Do you ever wish you could tell the future? Or have some kind of spiritual mirror that reveals your destiny? Does it ever feel like your life is falling apart because mercury is in retrograde? These are all common expressions and ideas from the secular world; Concepts that mix with Judaism like water and oil, simply having no place in common with Jewish discussion. Then you remember, we do everything off of the lunar calendar. Surely the galaxy is involved somehow which means... it's not a far f...
Jan 17, 2024•35 min
The spirit of the Jewish people is challenged by the fact that most of us don't have a direct way to participate in this war. Between that simple fact and the negativity spewing off social media, it's easy to fall into a pit of helplessness. It's completely valid to feel down. However... Shoshanna Stein from @MySoCalledJewishLife is a spiritual warrior. She interviews with the host of Bad Jew, Chaz Volk, to highlight how she fights this war from a pragmatic place. Her passion and efforts are hig...
Jan 10, 2024•32 min
Israel's strength is once again being challenged in a multi-front war. Everyone's willpower has been tested from the top of government to everyday citizens. Once, it was only the South that was at risk. The general consensus among Israeli citizens is that everyone just has to try and do their part and attempt to carry on with daily life. For the most part, this is doable, and from what many are saying, requires little adjustment. However, Israelis from all corners are seasoned with similar confl...
Jan 03, 2024•42 min
Surely you've heard the chant "Free Palestine" but have you asked yourself What is Palestine? It'd be irresponsible not to do your research. Perhaps you'd be surprised to learn it was never a state but rather a land. You may also be surprised to learn that Jews, Christians, and Arabs alike were once called Palestinian. What regional features define the land of Palestine and what are we 'freeing'? Who are we giving the freedom to anyway? These are all such important questions to ask, especially a...
Dec 28, 2023•34 min
If you're a Jew, life feels like chaos right now. How can you not spiral into the anxiety-induced environment we're in? If you're like us, you go from your phone (filled with terrible news stories coming out of Israel), to your local supermarket (wondering who's going to scope you out and say something because you're Jewish), only to wind up back home where the normal everyday responsibilities of existing piles up. This is because our identities and the general public are suddenly clashing. Whet...
Dec 20, 2023•33 min
Yes, some hostages are back but the war still rages on. To say Israel hasn't been the same since October 7th is an understatement, to say the least. The country pre-war was more divided politically than it had ever seen. There was political unrest, which was a reaction to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial reform. Protests and demonstrations were being made in front of the Knesset and other government properties. However, in the strange and miraculous way that Israelis function, the co...
Dec 13, 2023•34 min
It's time to light our candles, fill our donuts with jelly, and spin our dreidels. American Jewry's favorite Jewish holiday is here! Hanukkah. Channukah? Chanukkah? Which spelling do you go by? Regardless, this time is marked by festive parties, gift exchanges, and family time. With the international crisis of the Jewish identity, with the war in Israel raging on, we need this positivity for our mental health's sake! No less, one has to ask themselves "What is the origin of this holiday?" When l...
Dec 06, 2023•38 min
If you've been keeping up with the news, you've probably noticed a group of Jews who have protested in a different style than most when it comes to Israel. In fact, these protests aren't pro-Israel rallies. They're anti-Zionist rallies that have taken to pro-Hamas rhetoric and slanders that are quite dangerous for Zionist Jews globally. From takeovers of government buildings to blockades, Jewish Voice for Peace has taken advantage of the vulnerable place Israel is in and has capitalized on the o...
Nov 29, 2023•37 min
There's something uncanny happening in the background of the Israel-Hamas war right now. Do you see it? The Torah seems to be predicting... everything. In the recent Torah portion of Noah's Arc, "Hamas" is mentioned twice... TWICE! Since then there have been other important correlations that have acted as milestones in this conflict. With the eyes of the world focused on the Middle East, Torah-observant Jews have made it clear that there's something to be said about the coincidental appearance o...
Nov 22, 2023•35 min
Israel is in the depths of a bloody war. Jews inside and outside of Israel don't feel safe. Antisemitism across the world is on the rise. Anything with a Jewish symbol on it is targeted. Echoes from the PTSD-induced horrors of the holocaust sound louder than ever. How does one smile during these dark times? Influencer and promoter Uri Cohn has an answer. Embracing his hard-to-hide Israeli identity, he walks the streets of "Jew York" proudly. Accustomed to the protests happening in the Big Apple,...
