JCast Network

 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.

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, […]

Brad and Steven are back at it this week, talking about aging and how quickly time is passing.  It’s another week where so much news is happening that it’s hard to process it all, but they also talk about what’s happening in Minneapolis, the increasing threats to take over Greenland, and the offshore account that Trump […]

Brad and Steven are back for the first episode of 2026, and there’s no shortage of things to talk about. It’s hard to believe that we’re less than two weeks into the new year and how fast events are happening around the world. This week, the guys review the events of the fledgling year, including, […]

What does it really mean to choose the side of “good” — and what does it cost? In this follow-up journey back to Oz, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky explore Wicked: For Good, the second chapter of Elphaba and Glinda’s story, and what it reveals about loyalty, love, sacrifice, and the messy moral terrain between heroism and […]

What does it mean to be good? And who gets to decide? In this magical episode of PopTorah, we dive into the world of Wicked, the spellbinding prequel to The Wizard of Oz that flips the script on the nature of good and evil. Join Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky as they explore how the tale […]

This week, Brad and Steven are back for one last time in 2025. They’re talking about the 60 Minutes/Bari Weiss situation and put it in the context of the larger discussion of legacy vs. new media. They also talk about the lack of accepted truths in today’s world and wonder what this portends for the […]

What does it mean to learn, to teach, to remain faithful to ideals in a changing world? Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky discuss A Man on the Inside Season 2 — campus mysteries, human motives, and the deeper questions this witty Netflix comedy invites us to ask. Rabbis Michael Knopf and Jesse Olitzky are lifelong friends, […]

Brad and Steven are back at it this week, and what a week it’s been. Between the horrific shootings at Brown University, the despicable terrorist attack in Sydney, and the senseless murders of Rob and Michele Reiner, there has been a lot to process in a short amount of time. The guys talk about these events […]

Brad and Steven are back at it this week, talking about President Trump’s winning of the first ever FIFA Peace Prize — yay Donald! They also talk about the recently released 2025 National Security Strategy and the shift away from the rules-based international system that was created (by the US) in the aftermath of WWII. […]

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, […]

This week, Brad and Steven are back with the very, very special, post-Thanksgiving episode. The guys talk turkey (and sides) and debrief over their respective holiday gatherings. They also talk about Pete Hegseth, the erosion of political norms, and discover that there are actually a decent number of kosher restaurants in Panama City (who knew?). Have a […]

After a couple of weeks off for travel, Brad and Steven are back at it this week with a new episode, just in time for Thanksgiving. This week, the guys talk about Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “face” turn, Zohran Mamdani’s favorite restaurant, and try to come up with new ideas for their rightwing grift so they […]

The rabbis are back in session! In this episode, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky convene a Beit Din to deliberate the ethical, emotional, and existential questions raised by Netflix’s Nobody Wants This. Joined by special guest Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ, the trio puts Netflix’s most Jewish the show on […]

Brad and Steven are back at it this week, talking about the World Series, Halloween costumes and candy, and Nazis on both sides of the aisle. The big reveal in this episode is that Steven went to a David Cassidy concert as an adult. Have a listen and enjoy! You can listen to The Amen Corner […]

Taylor Swift is smiling, and so are we. In Life of a Showgirl, the world’s biggest pop star turns the page from heartbreak to happiness—finding meaning, playfulness, and joy in the spotlight. In this latest episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky explore what Jewish tradition teaches about the holiness of joy, the spiritual work of […]

After a short break for respective Parents Weekends, Brad and Steven are back with the podcast this week. They’re talking about the government shutdown, the general corruption in society, Nazis having a moment, and sugar cereal. Have a listen! You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. On iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, […]

This week, Brad and Steven are back, coming off of the High Holidays and talking about being Jewish in the world today, They talk about the rise in antisemitic violence and the impact that it’s had on how they feel about their Judaism and the safety of their families. Have a listen. You can listen […]

Brad and Steven are back at it this week, talking about the New York Times coverage of the Comey indictment, the designation of ANTIFA as a terrorist organization, Tylenol, Costco, New York City stories, and the Manischewitz truck. Have a listen and Happy New Year. You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of […]

What’s the role of a newsroom in an age of spin, clickbait, and fake news? The Paper — the new Office spinoff — takes us inside a struggling local newspaper where staffers battle not just deadlines and budgets, but the question of whether truth still matters. In this episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky […]