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35-715: The Kabbalah Centre was founded in the United States in July 1965 initially as a publishing house called "The National Institute for the Research in Kabbalah" by Philip Berg (born Feivel Gruberger) and Rabbi Levi Isaac Krakovsky. It is likely that Berg was encouraged by his Rebbe and former wife's uncle Yehuda Tzvi Brandwein to establish the publishing house to aid the funding of Brandwein's Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Brandwein

70-546: A BBC news article, Eliyahu Yardeni, a senior figure in the London Kabbalah Centre, made controversial comments regarding the Holocaust . The Kabbalah Centre also made claims that spring water sold by the group had among its effects a curative effect on cancer. Other media criticisms have alleged that The Kabbalah Centre is an "opportunistic offshoot of the faith, with charismatic leaders who try to attract

105-608: A 99% reality that cannot be accessed by the senses. Kabbalah Centre teaches the Kabbalistic concept of Klippot . The idea is that everyone has a direct and clear connection to the upper metaphysical-spiritual world of the Light ( Ein Sof , unbounded God), but that this channel is blocked by Klippot, restricting the spiritual energy from entering the physical body. It is through study and practice of Kabbalah teachings and Jewish law (which

140-655: A basic introduction and explanation of Lurianic and Ashlagian Kabbalah to astrology and reincarnation . In 1971, Berg moved to Israel where he strengthened the centre, gave lectures and disseminated his books. In 1980, he established a yeshiva, "Or Hozer le’Limud ha-Nigleh ve ha-Nistar" (Returning Light for the Study of the Revealed and the Concealed) in Tel Aviv , which circulated various kabbalistic works. On his return to

175-475: A former student at the Kabbalah Centre brought a lawsuit against him alleging that he had assaulted her sexually. She claimed that Berg offered her alcohol and Vicodin while she visited him at his home and then made sexual advances. In November 2015 a Los Angeles Superior Court jury found that Berg had acted with malice and was liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress and therefore, he

210-478: A more universalistic approach. There is disagreement about whether Berg's teachings, as relayed through the Kabbalah Centre, have sufficient grounds and/or genuine authority according to halakha (Jewish law), as they include some dogmas and translations differing markedly from those of more-traditional Kabbalists. Some Jewish scholars emphatically reject such teachings, deeming them as foreign to both

245-620: A series of the Books of the Bible with Kabbalistic commentaries to each of the Weekly portion of the Torah. One should primarily be concerned with their relationship with the essence of God , rather than God itself, as it is beyond comprehension. The essence of God is referred to in its teachings as Light . The five senses supposedly provide access to a mere 1% of reality, which is the byproduct of

280-674: A trip to Israel in 1962. Brandwein, a Hasidic rabbi from the Stretiner Hasidic dynasty and a close student in the Kabbalistic circle around Yehuda Ashlag , would become Berg's Kabbalistic mentor. Brandwein was the head of the Religious Department of the Israeli national workers union, Histadrut , and established Yeshivat Kol Yehuda (named after Ashlag) as a continuation of his mentor's yeshiva/publishing house "Beit Ulpana Itur Rabbanim". The uniqueness of Kol Yehuda

315-491: Is derived from sex that occurs just after midnight on Saturday morning. Madonna studies regularly with a personal Kabbalah Centre rabbi, no longer gives concerts on Friday night (which is the onset of Shabbat ), wears the red string around her left wrist for protection and to ward off the " evil eye " ( Ayin Hara ), has introduced Jewish ritual objects such as tefillin ("phylacteries") into her videos and tithes regularly to

350-420: Is to start students with teachings of Kabbalah that do not require knowledge of Hebrew and Jewish texts. According to its views, all widely held spiritual or religious belief systems are merely specific branches of universal wisdom. The effect of this is a resemblance of religions such as Christianity , Judaism , Islam and Buddhism , as well as new-age teachings, to Kabbalah. In accordance with this belief,

385-505: The Los Angeles Times reported that according to public records he was 84). He is survived by his wife Karen and two sons, Yehuda and Michael, who have led the Kabbalah Centre since his stroke. Besides these two children Berg also had eight children from his first marriage that renounced Berg and his teachings. In July 1965, Berg was initially involved in the founding of a publishing house called "The National Institute for

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420-421: The Kabbalah Centre , founded by his father Rav Shraga Feivel (Philip) Berg. Following accusations of drug abuse and sexual assault, he withdrew from the organization. He has written numerous works such as: The power of Kabbalah , The 72 names of god: technology for the soul , Kabbalah the power to change everything , Satan: an autobiography , True prosperity , Angelic intelligence , among others. In 2014,