Nov 15, 2023•33 min
There's a phenomenon where pro-Hamas supporters have torn down the posters of the kidnapped. On October 7th, 2023, on our happiest day of the year (Simchat Torah), terrorists from Gaza launched a heinous attack killing 1,400 Israelis including men, women, and children, while forcefully kidnapping 240+ other Israelis. Since then, a brutal war of severe magnitude has reigned on. By the time this podcast aired, a grand total of 2 hostages had been returned. The rest are still out there and several ...
Nov 08, 2023•38 min
I think it's safe to say that the person who has the toughest job in the world right now is President Joe Biden. How do you support your allies, allocate funds and war effort on multiple fronts, and prevent World War 3 all while maintaining order? The answer: It's probably impossible. Meanwhile, the United States of America is 1 year away from another big election. This election will be a flashpoint in American history and will impact the future indefinitely. These are factors that the president...
Nov 01, 2023•39 min
Let's play "Put A Finger Down". Put a finger down if you've had to unfriend people from your life for only listening to one side of the conflict. Put a finger down if you've gotten into arguments in the comments section. Put a finger down if the buzzwords "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide" have polluted your content. Put a finger down if your friends still don't understand why commenting "free Palestine" is antisemitic. Put a finger down if you've been accused of committing genocide. Jews are not...
Oct 25, 2023•56 min
The war we're experiencing in Israel (started by Hamas from Gaza on October 7th, 2023) isn't the first dark time we Jews have endured. You'd have to live under a rock to think that we have never experienced such atrocities like this before. Looking back only 100 years, one could get a sample of understanding as to where we Jews acquired our thick skin. Would you suspect that our strength comes from poetry? Rabbi and frequent reciter of Tehillim, Rabbi Josh Franklin of the Jewish Center of the Ha...
Oct 18, 2023•40 min
On October 7th, 2023, on the festive holiday of Simchat Torah, Israel's southern border was infiltrated and attacked by the terrorist organization, Hamas. Celebrations were abruptly hindered and ceased by the deliberate targeting of Israeli civilians across the country. In a historically shocking development, the highest number of Jewish murders since the holocaust unfolded. Entire villages were torn apart, leaving behind a graphic trail of blood that Israel has never seen before. As the world m...
Oct 11, 2023•35 min
There's this fun holiday that a lot of us Jews grew up celebrating. It felt like camping, especially when we constructed our huts, throwing loose tree debris and branches on top. Then we'd shake fruit in every direction because of something to do with G-d. It didn't make a ton of sense but it was fun so we did it. Why is this holiday so important? Sukkot is a special holiday that comes right after Yom Kippur. It's our time to commemorate those who had just left the oppression of Egypt to wander ...
Oct 04, 2023•40 min
Clasp your hands together and mumble intently your needs to a vacant space. That's called prayer. Does it work? What about when you read Hebrew from that little blue book in your shull? Did your prayers work then? Or how about when you wrapped that leather strap called Tefillin around your arm? Did Hashem hear you? The truth is, no one knows. Depending on who you talk to, they either swear by it and tell the tales of a mass revelation or the effort is sadly futile. What are we to think? Brad Web...
Sep 27, 2023•36 min
Most Jews have a real difficulty with this holiday. Jews love to eat. We love to shmooze over meals. Then there's Yom Kippur which is notoriously known for the 25-hour fast. Why must we starve ourselves? And why does this tradition go on for so long? How does neglecting my stomach purify me and why is everyone wearing white? In this episode of Bad Jew, Rabbi Jack Melul of AishLIT comes back to the show to shed light on the nuances of Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is much more than fasting, and as a mat...
Sep 20, 2023•43 min
Happy New Year!... But wait, it's September... Why would we say that? Us Jews have our own calendar that follows the lunar cycle. Based on that and the timing of when we created our calendar in the first place, the Jewish calendar doesn't come close to lining up with that of the secular world. You may also hear horns blow and notice a deficit of apples and honey in your local grocery store. Yes, there's a correlation to the Jewish New Year as well. Why is this an annual ritual of ours? David Sac...
Sep 13, 2023•26 min
Can you point to Hashem? Is he up? Down? Left? Right? All of those directions are correct. We've heard that G-d is everywhere. So if he, or it, is everywhere and we can't see it, how can we believe it? Where's the proof? A majority of studies led by top scientists have pointed to G-d not existing. The religious leadership of our world attempts to disprove science's theory... but isn't doing particularly well. What are we supposed to believe? An even bigger question to ask: If G-d exists but does...
