Pluribus’ and the Paradox of Peoplehood

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, agency, and the sacred dignity of difference, we consider how to hold the many and the one together without collapsing into conformity on the one hand or fragmentation on the other, as well as what Pluribus reveals about our own moment — when voices risk dissolving into echo chambers, tribal loyalties, or a numbing collective “join.”

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!