This week, Brad and Steven are back after another travel related hiatus. They survey how not much has changed over the past couple of weeks — it’s the calm before the storm. They take advantage of the relative quiet to talk about food choices in Saudi Arabia and Miami, the Yankees (and even the NY […]

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”— […]

This week, Brad and Steven talk about, what else? The absolute drubbing that Kamala Harris suffered in the election. What more needs to be said, you might think, and you might be right, but the guys will walk you through their thoughts on this monumental election. They talk about their biggest fears from the new administration […]

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 […]

This week, Brad and Steven are back one last time before the election to talk about, what else? The Yankees and Van Halen. Seriously, while the guys do talk about the World series fiasco and Alex Van Halen’s new memoir, they spend most of the episode talking about the last days of the campaign, how unhinged […]

This week, Brad and Steven talk about the Yankees making it to the World Series and about the meaning of fandom (not to mention how much tickets are going for!). They also discuss the decision by the owner of the Washington Post not to endorse a candidate for president as well as the ultimate “bridge and […]

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 […]

This week, for the second week in a row, Brad and Steven are back! It’s the post-Yom Kippur episode and the guys discuss whether we’re living in a simulation, flooding in Florida, green salsa in New Mexico, and how everything in the US has become supersized, except for the size of airline seats. Have a listen […]

After (another) week away, Brad and Steven are back and are talking about Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish High Holidays and the length of time that services last. They also talk about the Trump bible, the Yankees in the playoffs, what to eat when you’re in the southwest, and the best Egyptian seafood restaurant in Queens. Happy listening […]

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, […]

Brad and Steven are back this week for the second episode of the new season, and they’re talking about accountability (or the lack thereof). They start by looking at the state of the Yankees and go from there to accountability in public life and of course, among our elected officials. They also recap a bit of what […]

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 […]

Brad and Steven are back for the ninth season of the Amen Corner! In the first episode, they recap the momentous events of the past summer — President Biden’s disastrous debate, the attempted assassination of the former president, Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race, and the Yankees decision to remove Clay Holmes as their closer. […]

‘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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

This week, Brad and Steven were actually together and recorded the final podcast of the season directly from the Amen Corner studios in NYC. To celebrate the end of the season, the guys first went to the happiest place on earth — Barney Greengrass — due to a torrential downpour, they found themselves unable to […]

This week, in what is the penultimate episode of the season, Brad and Steven continue to discuss the campus wars. They also talk about the Washington Post and a recent disturbing article about Jewish power and perceived control over the mayor and police in NYC, bad coffee in the DC area, and what happens when conservatives […]

The third installment in PopTorah’s ongoing conversation about Taylor Swift, our resident rabbinic Swifties discuss her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” Spoiler alert: the reviews were decidedly mixed, and prompted some spirited conversation. We suspect many of you have strong feelings as well. Was it poetry? Or was it torture? (Don’t say we didn’t, […]

This week, Brad and Steven talk (a bit) more about the campus protests and wonder out loud if seeing a non-Arab or a non-Muslim wearing a keffiyeh is triggering. They also ask if it’s cultural appropriation for non-Middle Easterners to wear a keffiyeh. They also talk a bit about New York sports, where the Knicks and Rangers […]

This week, Brad and Steven are back after (another) week off for travel. They spend the entire episode discussing the nationwide campus protests. They talk about the meaning behind the slogans that are being chanted around the country and wonder how much the protestors understand what it is that they’re saying. They also talk about how […]

The new film, ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,’ a sequel to the ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ is a thing that exists. But should it? Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky have feelings. Is there something strange in the neighborhood? Are we ‘ready to believe’? Or is it just a matter of “If there’s a steady paycheck in it, I’ll believe anything […]

This week, Brad and Steven return from their various travels and find that the Passover Seder season is upon us. They talk about Germany, lunch in Athens, the Yankees and Knicks, and they wonder if the Amen Corner will reach the magical 33 episodes of the season. Can they do it? Tune in to find […]

The new AppleTV+ series ‘Manhunt’, adapted from James L. Swanson’s eponymous book, follows the 12 day search for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. As the hunt for Booth unfolds, it exposes a deeper conspiracy — one aimed at restoring white men to political dominance, despite the South losing the war. In this episode, Rabbis […]