Bad Jew

For over two years, I, Chaz Volk, successfully released one episode of Jewish content per week. Each episode averaged 30 minutes, offering Torah insights and glimpses into Jewish diasporic cultures. This endeavor was nothing less than a passion project—one that I balanced alongside my day-to-day work life. My primary goal was to learn. Coming from a conservative/secular Jewish background, my knowl...

Depression is real. It's a problem as old as time. Whether it's from a lack of fulfillment or from loss or even a chronic disorder, people know what you're going through and it's valid! As cliche as it sounds, it's going to be okay. We hope that this episode brings you comfort during these troubling times and helps provide solutions through Jewish wisdom.  The Torah offers insights that go beyond...

Jews wear these weird boxes on their arms and head. They are placed there for some specific holy reason but to an outsider it's unclear why it has to be worn to pray. These "phylacteries" have an aesthetic that could be misconstrued, but once you know the truth, you won't want to take them off.  Sruly Meyer, a kosher chef and return guest to the podcast, offers a comprehensive look into the beauty...

Do you have the heartthrob of a hopeless romantic that bounces from one love to another? Do you go heart-first into relationships only to find yourself washed up from another treacherous and dramatic quarrel? Dating is hard but learning when to enter the dating scene is another matter. Coach Daniel Ratner jumps back onto the podcast to talk about the 'WHEN' that is so essential for dating. Drawing...

It's finally 2025 (5785 for those keeping track) and you want to start that new years resolution. A classic example that everyone struggles with is the desire to take on the dreaded gym goals. We know how this song goes: You start your gym membership. You realize how hard it is. You give up. Sound familiar? Of course it does. Whether or not you go to the gym, there are hundreds of tasks we wish we...

Your brain is the most precious and unique part of your body. It is more than just a memory drive or a ball of grey matter. It essentially contains the essence of your soul. When scientists fully understood this truth, Jews had already figured this out thousands of years earlier. If you look at the laws and life guiding principles around Jewish communities, you'll see that it's geared to be a syst...

How familiar are you with Torah? It's an important question because a lot of people simply remember the grand journey Moses takes and how he leads the people to Israel, and boom! You have the Torah. But it's so much more. In fact, outside of the 5 books of Moses you have The Talmud and Kabbalah and you have Pirkei Avot and you have this thing called Oral Torah versus Written Torah. Somewhere withi...

Chaz Volk, host of Bad Jew, is off to Yeshiva! Studying at Aish HaTorah, Volk will be examining more than just text and Jewish law but also his soul. Before leaving, he threw a large going away party at his residence - Venice Moishe House - where he acknowledged his aggressive change and growth which enabled him to take this next big leap into 2025.  Chaz explains his bold discovery announcing his...

The holiday of Hannukah is here! We often remember it for the 8 nights of gift-giving, latkes, donuts, and dreidels. However, there's so much more to the holiday and honestly, it's essential you understand this because non-Jews love to appropriate Jewish holidays into their own movements.  SO... "How is Hannukah Zionist?" highlights the hard facts around the strong Jewish ties to Zionism while sta...

Jews have a specific relationship with money that others tend to blow out of proportion. Some Jews go out of their way to make fun of this antisemitic trope by turning themselves into caricatures in hopes of revealing such lunacy with satire. However, the Torah has so many laws around how we handle money that it must be spotlighted!  Rachel Grose, the executive director of the Jewish Free Loan Ass...

It's been mentioned on this podcast a few times now - Chaz is Vegan. And while he has gotten a few raised eyebrows for his dietary preferences, he has tried to explain the Jewish implications of it. Coming short in elaborating on how it works with Jewish law, he went to the expert. Rabbi Akiva Gersh, branded 'The Vegan Rabbi' teaches Chaz the ins and outs of navigating the vegan diet through the l...

Dear Trolls,  We thought we explained this to you well enough but we clearly haven't. Over 95% of Jews understand this well: Your attempt to separate Jews from their origins in Judea-Samaria (aka Israel) is blatant Jew hatred disguised as anti-Zionism. Being said, I brought on an expert from the Jewish Agency for Israel. Daniel Elbaum has dedicated his life to understanding the complicated geopoli...

