Dilemmas On Screen: A Jewish Perspective

What if the afterlife isn’t a reward you cash in after death—but the natural consequence of who you became during your life?

In this episode of Dilemmas On Screen, join Rabbi Moshe Friedman and I as we dive into The Good Place and its surprisingly deep exploration of heaven, hell, morality, and what happens after we die.

We unpack the show's different versions of the afterlife and compare them with Jewish thought. Is di...

Should Batman be arrested? Was Captain America right to reject government oversight in Captain America: Civil War? Should Superman answer to the law, or only to his own conscience?

From Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and The Avengers to The Boys and Dexter, superheroes and vigilantes constantly face the timeless moral question: is it ever right to take the law into your own hands?

In this episode of Dilemmas On Screen: A Jewish Pers...

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. The central question of this e...

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:

1. What obligations does Judaism place on caring for orphans?
2. Does a child have to honor a stepmother — especially an unfair one?
3. Could Cinderella wear a dress made from disca...

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 explore the tens...

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 perspective—is that really true?

...

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 ideas may...

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 the core issue the series keep...

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 charming bu...

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 and I address a question, perhaps THE...

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)?

As a...

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 by Terence Fletcher, a highly respec...

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 it into the fires of Mount D...

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 republic and return power to the Se...

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 branches, but we’re mostly focused ...

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 returns to the elite Top Gun flight sch...

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 to the scene where Mor...

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, favors, and a strict moral code&md...

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 film franchise. The show focuses on ...