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22093714? ago

Part 52 >

Documented list of Perversions

Dr. Phil Abramowitz, Director of the Task Force on Missionaries and Cults at the Jewish Federation of New York, circulated a memociting: "Only some if the items have been brought to his attention regarding the work of Dr. Philip Berg:

Two people complained about Berg advising two women to divorce their husbands. He claimed that he had seen it in the Kabbalah or in some mystical dimension that they should divorce. [Note: This, incidentally, is a common and well-documented practice of the Kabbalah Centre: when a married couple disagrees about association with the Kabbalah Centre, especially when this involves immense financial commitments, the one in favor of Berg is usually advised to divorce the disagreeing spouse because "the marriage is spiritually unsuitable."]

A young man from the Chaim Berlin yeshiva claimed that his father's manuscript had been taken by Berg and printed under Berg's own name.

On 42nd Street in Manhattan, Berg's followers have been seen trying to solicit passers-by ( s, Puerto Ricans, Jews and non-Jews) to buy Berg's publications and as well to encourage them to attend his lectures.

An observant family in Toronto had called in to complain of the circumstance where their child was terminally ill. Berg had claimed that he could cure the child through Kabbalah and had required a payment of some thousands of dollars. The child died.

The Toronto Vaad HaRabonim and the Queens Vaad HaRabonim had issued statements to the public about avoiding the learning in Kabbalah Centers as well as purchasing books which were on the market. (This was all enacted to foil the work of Berg.) [Note: The Chief Rabbi , the Bet Din of Johannesburg, and the Rabbinical Association of South Africa, also issued decrees of condemnation against the Kabbalah Centre and managed to drive them out of their country.]

Philadelphia Board of Rabbis complained that Berg's followers had been abusive to their members when demanding that appeals be made for Berg's organization in synagogues. When they were asked for Haskamot (letters of approbation) none were ever produced.)

Numerous calls have been received from Jewish residents in Flatbush and Queens complaining that Berg's representatives are making solicitations on behalf of the Kabbalah center and refuse to leave the premises until they are given money. In fact, they literally put their "foot in the door" - they claim that Berg had taught them that it is better to get abuse in this world and to have the world to come - "A Lichter Gan Eden."

There are stories of kids livings in Berg's basement, being paid a minimal wage and going out promoting his books and seminars.

Complaint was made from the New York City Department of Finance that 3 of Berg's representatives had come to the Department saying that they wanted to give Mishloach Manot gifts - (traditional gifts of food given to friends on the festival of Purim) - to Jews working in the Department. They were furnished with a list of names of Jews working in that Department. When they approached the Jews, they did not admit that they had obtained the names from the Department, but, rather, said that Berg had instructed them according to Kabbalah to buy his Kabbalah books and attend his Shiurim (classes). They were also frightened by the claims of what would happen to them if they would not attend these lectures.

The same memo also cites reports from Rabbi Yitchak Sladowsky, Executive VP of Vaad HaRabonim of Queens:

Parents had complained that children were "taken in" be Berg and were being estranged from their families.

The Vaad have been told that Berg held seances (and ) together with the youngsters and tried and got them to try and make contact with the dead and to transcend their own souls."

The Canadian Jewish News - article quotes Arnold Markowitz, director of the Cult Hotline of the New York Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, that he has received a fair amount of calls complaining of "high pressure" and abusive tactics employed by the Kabbalah Centre's New York branch. "The calls, usually from current and former members and their relatives, tell of people 'totally consumed' by the centre 'while neglecting family and work.'" Markowitz said that the centre exhibits many cult-like qualities similar to "name" cults like the Unification Church of Rev. Sun Myung Moon. He adds that his research "has shown the centre to impart 'an inordinate amount' of submission to its rules - the neglect of other pursuits - a his level of suggestibility, denial of privacy and a strong focus on a self-appointed, charismatic leader, namely, Berg. It also employs some 'hard-sell' tactics usually associated with better-known cult groups. The centre displays a strong inwardness too: 'They see the outside world as unenlightened. It's a very 'us-versus-them' mentality.'" The article cites the same type of reports from Dr. Phil Abramowitz of new York Jewish Community Centre's Task Force on Missionaries and Cults, Bernie Farber of the Canadian Jewish Congress, and Julius Ciss of the Toronto counter-missionary group Jews for Judaism.

See Part 53 >