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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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

What does it mean to learn, to teach, to remain faithful to ideals in a changing world? Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky discuss A Man on the Inside Season 2 — campus mysteries, human motives, and the deeper questions this witty Netflix comedy invites us to ask. Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]