Dilemmas On Screen: A Jewish Perspective

What makes us human—and could artificial intelligence ever cross that line? Join Rabbi David Kosofsky and I as we explore the moral and philosophical questions raised by Ex Machina. As a brief overview, the movie is about programmer Caleb who is invited to evaluate Ava, an advanced AI robot, and conclude whether she passes the Turing test. Caleb becomes convinced that Ava is more than a machine. T...

What can Cinderella teach us about Jewish ethics? In this episode, join Rabbi Gershon Schaffel for a surprisingly deep journey through one of the world’s most famous fairy tales, explore questions you probably never expected Cinderella to raise: What obligations does Judaism place on caring for orphans? Does a child have to honor a stepmother — especially an unfair one? Could Cinderella wear a dre...

In one of the most iconic endings in film history, Rose closes her eyes after telling the story of the Titanic—and returns, somehow, to Jack. For many, it’s a beautiful and emotional conclusion. But for others, it raises a deeply uncomfortable question: after a lifetime of marriage, children, and family, why does Rose’s final vision center on a man she knew for just a few days? In this episode, we...

In this third episode tackling The Lord of the Rings, Rabbi Yoni Ganger (MEOR: Harvard) and I tackle one of the saga’s most powerful moral questions: Was Frodo right to show mercy to Gollum? Tolkien famously suggests that it was precisely the mercy of Bilbo and Frodo that allowed the quest to destroy the Ring to succeed. Without pity, there would have been no salvation. But from a Torah perspectiv...

In this follow-up episode to our Nobody Wants This discussion on intermarriage, we “double-click” on a listener question we didn’t fully unpack last time: what ARE Jewish values — and how do they differ from the broader Western values most of us grow up with today?  We move beyond surface-level differences like holidays or synagogue vs. church and explore deeper theological ideas and how these ide...

In this episode, we welcome back Rabbi Rick Fox to discuss Nobody Wants This, the Netflix rom-com that sneaks a very real Jewish dilemma into what looks like a light, funny love story. The show follows Joanne, a non-Jewish woman, and Noah, a Reform rabbi, who fall for each other and quickly realize that their relationship raises some uncomfortable questions neither of them can ignore. We dig into...

In this episode, join Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich and I as we dig into the world of The Office and explore the ethics of pranking. Jim’s elaborate schemes on Dwight are some of the most iconic moments in the show — but are they actually okay? What’s the Torah’s view on pranking people in general? Is it just a wholesome way of getting a laugh? Or is this just bullying, albeit orchestrated by a charm...

In this episode, join Rabbi Moshe Friedman (a.k.a. "Rav Mo") in addressing the shocking twist at the end of Avengers: Infinity War - Thanos succeeds. Equipped with the Infinity Stones, Thanos snaps his fingers and wipes out half of all life across the universe. Thanos did this to spare the remaining half what he understood was certain doom. Was Thanos right? In confronting this question, Rav Mo an...

In this episode, join Rabbi Rick Fox and I in unraveling one of the most common questions we encounter on an even daily basis: is Gd actively involved in our lives? Are things that happen to us coincidence, or purposefully orchestrated by our Creator? “We got lucky” v. “What happened here was a miracle and I want you to acknowledge it!” Who’s right, Vincent (Travolta) or Jules (Samuel L. Jackson)?...

Join Rabbi Ganger and I in exploring the movie Whiplash and how far we can push our students, children - and ourselves - in pursuing our path to greatness. Was Terrence Fletcher a visionary mentor or an abusive tyrant? Whiplash follows Andrew Neiman is a 19-year-old jazz drummer at the elite Shaffer Conservatory, the best music school in the country. He is invited to join the top studio band led b...

Join R. Siderson for the classic question: who's the bigger hero, Frodo or Sam? A deeper look into what Judaism views as heroism. The Lord of the Rings follows Frodo, a hobbit who inherits a magical ring that turns out to be the One Ring, which was created by the Dark Lord Sauron to control Middle-earth. The only way to destroy the Ring is to bring it deep into Sauron’s territory, Mordor, and cast...

In this episode, Rabbi Benzion Klatzko joins us in investigating whether taking revenge is an ideal to strive for in Jewish thinking. As background, Maximus Decimus Meridius is a loyal Roman general who leads the empire to victory in battle under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The emperor, disillusioned with his corrupt son Commodus, chooses Maximus as his successor, believing he will restore Rome to a...