455-712: The Kabbalah Centre does not present itself as an alternative to any religion in particular, but rather, as a supplement to it. Some biblical passages, such as the Passage of the Red Sea , are understood to be codes to life and unseen universal laws which the Zohar and writings of the Kabbalists throughout history unravel. According to Berg "The Zohar reveals the dynamic interplay and interconnectedness of our universe and man's relationship to it." The Kabbalah Centre has produced

490-814: The Kabbalah Centre on a project called Raising Malawi , which provided relief aid to the African nation of Malawi . Celebrity followers include Ashton Kutcher , Mila Kunis , Demi Moore , James Van Der Beek , Marla Maples , Madonna , Ariana Grande , Frankie Grande , and more, according to social media, etc. Celebrities that have been associated with the Centre include Britney Spears , Diane Keaton , Roseanne Barr , Sandra Bernhard , Anthony Kiedis , Mick Jagger , Jerry Hall , Lucy Liu , Alex Rodriguez , Rosie O'Donnell , Naomi Campbell , Donna Karan , Elizabeth Taylor , Paris Hilton , Nicole Richie , Kyle Richards , Heather McComb and Lindsay Lohan . According to

525-468: The Kabbalah Centre says is early rabbinistic construction to aid in practicing Kabbalah without revealing its secrets) that one removes Klippot, and it is by violence and negative behavior that one adds Klippot. The Kabbalah Centre has a strong belief in astrology and asserts that astrology has always been part of Judaism. Astrology was studied by Jewish scholars throughout the Middle Ages, though it

560-408: The Kabbalah Centre. In July 2006, it was reported that Madonna was leaving the Kabbalah Centre and one media columnist speculated that one reason was alleged financial irregularities of donations to the centre. Despite uncorroborated allegations of financial irregularities, the rumour turned out to be false, and Madonna continued to attend Kabbalah Centre events. In August 2006, Madonna collaborated with

595-769: The Kabbalah in particular and to Judaism in general. In poor health following a stroke in 2004, Berg died on September 16, 2013. Berg was born as Shraga Feivel Gruberger in 1929 in Brooklyn , to an Orthodox Jewish family. His father, Max Gruberger, immigrated from Nadvorna , Galicia (now in Ukraine ), and worked as a clothes presser in Williamsburg . In his youth, Berg underwent Talmudic education at Lakewood Yeshiva under Rabbi Aharon Kotler . He later returned to Williamsburg, where in 1951 at age 22 he received ordination from Yeshiva Torah Vodaas . Berg went into

630-537: The National Institute for the Research in Kabbalah in New York in 1965 to aid the yeshiva. After Brandwein's death in 1969, Berg returned to the United States and began working again with his former secretary (and future wife) Karen , on the condition that she let him teach her Kabbalah, a discipline he claimed was reserved exclusively for men. In 1971, Philip and Karen married and traveled to Israel. It

665-449: The Research in Kabbalah" along with Ashlag's American student Levi Krakovsky, who died the following year. The institute was most likely a fundraising branch of Brandwein’s Yeshiva Kol Yehuda, as books published by the institute have Brandwein named as the senior figure, while Berg was listed as its president. Krakovsky was an emissary of Ashlag’s yeshiva "Itur Rabbanim", and had translated some of Ashlag's writings into English to support

700-522: The United States in 1984 with a number of Israeli students called the Hevre (friends), Berg expanded the centre to more locations. The aim of the now independent research centre was to resolve a widespread spiritual crisis affecting Jews, where many found traditional Judaism dry and unfulfilling. Large numbers of young Jews were seeking Eastern spiritual practices , involving themselves in dangerous cults or resorting to atheism . Berg, who believed Judaism

735-429: The allegations "merit-less" and said it "intends to defend the case vigorously". Yehuda Berg Yehuda Berg is an American author and former teacher of Kabbalah . Until 2014, Berg was a co-director of the Kabbalah Centre , which was founded by his parents Philip Berg and Karen Berg . However, after allegations of sexual assault and allegations of offering drugs from one of his students, he stepped away from

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770-458: The business world and worked as an insurance agent for New York Life . He also became involved in real estate, and by 1962 it is claimed he was a millionaire . It is likely that he began to be called Philip during this time, as it is not unusual practice among Jews with Yiddish names to use an English equivalent while working in a secular environment. Berg's first wife, Rivkah Brandwein, had an uncle named Yehuda Brandwein, whom Berg first met on

805-436: The center, he recommended that men not masturbate as semen generated without loving, shared intention does not serve its purpose. He also wrote that a man should not orgasm before the woman, as it injects selfishness into the act of love making. Other thoughts on sex include that a man should not orgasm with the woman positioned above him, as she is then drawing energies into herself from below, instead of above. The most Light

840-419: The centre was ordered to pay $ 42,500 damages to one of its former students after it was found to have been negligent in the supervision of one of its co-directors, Yehuda Berg , who had caused emotional distress to the student. Philip Berg Philip S. Berg (original name Shraga Feivel Gruberger , Hebrew : שרגא פייבל ; August 20, 1927 – September 16, 2013) was an American rabbi and dean of

