Episodes

  • “Yellowstone” and the Battle for the Soul of America

    “Yellowstone” and the Battle for the Soul of America
    Nov 21 2024
    In this episode, we dive into the rugged and ruthless world of “Yellowstone,” where questions of legacy, land, and loyalty play out against a stunning yet unforgiving backdrop. Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky explore the show’s themes of justice, tradition, and the pursuit of power, asking what it means to protect — and even “make great”— […]
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    43 mins
  • Right, Wrong, and ‘Agatha All Along’

    Right, Wrong, and ‘Agatha All Along’
    Nov 7 2024
    In this episode, we explore the spellbinding new Marvel TV series “Agatha All Along” (streaming on Disney+), where the lines between power, control, and deception blur in thrilling ways. Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky dive deep into the show’s themes, unpacking its clever take on leadership, hidden motives, change and the lengths people go to maintain […]
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    41 mins
  • Who Wants ‘Nobody Wants This’?

    Who Wants ‘Nobody Wants This’?
    Oct 15 2024
    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 […]
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    55 mins
  • Grieving and Loving ‘Between the Temples’

    Grieving and Loving ‘Between the Temples’
    Oct 1 2024
    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, […]
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    40 mins
  • How We Spent Our PopTorah Summer Vacation

    How We Spent Our PopTorah Summer Vacation
    Sep 19 2024
    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 […]
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    36 mins
  • We’re All In on ‘Inside Out 2’

    We’re All In on ‘Inside Out 2’
    Jul 11 2024
    ‘Inside Out 2’ is the sequel to the critically acclaimed and widely beloved 2015 Disney/Pixar animated film ‘Inside Out,” and is proving to be just as successful. By depicting the inner life of an adolescent girl, these films explore how our emotions shape us, for good and for ill. The sequel adds to this by […]
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    41 mins
  • Dune: Part 2: More Power Dynamics, Less Platform Disruption

    Dune: Part 2: More Power Dynamics, Less Platform Disruption
    Jun 20 2024
    Dune: Part 2, now streaming on Max, continues the sprawling epic adapted from Frank Herbert’s legendary sci-fi series. Featuring an all-powerful psychotropic mineral, a race of space witches, personal force fields, giant sandworms, Dune explores themes such as power, greed, the nature of heroism, and intersectional liberation — topics about which Judaism also has a […]
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    56 mins
  • X-Mensches

    X-Mensches
    May 30 2024
    Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97, now streaming on Disney+, is a reboot/sequel to the X-Men animated series that was beloved by older Millennials who grew up in the ‘90s. The sequel is smoother and shinier, but still possesses the same spirit that made the original series so popular: mutant melodrama and pulse-pounding action set-pieces, combined with thinly-veiled political commentary […]
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    44 mins