In this episode, join Rabbi Yoni Spinka in working through Jim and Pam's relationship over the course of The Office. Do they represent an ideal to aspire to? If so, what are we looking to emulate? If not, what are we hoping to avoid? The Office is set the small city of Scranton, PA and centers around characters working for Dunder Mifflin, a company that sells paper. The company has multiple branch...

In this episode, join Rabbi Yoni Sonnenblick in exploring the Jewish perspective on parent-child dynamics. The Torah commands children to respect their parents - it's one of the Ten Commandments! But how far does this authority go? Does it have any limits - if so, what are they, and when do they apply? Top Gun: Maverick (2022) follows Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a top fighter pilot, who retu...

In this episode, join Rabbi Rick Fox in figuring out what the Torah would advise Neo: blue pill or red pill? Do we choose to live an illusory life of comfort, or engage harsh reality head on? And why? Neo is a computer programmer puzzled by repeated online encounters with the phrase “the Matrix”. This leads Neo to a meeting with Trinity and Morpheus and the antagonistic Agents. In turn, this leads...

In this episode, Rabbi Chaim Willis joins us in investigating what makes someone a good person. This dilemma presents itself in the depiction of Don Vito Corleone, a.k.a. "the Godfather", in The Godfather. As background, Don Corleone is the head of a mafia family in New York. He is respected and feared in the world of organized crime. He is most well-known for conducting business based on loyalty,...

In this episode, Rabbi Mordechai Becher joins us in investigating whether the intent to cause harm, but with no ill effect is considered more morally culpable than a lack of intent to harm, but with yes ill effect. This dilemma presents itself in the way Miguel and Robby fought each other on two separate occasions. As background, Cobra Kai is a TV series that serves as a sequel to the Karate Kid f...

In this episode, Rabbi Daniel Sentell joins us in working through various possible justifications for murder. The analysis centers around whether the Torah agrees with the justifications provided for Snape's murder of Dumbledore.  Severus Snape is a professor at Hogwarts. He is a suspicious character who is constantly, over the course of the series, suggested to be in league with the bad guys, and...

In this episode, Rabbi Avi Honigsfeld joins us in analyzing that age-old conundrum, particularly as popularized through a timeless childhood hero, Robin Hood: can you steal from the rich to give to the poor? Robin Hood is a legendary figure in English folklore, renowned as an outlaw who "robbed from the rich to give to the poor." His tales have been told for centuries, though Robin Hood’s historic...

In this episode, Rabbi Yoni Ganger joins us in working through a question Tolkien was asked repeatedly, a dilemma Tolkien himself wrestled with: did Frodo fail his quest on a moral level? Putting aside the fact that Frodo did not throw the Ring in, which may objectively be considered a failure - but was it subjectively? In other words, how far does free will extend, are there limits to how far fre...

In this episode, join Rabbi Jack Cohen in an incredible exploration, a question that probably hovers at our consciousness: does your life belong to you? Life is a gift, I didn't earn it, it was given to me for free. Am I making good on this gift? To ground this analysis, we take apart an old favorite, Good Will Hunting, and how Will see-saws between wanting on the one hand to use his genius and on...

In this episode, Rabbi Josh Livingstone joins us and humorously works through Darth Vader's final act of redemption. But was it enough? Did Anakin go too far in his transformation to the Dark Side, and his subsequent acts over the years? How does Judaism view redemption? What do we have to do, and is there ever a point of no return?  Anakin Skywalker was picked up as a kid by the Jedi. He was expe...

If you've ever watched a movie with a legitimate moral dilemma and wondered, "Honestly, I don't really know what the right thing to do is here" - so have we. We take those questions and dive into Judaism's perspective on those questions. What does the Torah have to see? Is it totally black-and-white? What circumstances might mitigate the dilemma? Join us for an interesting, thoughtful discussion a...

In this episode, Rabbi Moshe Friedman, or "Rav Mo", joins us in confronting how Harry should feel towards the Dursleys, and the breadth of, and some limits to, the need to feel gratitude to someone who has done you a kindness. The analysis centers around whether Harry does need to feel a sense of gratitude to them - despite their abuse of Harry, an orphan entrusted to their care!  Harry Potter is...