it […]

en-US

55:10

Searching for God at ‘The White Lotus’

PopTorah ·

2025/04/17

Season 3 of ‘The White Lotus’ trades Sicilian scandal for Thai transcendence, following guests who journey to Thailand seeking serenity, connection, and maybe even enlightenment. What they find, however, is far more complicated. In this soul-searching episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky unpack the show’s exploration of wealth, power, relationships, and the search for […]

en-US

39:49

Pop-pourri — Comfort Watches for Tumultuous Times

PopTorah ·

2025/03/27

When the world seems to be going off the rails, what movies and shows do we turn to for comfort, and why? Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky are binge-watching at the edge of the abyss. Join us as we catch up on everything Jewish about our favorite pop culture offerings of this Winter of our Discontent. […]

en-US

32:37

‘You’re Cordially Invited’ … But Should You Go?

PopTorah ·

2025/03/13

Weddings are supposed to be joyous occasions—but what happens when everything goes off the rails? In this celebratory episode of PopTorah, we RSVP to You’re Cordially Invited, the new comedy that turns a dream destination wedding into a hilarious disaster. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky as they unpack the film’s themes of love, family, and […]

en-US

42:20

No ‘Pain’, No Gain

PopTorah ·

2025/02/13

What do we owe the past — and each other? In this episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky unpack ‘A Real Pain’, the poignant new film that follows two cousins on a journey through Poland, confronting history, family, and their own complicated relationship. Through the lens of Jewish tradition, we explore how grief, memory, […]

en-US

55:15

Who Wants ‘Nobody Wants This’?

PopTorah ·

2024/10/15

In this episode, we dive into the thought-provoking Netflix series “Nobody Wants This,” exploring its funny and sometimes cringey take on identity, community, and the challenges of belonging. Joined by special guest Rabbi Talia Kaplan of Congregation Beth Shalom in Overland Park, Kansas (whose hot take on the show recently went viral), Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky discuss […]

en-US

39:55

Grieving and Loving ‘Between the Temples’

PopTorah ·

2024/10/01

In this episode, we dive into ‘Between the Temples‘, a quirky new indie comedy about a cantor grappling with a crisis of faith. Starring Jason Schwartzman as Ben, a grief-stricken cantor whose life takes an unexpected turn when his former grade school music teacher (Carol Kane) re-enters his life as an unlikely Bat Mitzvah student, […]

en-US

36:20

How We Spent Our PopTorah Summer Vacation

PopTorah ·

2024/09/19

The rabbis are back from break and ready to talk Torah! The summer of 2024 delivered epic superhero showdowns, headline-grabbing streaming series, and some family-friendly fare. As the summer heat fades, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky dive into the season’s biggest pop culture moments, exploring their deeper meanings and connecting the dots to Jewish values and […]

en-US

132 results

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