The Founders Of Pop Kabbalah (Part 2)

After complaining that Karen had too much power, "we were presented with an ultimatum -- to have us agree that Karen Berg possessed Ru'ah HaKodesh -- Holy Spirit (total obedience to every decision of hers) or that we could no longer work within the Kabbalah Centre.”

Karen Berg

The Los Angeles Times has posted the second part of its detailed, well reported two-part series on the Kabbalah Centre. Here's an excerpt from part two:

…[A]fter complaining that Karen had too much power, "we were presented with an ultimatum -- to have us agree that Karen Berg possessed Ru'ah HaKodesh -- Holy Spirit (total obedience to every decision of hers) or that we could no longer work within the Kabbalah Centre.”…Rumors of an affair between [Karen and a follower]…became public in June 2010 when the New York Post's Page Six gossip column published a denial from a Kabbalah Centre spokesman.

…In August 2010, Nicholas Vakkur complained that he was fired as chief financial officer after less than three months because he had uncovered income tax fraud at the center.

"This is very serious business," Vakkur wrote in an email that circulated among center officials. "I have little choice but to cooperate with the IRS and bring down the entire Kabbalah Centre."

Months later, the criminal division of the IRS launched its investigation, focused in part on whether the Bergs enriched themselves with members' donations. Prosecutors subpoenaed financial records from the center and two affiliated charities with links to Madonna.

Among those the IRS agents interviewed were former employees and ex-members. Those questioned in recent months said investigators possessed an impressive knowledge of the Bergs' world, right down to the name of a casino host who arranged free hotel rooms for the couple in Las Vegas.

Celebrity followers have gone silent. Less famous adherents continue to defend the Bergs.

"They have spent their whole lives spreading kabbalah and trying to help people," said Falkenstein, the Toronto volunteer.

Phillips, the longtime friend who participates in a weekly scripture study that the 82-year-old Philip attends, said it is inconceivable that the family has done anything wrong.

"When it comes to honesty, integrity," he said, the Bergs are "infallible -- or they are not kabbalists and there is no Torah."

Read it all here.

Related Post: The Founders of Pop Kabbalah (Part One).

Comments

[ad]

Is that a man dressed as a woman?

[jancsipista]

wow she looks like this chineese cook in my neighborhood, also looks like she had a dozen face lifts nebeh .

[Maple Bacon]

That's definitely a sheitel, and I think I've seen "her" somewhere, either in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" or "To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar."

[seymour]

sound like a scam and will be exposed

[Putafinger init]

The article is a bIt thin, writing wise. Wish their was more substance to the article. Otherwise, I am surprised that it took so long for this scam to see the light of day

[I'm from missouri]

Chabad House, Kaballah Center, personal enrichment, income tax fraud, there's nothing new or surprising here!

[Garnel Ironheart]

What's amazing is that I saw an article like this with all the same accusations floating around 15 years ago!

[Robert Wisler]

And Shlomo Cunin (and his sons) are any better?

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

Karen Berg looks like Leona Helmsley with about four coats of makeup and one coat of bees wax polish.

[Adams]

Ruach HaKodesh, haha thanks for the laughs,

[Michael from Lakewood]

"When it comes to honesty, integrity," he said, the Bergs are "infallible -- or they are not kabbalists and there is no Torah."

Well, I'm glad thats settled.

[jvliv]

I never liked them. IMHO, they are no different than the Scientology folks.

"the criminal division of the IRS launched its investigation, focused in part on whether the Bergs enriched themselves with members' donations."

Is this kind of naivety on purpose?

[Bassy the Haredi Slayer]

Even if everything in the article is true, compared to Cunin they are very righteous people.

From Luke Ford/The Jewish Journal
http://www.lukeford.net/archives/updates/060123.htm

During Passover 1992, Union, the Rabbinic administrator of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of California, telefaxed some colleagues a letter circulated by Toronto rabbis criticizing the KLC. In his fax, Union suggested the RCC send the letter out to all Southern California rabbis. When Union arrived at the RCC offices at 1230 S. Bedford the following day, he found a severed sheep's head at his doorstep. Several young men appeared at his home that evening and asked, in Hebrew, "Did you get our message?"

Union said that he was certain the men were from the center. He filed a police report, and detectives visited the KLC. They found no evidence of wrongdoing. Union interpreted the incident as a threat to his life. "Of course, [Rabbi Philip] Berg didn't put it there," he said. "There's no proof anybody from the Kabbalah Center put it there. But we never sent out the letter."

Michael Berg and Yardeni deny that the KLC had any involvement in the incident.

Anyone who send a sheep's head to Leib Tropper's buddy Union is an hero in my book

[Adam Zur]

i had some experience with the Israeli branch of the kabalah center many years ago. They used to come up to the grave of rabbi pinchas ben yair every erev rosh chodesh. i asked them to bring me the writings of the ari which they did. i never paid them until about ten years later i happened to notice their center in Jerusalem and paid them the amount. I

Their version they sell of the writings of the ari is with the regular comments of a disciple of the ashlag. i don't know what people have against them because i noticed in Jerusalem that no kabalists have any idea of what they are talking. They are all frauds. The kabalah center type people at least never claim to be experts in the ari. they claim to be learning the ari and that is exactly what they do. they other kabalaists are almost universally scam artists. However they might be one exception --there is a fellow by the name of Michael who learns kabala in some kabalah yeshiva in the old city and when i talked with him--he knew the a
Eitz chayim very well. and apparently he holds that the rosh yeshiva in his place also knows it as well or better.

[rebeljew]

Is that what happened to Tammie Faye Baker?