In recent weeks, social media users encountered what appeared to be a familiar figure: a bearded, Hasidic-looking rabbi delivering short, daily messages about faith, personal growth, and material success. Operating under the name “Rabbi Menachem Goldberg,” the accounts quickly built tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok.
The videos followed a consistent format. The speaker offered brief inspirational teachings, often framed in religious language, and typically concluded with a call to purchase paid digital products, including e-books and guides marketed as tools for spiritual and personal improvement.
To many viewers – particularly those accustomed to seeing rabbis and religious teachers online – the content appeared credible. But journalists and attentive followers soon began noticing signs that something was off.
Cracks in the Presentation
Israeli media outlets reported that viewers raised questions as the videos accumulated. The Hebrew used in the clips was often vague or oddly constructed, lacking clear references to traditional Jewish sources or recognizable teachings. Visual inconsistencies also stood out. The synagogue-style backdrops shifted between videos and included Hebrew text that appeared nonsensical or poorly formed, with design elements that did not match real or recognizable Jewish settings.
Further scrutiny focused on the persona’s biography. Linked sales pages described “Goldberg” as a Brooklyn-based rabbi with decades of experience and a proprietary method combining Jewish wisdom with financial prosperity. Yet searches of rabbinic directories, community records, and public databases did not surface any real individual matching that description.
Eventually, journalists reported that the figure was not a real rabbi at all, but an AI-generated persona, created using generative tools capable of producing realistic video, voice, and visual presentation.
Why Brooklyn is Central to the Story
The claim that “Rabbi Goldberg” was based in Brooklyn gave the episode particular resonance. Brooklyn is home to one of the largest and most diverse Jewish populations in the world, including many Hasidic and Orthodox communities where rabbinic authority is grounded in personal accountability, communal recognition, and long-standing relationships.
In those communities, a rabbi is not simply a content creator or motivational speaker. Rabbinic authority is earned through years of study, public service, and direct engagement with people’s lives. The idea that a fictional, AI-generated figure could present itself as a Brooklyn rabbi – and successfully monetize that identity – struck many observers as especially troubling.
Ethical Concerns and Calls for Disclosure
The exposure of the AI persona sparked a broader debate in Israel about trust, authority, and transparency in religious content online. The Tzohar Center for Jewish Ethics responded by warning that presenting AI as a human religious authority can mislead audiences, particularly when viewers associate a rabbinic figure with responsibility, accountability, and moral judgment.
Tzohar emphasized that halachic and ethical guidance depends on human judgment and real-world context – elements an artificial intelligence cannot provide. In its statement, the organization argued that while AI tools may have a place in education or content production, they cannot serve as substitutes for real rabbis in matters that affect religious practice, communal norms, or personal decision-making.
The center called for clear disclosure standards, urging that audiences be explicitly informed when religious or spiritual content is generated or delivered by AI, especially when it is packaged to signal religious credibility.
A Warning Sign
The “Rabbi Goldberg” episode illustrates how quickly generative AI can blur the line between authentic religious leadership and manufactured authority. For communities like those in Brooklyn – where trust in religious figures is deeply rooted in personal knowledge and lived experience – the case serves as a cautionary tale.
As AI tools become more sophisticated and accessible, the challenge facing religious communities, platforms, and audiences alike will be determining how to preserve transparency, trust, and accountability in an increasingly synthetic digital landscape.