875-467: The organization. He was later found liable in a civil suit and ordered to pay damages to his victim for inflicting malice and intentional harm. Berg was an international speaker and author. One of his many books, The Power of Kabbalah , became an international best-seller as did another of his books, The 72 Names of God . Berg was born in 1972 in Jerusalem . Until May 2014, he was co-director of

910-672: The rich and the vulnerable with the promise of health, wealth, and happiness." Beginning in 2011 the centre was put under investigation by the IRS and FBI for financial malfeasance, following the abandonment of the Raising Malawi school project with millions of donors' dollars unaccounted for. In 2012, a Kabbalah Centre charity, Spirituality for Kids, accepted a $ 600,000 donation from an 87-year-old woman who some claim had dementia. In November 2013, two lawsuits were filed by former donors alleging that their gifts were misused. In November 2015,

945-420: The worldwide Kabbalah Centre organization. Berg was a great populariser of Ashlagian Kabbalah. Having written a number of books on the subject of Kabbalah , Berg expanded its access to a greater audience than traditionally permitted, one which included secular Jews, non-Jews and women. Berg initially aimed at returning alienated Jews to their heritage through the teachings of Yehuda Ashlag; he later adopted

980-1068: The yeshiva and publishing. After Brandwein's death, and after several years in Israel, Philip Berg and his wife Karen Berg , re-established the independent U.S. Kabbalah Centre in New York City . The Kabbalah Centre in Los Angeles was opened in 1984. After the death of Berg, Karen and Michael Berg acted as directors and spiritual teachers of the organization. The organization is a registered non-profit with over fifty branches worldwide, including major ones in Los Angeles , New York City , London and Toronto . The Kabbalah Centre donates to non-profit organizations and engages in volunteer work through its Charitable Causes initiative. Charitable Causes has worked with or donated to Habitat for Humanity , Partners in Health , American Red Cross , and Sunrise Day Camp. The Kabbalah Centre's approach to teaching

1015-513: The yeshiva. He also wrote his own English introductory books to Kabbalah, and in the 1930s established his own yeshiva in the United States for the purpose of teaching Kabbalah in English. Krakovsky’s writings were also published by the new Institute. In 1970, Berg legally changed the name of the National Institute to "The Research Centre of Kabbalah", establishing it as an independent centre and publishing books of his own. His writings ranged from

1050-514: Was being taught dogmatically, was determined to show inquisitive soul-searching Jews that the answers could be found in Kabbalah. There is some disagreement over who succeeded Brandwein as dean of the 80-year-old Yeshiva Kol Yehuda in Jerusalem . Berg has claimed to have replaced Brandwein, his ex-uncle-in-law by his first wife, in that role; that claim was disputed by Brandwein's son Avraham , who served as dean until his death in 2013. The Los Angeles Task Force on Cults and Missionaries claimed Berg

1085-556: Was not affiliated with the yeshiva, although a letter sent to him by Brandwein in July 1968 indicated he was President of the yeshiva. In 2010, the Internal Revenue Service launched an investigation, reportedly investigating whether funds were directed to the personal enrichment of the Berg family and subpoenaed financial records of the organization and two affiliated charities connected to Madonna . The centre called

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1120-408: Was opposed by more philosophically inclined thinkers such as Maimonides . There is a strong belief in the Kabbalah tradition that cosmic forces affect everything, and knowing how to understand them can prove to be valuable to the aspiring Kabbalist. Berg, the founder of the Kabbalah Centre, wrote numerous books on astrology during his career. In a book written by Yehuda Berg , a former teacher at

1155-399: Was that students focused on kabbalistic study. The students would receive a salary to cover their living expenses so they could devote themselves to full-time learning. However, Brandwein faced difficulty in finding funds for the yeshiva and publishing. Berg had become Brandwein's book distributor and fundraiser in the United States, and it is likely he was encouraged by Brandwein to establish

1190-476: Was the dean of Yeshivah Kol Yehuda, his son Rabbi Abraham Bradwein succeeded him as the head of the Yeshivah. Kol Yehuda was founded in 1922 and continues to this day. The uniqueness of Kol Yehuda is that students focus on kabbalistic study. The students would receive a salary to cover their living expenses so they can devote themselves to full-time learning, however Brandwein faced difficulty in finding funds for

1225-462: Was there that they changed their surname from Gruberger to Berg, as it was a common practice to shorten a European Jewish surname upon moving to Israel . In 1973, the Bergs returned to Queens , New York, where they established their full-time headquarters during the 1980s. Berg, who had been ill since suffering a stroke in 2004, died on September 16, 2013. He was generally reported to be 86 (although

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