Episodes
This week, Brad and Steven talk about the right-wing grift that they’re going to run, the lack of discussion around Trump’s cognitive decline, the ongoing war in Gaza, and flight delays. Happy listening! You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your favorite RSS aggregator.
Published 01/21/24
The new musical ‘Wonka,’ a prequel of sorts to the beloved Roald Dahl novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and the classic Gene Wilder film based on it, is a celebration of imagination, lovingkindness, and, of course, chocolate. Grab your golden tickets and go on a tour of the factory — watch out for that […]
Published 01/18/24
This week, Brad and Steven discuss college — the cost, the value, the job prospects, and the purpose. Unsurprisingly, they compare the process today to how it was back in the “old days,” when they were going through it themselves. They also touch on the Israel-Palestine conflict and how it was supposed to be over […]
Published 01/14/24
This week’s episode is coming to you a bit later in the week than usual, but we’re trying to keep to our New Year’s resolution and doing the podcast as often as possible. We talk about flight delays, perception versus reality and what’s more important in today’s political climate, and of all things, Tulsa. Happy Listening! […]
Published 01/09/24
It’s been an interesting and somewhat challenging year for superhero movies, with the once seemingly invincible Marvel Studios showing signs of wear and tear. For example, the studio’s latest tentpole team-up film (and one of its best in years), ’The Marvels,’ is now widely regarded as its first-ever commercial flop, and the actor Jonathan Majors, […]
Published 01/04/24
It’s the final episode of 2023 and this week Brad and Steven are talking about the year ahead and the one that just passed. For better or worse, the guys’ New Year’s resolution is to continue to do the Amen Corner, hopefully more regularly. At any rate, have a listen and here’s to a better 2024! […]
Published 12/31/23
This week, Brad and Steven are back after a brief hiatus. Their moods, however, continue to be “meh” in the extreme as they still try to make sense of what’s happening all around us. Adding injury to insult, both of them had to deal with emergency rooms over the past few days, but each had a completely […]
Published 12/17/23
The new sports comedy ‘Next Goal Wins,’ directed by Taika Waititi, is based on the true story of American Samoa’s soccer team as it attempts to overcome its embarrassing status as the worst team in the sport’s history. The film stars Michael Fassbender as Dutch-American coach Thomas Rongen, who has the unenviable task of helping […]
Published 12/14/23
Much of this week’s episode is devoted to a discussion between Brad and Steven about the 45-minute video compiled and screened by the government of Israel that documents the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists on October 7. The video contains footage from body cameras of the Hamas attackers, closed-circuit footage, video from victims’ cellphones and from first responders […]
Published 12/03/23
The new miniseries on Netflix, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher,’ is many things all at once: a love letter to Edgar Allen Poe, a gothic horror masterpiece, and a biting social commentary reminiscent of HBO’s ’Succession.’ Loosely based on a Poe story of the same name — and brimming with references to other […]
Published 11/30/23
This week, Brad and Steven talk about their Thanksgivings and wonder if there’s such a sting as too many kinds of pie. They also discuss New York City doormen, how important they are in the daily lives of the people in their buildings, and why we should tip them. TOf course, they also talk about the ongoing […]
Published 11/26/23
This week, Brad and Steven try to talk about subjects other than the war in Gaza. They discuss the latest Yankees woes and a little bit about Thanksgiving, but come back to the elephant in the room and, once again, the Middle East takes center stage in the conversation. Have a listen, remember our shared humanity […]
Published 11/19/23
Taylor Swift’s long-awaited “Eras” tour was not only the pop cultural event of 2023, it was one of the most successful concert tours in music history. Each night Taylor took fans on an epic three hour tour of her career. And she has followed up on that success by releasing a film version of her […]
Published 11/16/23
This week, Brad and Steven continue to talk about the war in Israel and Gaza and its impact on Jews around the world. They talk about a number of physical altercations that have taken place on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and return to the subject of antisemitism and anti-Zionism on campus. Have a listen. […]
Published 11/12/23
You know that Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky are lifelong friends, but did you know that they met as teenagers on a youth group summer trip to Israel? And did you know that they lived down the street from one another in Jerusalem for a year? Now, Israel is a central and inseparable part of their […]
Published 11/02/23
This week, Brad and Steven continue to talk about the situation in Israel and Gaza and the repercussions that are being felt around the US, particularly on college campuses. They also talk about the new Speaker of the US House of Representatives as well as the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. Please have a listen. […]
Published 10/29/23
This week, Brad and Steven talk about the spillover effects of Israel’s war in Gaza — from the frontlines to the academy to the streets of Paterson. 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.
Published 10/22/23
Disney and Pixar’s latest animated feature, Elemental, became a sleeper hit at the box office this summer. Using the interaction of various elements as an extended metaphor for the immigrant experience and striking the balance between honoring one’s past while charting their own future, the movie has a lot of resonance with Jewish history and tradition. […]
Published 10/19/23
This week, Brad and Steven talk about the horrific Hamas terrorist attack against Israel. You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your favorite RSS aggregator.
Published 10/15/23
This week, Brad and Steven talk about the flooding that hit New York, the normalizing of the abnormal and whether or not rabbis should talk about politics in their Yom Kippur services. Have a listen and enjoy! You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or your […]
Published 10/01/23
Back in May, film and television writers went on strike. Actors joined them on the picket lines in July, leading to the longest strike in Hollywood history (the WGA recently ended it’s strike when it struck a new deal with the studios, and it is expected that SAG-AFTRA will follow suit shortly). In this very […]
Published 09/28/23
 Brad and Steven are back with the first episode of Season Eight of the Corner. They’re back to their usual banter about the Jewish High Holidays, the best food for breaking the fast, Lauren Boebert, and the lack of accountability in our society. All in all, it’s like they’ve never been gone — have a listen […]
Published 09/24/23
Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky seem like they would be the target audience for Adam Sandler’s new Netflix movie, You’re So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah. But while the film covers some explicitly Jewish subject matter, the rabbis had mixed feelings about it — as an Adam Sandler comedy, and as a piece of Jewish art. […]
Published 09/14/23
It’s official — ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ are this summer’s unlikely “it” couple! This summer, we’re all obsessed with the World’s Most Famous doll taking on the patriarchy and wrestling with mortality, and the Father of the Atomic Bomb struggling with his conscience and (maybe) starting a chain reaction that will destroy the world. It all […]
Published 08/24/23
The Bear, whose first two seasons are currently streaming on Hulu, follows Carmy Berzatto, a rising superstar in the culinary world, as he seeks to revitalize his brother Mikey’s Chicago dive following Mikey’s suicide. The show masterfully explores very Jewish themes, like honoring difficult parents, carrying on a legacy, dealing with grief and guilt, the ethics […]
Published 08/03/23