In this spoiler-filled episode of PopTorah, Rabbis Knopf and Olitzky debate whether Spider-Man: Brand New Day succeeds as a Spider-Man story — or gets tangled in the MCU’s ever-expanding web. Along the way, we explore Peter Parker’s self-imposed isolation, the ways protecting others can become an excuse for keeping them at a distance, and the Torah’s insistence that “it is not good for a human being to be alone.” Does great responsibility sometimes mean great loneliness? Join us as we get into the swing of things!
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.
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- You Seem Pretty Sad for a “Spider-Man” So in Love - August 27, 2026
- The Odyssey and the Long Road Home - August 13, 2026
- A ‘Toy Story’ for the Anxious Generation - July 30, 2026