Sep 06, 2023•36 min
When was the last time you spoke with a stranger? Maybe it was when you were on the subway or when you were at a restaurant. Maybe it was at the grocery store. Maybe it was at your favorite sports event. It might've been recently. But when was the last time you spoke about religion or politics with a stranger? That's a much more difficult task, isn't it? Benny Greenstein aka BennyJeee is a professional conversation starter. He approaches people on the street to explore any random idea that comes...
Aug 30, 2023•38 min
What is a relationship? And in which context are we defining it? These general questions are too vague to answer simply. A 'relationship' tends to be romantic. Expanding on that, it can be with your very own health (physical and/or mental). You can have a relationship with your family, your community, your neighborhood, and even G-d. When G-d enters the picture, one might even realize that the divine is in... everything, and thus awesome relationships can have a certain sense of G-d conscious aw...
Aug 23, 2023•32 min
Russia's invasion of Ukraine displaced thousands of civilians and endangered thousands more. The unprecedented violence and trauma caused by Vladimir Putin's war would've led to a depletion in morale if it wasn't for the inspiring resistance against Putin. The leadership of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian armed forces, and international aid has given the average person hope. Ana Sazonov is no stranger to international service. Sazonov embodies the value of tikkun olam, or "repair the world" b...
Aug 16, 2023•37 min
Do you ever wake up with a punim only a mother could love? Do you sometimes schlep through your day feeling like bupkes? Do you ever schmooze with people whose shtick is to prove who has more chutzpah over the others? Don't be so meshuggeneh! Get your tuches out of your head and nosh on this podcast so you can kvell about it to your friends! Ann Toback of the Workers Circle leads an organization whose roots come from Yiddish. Leading one of the premier Yiddish disciplines in the country, she rev...
Aug 09, 2023•33 min
With lightning, there is thunder. With death, there is grieving. It's a natural part of life. We covered in the last episode the rituals that come with death. Traditional Judaism urges mourners to bury their loved ones so that their souls could be put to rest as soon as possible. There are other traditions and customs that stem from the Torah. But what does the Torah say about the recovery process after the fact? Inspirational coach Zach Faerber is no stranger to grief. After having been orphane...
Aug 02, 2023•32 min
Death is a touchy subject. When Jews lose a loved one, and their soul is no longer with us, we recite the mourner's Kaddish and focus on the missing individual's attributes. That's because Jews recognize that the soul is a reflection of their character. Jewish ritual focuses on who that person truly was. In other words, as long as our hearts are beating we must live every day to our true calling. Rabbi Dov Muchnik of Chabad of Oxnard jumps onto Bad Jew with host, Chaz Volk, to teach us the subje...
Jul 26, 2023•46 min
It seems silly to ask this question in the first place. However, this episode isn't for the Jewish audience. This episode is a PSA to non-Jews across the globe. Every day, Jews are the targets of antisemitism. From innocently ignorant comments to intentionally hurtful actions, a common default insult is the look of a Jew. We're often characterized as white European and rural like the caricatures from Fiddler on the Roof. Rayna and Chaz know this is farther from the truth. In this episode of Bad ...
Jul 19, 2023•37 min
Smiling can sometimes feel more like an obligation than a genuine reaction. Life has a tendency to weigh on you. Reality kicks in and it's easy to lose your spiritual connection to that which is around you. When the consequence of existing kicks in with no warning, how does one embrace happiness? The Torah has an answer to this. Therapist and proud mother, Rachael Dadbin, is no stranger to pain. Yet, her smile shines brightest in the world of Jewish thought leadership. Where does her resilience ...
Jul 12, 2023•35 min
You might've noticed that traditional Jews don't hold hands when they're on a date and prospecting for marriage. As a matter of fact, it's common for there to be a physically awkward space between both potential partners when considering such an important life decision. This is also apparent after marriage. When meeting a married person of the opposite sex, and they come from an orthodox background, it's probable that they couldn't shake hands with you when introducing themselves. This practice ...
Jul 05, 2023•35 min
If you're a YJP (Young Jewish Professional), chances are your life is awesome. You may be hit up to go bowling with some friends. Guess what? It's a Moishe House event and it's free of charge! You may later sign up for a young adult retreat through NuRoots to tap into Torah Study while exploring the great outdoors. You will likely run into that old friend from BBYO whom you enjoyed Hebrew school with at your local synagogue. You may host a Shabbat event and even more amazing: The price of that m...
Jun 28, 2023•32 min