It's easy to get swept away with the mundane of existing. You get up, brush your teeth, eat breakfast, go to work, eat lunch, come home, brush your teeth, go to sleep... Sound familiar? How can any of it mean anything? There is nothing special about this. After all, this is what it means to be an adult, right? Rabbi Alex Kress works day in and day out to operate differently than the notion above....

It's been acknowledged on this podcast many times - It's not been an easy year for Jews. Yet, you have to acknowledge the fact that this also isn't the hardest year for Jews either. Is that the only thing that gives us hope? That we've endured so much worse than a post-October 7th world? Or is it the fact that we have Israel so at least we have that going for us? Hope comes from so much more. Rabb...

What's the matter with kids today? Jewish youth is either the most connected or disconnected demographic of the Jewish population. If you're ages 18 - 35, you're a part of an inconsistent international community that can't decide on a lot of things. Most of all, you may be confused about your past and how relevant your upbringings are to today. David Hazony and Alissa Bernstein are from Z3, a zion...

**This episode is our FIRST-EVER SPONSORED EPISODE! Keep scrolling for more information. Scroll further down for details!** Being a Jew is difficult. Being anyone is difficult but the difficulties of existing as a Jew in this turbulent world is ever more clear, especially after October 7th, 2023. It's nearly impossible to navigate this world alone and that's why mentors exist.  Cari Uslan of Jewis...

DISCLAIMER: This podcast does not reflect any affiliation with either party and the opinions expressed in this episode do not reflect the opinions of either speaker's affiliation with any organization.  It's time to vote. For some, they rush to the polls excited to cast their ballot. For others, it's a day of dread. Jews this year are a particularly divided demographic. Who is ultimately better? T...

Dating is a stressful and exhausting process. It's often romanticized (no pun intended) as this cutesy, lovely gathering when really it's a trial in the spotlight of your future that determines EVERYTHING. It's daunting. Luckily Jewish matchmaking (also known as the shidduch system) makes that process easier... right? Wrong. Gabi Koyenov, licensed therapist and host of the GKP Podcast, tells us hi...

Are the high holidays over yet? NOPE! We got one more (two more if you count Shemini Etzeret - the holiday where we ask God for rain). Mainly, Simchat Torah is everyone's focus. This festive holiday is about joy! But how can we be fully joyous a year into a post October 7th reality? Actor and comedian Ben Berger jumps back onto the podcast, talking happiness, laughter, l'chaims, and dancing! This...

Sukkot is upon us! Does that mean we like camping? Well we do but this holiday is less about camping and more about commemorating the 40 years Jews lived in temporary shelters while wandering the desert on the way to Israel, their promised land. On this holiday, when you actually enter this holy "shack" you come across a ritual of waving around fruits and sticks... If it's your first time witnessi...

Yom Kippur is notorious for the strenuous difficult key feature task of fasting for 25 hours. Beyond just getting the rumbles in your tummy, starving for prolonged periods of time with no water leads to headaches, fatigue, and a lack of ability to focus. So how could it possible do any good for a time when we must reflect and pray? Rabbi Ari Averbach is no stranger to the importance of this act. W...

October 7th, 2023 will always be notorious for being the greatest massacre in Jewish history since the holocaust. Everything changed after that Simchat Torah. In the epicenter of this terrible day was the Nova Festival. This music festival was famous for being a "nature party" filled with love, laughter, diversity, and memories that would last a lifetime. This beautiful experience quickly became t...

Happy Jew Year! Some people get confused about this: Why do Jews celebrate 2 new years and not 1 like everyone else? Well, a better question might be "Why does everyone else celebrate a different new year?". In all actuality, the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, was first and unlike the secular new year celebrated at Times Square, ours has a lot more meaning.  Jamie Geller, CMO from Aish.com, speak...

Just reading this title, don't you want to sink your teeth into a dense, spongey, doughy texture, chomp on the egg-layered crust, and enjoy the taste of freshly made challah? Of course you do. Anyone who knows anything about Judaism knows that challah is one of the tastiest and most iconic foods of Jewish cuisine. But why do we eat challah and why did we land on this particular recipe for our ritu...

Bad things keep on happening to good people. In what world is that acceptable and how could God let that happen? People who are suffering and undergo unsurmountable levels of pain struggle with this question all of the time. Many lose their belief in God over this question. For others, it strengthens their connection to God. Rabbi Asher Resnick has gone through a lot in his life, yet he's a great...