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

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 decorum. Join us as we explore how Mel Brooks turned Jewish memory, trauma, and chutzpah into laughter, resilience, and resistance. 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!

Amen Corner Season 10, Episode 17

Brad and Steven are back at it this week, trying to recall all of the different news cycles they missed since the last episode. This week, they talk about the racist meme that the president posted about Former President Barack and Michelle Obama as well as the ongoing Epstein files saga — is everyone a complete scumbag??? They also talk about the winter Olympics and the New York Knicks — have a listen! You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your favorite RSS aggregator.

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

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 film exposes how faith can be manipulated, righteousness performed, and belief turned into a cover for ambition and greed. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky to explore how Wake Up Dead Man takes aim at false piety, moral certainty, and the dangerous stories people tell to justify harm. 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!

Amen Corner Season 10, Episode 16

 This week’s episode is devoted to the execution of Alex Pretti on the streets in Minneapolis by government thugs. May Alex Pretti’s memory be a blessing. You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your favorite RSS aggregator.

Shadows, Light, and Stranger Things

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, and resist the darkness — both supernatural and all too human — without surrendering hope. 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!