A prominent Orthodox rabbi has caused significant controversy after delivering a speech in which he claimed that the world’s most powerful nations — including the United States, Germany, France, England, Russia and China — would be brought to their knees by God as punishment for centuries of persecution of the Jewish people.
Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser, a senior lecturer at Aish HaTorah and instructor at the Possible You seminar, made the remarks in a video that has since circulated widely online, drawing condemnation from a broad range of commentators.
In the address, Glaser stated: “The most powerful nations in the world have to go down to their knees. That’s what happened to Egypt, that’s what’s gonna happen to America, that’s what’s gonna happen to Germany, that’s what’s gonna happen to France, that’s what’s gonna happen to London, England.” He added: “They’re gonna go down hard for how they treated us over the last 2,000 years. Hashem’s gonna take them down hard.”
Glaser, who is known informally as the “Surfing Rabbi” due to his background as a professional surfer before his turn to Orthodox Judaism, is a member of the Pinsk-Karlin Chasidic community and is based in the Old City of Jerusalem. Originally from Hollywood, California, he spent 12 years as a competitive surfer before travelling to Israel in his twenties and becoming a Baal Teshuva — a term referring to a Jewish person who returns to religious observance. He has since built a following through his teachings on Kabbalah, spirituality and personal development.
The remarks have provoked swift backlash, with critics arguing the language was inflammatory and dangerous regardless of its theological framing. Others have pointed to the broader context of rising global tensions and questioned the appropriateness of the statements given the current climate.
Neither Aish HaTorah nor Rabbi Glaser’s representatives have issued a public response to the controversy at the time of publication.
