The fake rabbis conquering the web - and spreading antisemitism with the help of AI
Dozens of "rabbi" accounts created using artificial intelligence have amassed millions of followers and, under the guise of life advice, are spreading ancient antisemitic stereotypes. The fake characters supposedly present "insider secrets" about money and power, thus turning old lies into effective propaganda in the social media era.
They look like rabbis. They speak in an authoritative voice, are sometimes dressed in clothing identified with the Jewish world, and offer viewers advice on money, success, business, and "life wisdom." But there is only one problem: these rabbis do not exist, they are products of artificial intelligence, and they are perpetuating ancient antisemitism on contemporary platforms. Behind the fake characters hides a disturbing phenomenon that is spreading on TikTok and Instagram: the use of fictitious Jewish characters, and especially "rabbis" created using AI, to spread the very oldest antisemitic stereotypes. The technology is new, the format is new, the algorithms are new - but the lie is very old.
An examination on TikTok reveals dozens of accounts that present characters of "rabbis," which were created using artificial intelligence and upload posts in English. Together, these accounts have amassed more than a million followers and tens of millions of likes. This is, of course, only the tip of the iceberg. There is no way to know how many more millions have been exposed to the fake materials, and into how many languages they have been translated.
Examining the materials from the fake "AI rabbi" accounts allows for identifying patterns, messages, and language that repeat themselves and hint at one factor or motive behind them. The trick is simple - and therefore so dangerous. Instead of an antisemitic preacher saying to an outside viewer: "The Jews control the money," a supposedly Jewish rabbi appears and presents the same claim as an "insider secret" or as financial advice. Thus, a false impression is created: here, supposedly, is a Jew who admits himself to what the antisemites claim about him.
While the stereotype is presented by a Jew, a "whitewashing" of antisemitic ideas into the mainstream discourse takes place. When the claim comes supposedly from the mouth of a "rabbi," it bypasses the natural mechanism of skepticism. The viewer is not required to deal with a claim that someone from the outside is directing against the Jews; he receives it supposedly as a confession of "one of them," and that is exactly the danger.
The content of the videos focuses mainly on the most classic stereotypes: Jews as people who are obsessed with money, sophisticated in ways of deception, knowing how to "bypass the system," controlling centers of power, and acting as a closed network that promotes its interests.
These are images that are not an invention of the social media era. The American Holocaust Museum notes that the stereotype of Jews as "greedy" or as those who are obsessively identified with money, banking, and lending developed in Europe over hundreds of years. Precisely because Jews were forbidden in many places from owning land and engaging in various professions, some of them engaged in trade and lending - a fact that later became the basis for lies about "greed" and Jewish economic power. From here, the path is short to the claim that Jews control the money - and from there to the determination that they control the world, for their own benefit and against the benefit of the general public.
The phenomenon of fake rabbis is not limited to TikTok. On Instagram, you will find, for example, "Rabbi Goldman," a character that has amassed more than 1.4 million followers. The videos attributed to this character included conspiracy theories about Jewish control over the global financial system, and some of them reached millions of views.
Researchers from the Combat Antisemitism Movement organization described a very wide network, including more than 70 "rabbinical" characters created using AI and operated on Instagram. After an appeal by the researchers to Meta, the company removed more than 60 accounts that were identified during the monitoring - but the fake characters can be created again.
And this is perhaps one of the most worrying characteristics of the technology: it dramatically lowers the cost of producing propaganda. In the past, an actor was needed to be filmed, another person had to write a text, record a voice, and produce content. Today, it is possible to create a convincing character, give it a voice, a face, and a life story - and operate it again and again.
Even when there is no fake "rabbi" in the picture, Instagram continues to be an arena for spreading new versions of antisemitic stereotypes. Without difficulty, you will find there Reels videos in Spanish that presented a conspiracy theory according to which Jews are the hidden power behind the American government and geopolitical crises, using Jewish symbols and Jewish music to reinforce the message. That is, it is not just about saying "I don't like Israel." It is about the claim that Jews as a group operate behind the scenes of governments, money, and wars - one of the central motifs of modern antisemitism.
In another example, AI videos showed Jewish men or Hasidim running after coins, collecting money, or trying to get gold. The recurring message was that the Jew is a person driven primarily by greed. The Hasidic clothing was used here not as a representation of a specific person but as a visual shortcut for the stereotypical "Jew."
However, the choice of a "rabbi" for an antisemitic campaign is not accidental. It gives the lie a fake authority. Ordinary antisemitism says: "I know something about the Jews." The fake "rabbi" says: "I am a Jew, and therefore I know the truth about the Jews."
This is a particularly effective propaganda mechanism. It allows for spreading prejudice and at the same time presenting it as if it is not prejudice at all. Even a simple denial becomes more difficult: if a supposedly Jewish person says the things himself, the distributor can claim that there is no antisemitism here.
In fact, the fake rabbi accounts on TikTok and Instagram replicate the action of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," an antisemitic forgery from 100 years ago that tried to create a false impression as if there is a secret Jewish leadership planning to take over the world. The fake text attributed to Jews control over politics, economics, the media, and social systems. Today, there is no need for a printed booklet or distribution from door to door, because the algorithm does the work for the antisemites.
Instead of "Elders of Zion" there is a "rabbi" created by AI. Instead of a fake book there is a 30-second video. Instead of distribution from door to door there is a system of recommendations and shares. And instead of a limited audience of readers - it is possible to reach millions of users in a short time. This does not make antisemitism new. On the contrary: it makes the old one more effective.
The fact that it is easy to follow a certain account on the networks provides the account operators with another tool: constant repetition of stereotypes will make them in the eyes of the viewer a supposed "truth" thanks to the accumulation effect. Therefore, do not be surprised if among the videos of the fake rabbis you also find innocent videos - these serve as bait for the viewer, especially for the young viewer. They provide him with "life advice" from a supposedly authoritative source and cause him to be drawn into the messages, which become more and more toxic.
If the first video presents a Jew as "knowledgeable in finances" and as someone whose advice should be listened to, the next video will present him as money-hungry, and the Jews as those who control the financial system. The third hints that they manage governments. The fourth turns everything into a joke. The fifth adds light music and a meme. The sixth no longer looks antisemitic at all - it is just "another video."
