Other well-known advocates

Britney Spears, Victoria Beckham, Barbara Streisand, Jerry Hall, Stella McCartney and Mick Jagger, just to mention a few, have all publicly embraced this cult and have given very generously to its founder, Feivel Gruberger, (alias "Rabbi" Berg.)

During the 2004 European football tournament, David Beckham was noticed wearing a Kabbalah red string bracelet. Perhaps this may be why he missed England's crucial penalty and subsequently the team lost the whole tournament?

With such wonderful endorsements, from some of the world's brightest and wealthiest stars, this religion cannot help but benefit financially through free publicity.

Brief

The Kabbalah comes from a 2nd century AD writing, The Zohar (Book of Splendour.)

The reader may be interested to know that from the birth of Jesus Christ to the day He died, God accepted no atonement from the Jews, in their temple.

"Our Rabbis taught that throughout the forty years that Shimon the Tzaddik served ... the scarlet cloth would become white. From then on it would sometimes become white and sometimes not...Throughout the last forty years, before the Temple was destroyed...the scarlet cloth never turned white" (Yoma 39a-39b.)

At the precise moment when Jesus gave up the Ghost, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matt 27:51.)

With this supernatural event, evident for all to see, God would now allow the Jewish nation 40 years (always symbolic) to turn to His Son's New Covenant.

When this time came (70AD) the Temple was utterly destroyed and has remained so (due to the Church age) and will only be rebuilt during the Great Tribulation.

This brief Biblical history is needed to help the reader to understand, that whilst these events were occurring, the Jews who refused to accept Gods new and final covenant, were thrown into disarray. Because of this they had to redefine what Judaism now stood for and subsequently new books were written like the Zohar, even though the Jewish Tenach (the Old Testament) had long been closed and accepted as so, as far back as 400BC.

Is Kabbalahism mainstream Judaism?

When I first set out to write on this cult, I really didn't know where to start, for my knowledge about Kabbalah was limited. However, as you will discover, the Kabbalah is very similar to Scientology and the Moonies, with their aggressive proselytising and emphasis on the need for the new convert to distance themselves from family and friends, something former members of this movement can confirm.

Rabbi Marcus, a member of the chief Rabbis UK cabinet, said: "They isolate people from their families, getting them to stop their careers and dedicate themselves to selling books or living as virtual serfs within the centres. They're using methods that I saw the Moonies using in South Africa."

One former member said she worked from 9am-1pm, sometimes all night, was paid 19 a month and shared a one-bedroom apartment with four other young women. She went on to conclude, "I was a slave."

So serious and worried are the mainstream Jewish community about this group, that they were forced to put out this careful and very diplomatic statement:

"In the light of issues which have been brought to our attention relating to the Kabbalah Centre in the UK, we wish it to be known that this organisation does not fall within the remit of the Chief Rabbinate or any other authority in the UK recognised by us" (Jonathan Sacks, Chief UK Rabbi and the London Din.)

This was later echoed in South Africa:

"We advise congregants to have nothing to do with the Kabbalah Centre" (South African Chief Rabbi, 1993.)

So with the above statement warning people not to join Kabbalahism, it should come as no surprise that people are still joining Kabbalahism, even though the mainstream and liberal wing of Judaism has tried to distance themselves from this cult!

Some figures purport the number of people practising in this ancient Jewish cult to be 3.4 million worldwide.

Their declared assets are $23,362,976, for the year of 2002. Contributions received - $1,515,399. Wages and salaries paid - $94,999.

This religion is rather modest in its declared income, when compared to other cults like the Moonies and the Mormons. It should also be pointed out that the Kabbalah, like all charities, is tax-exempt.

Feivel Gruberger, now Dr Philip Berg

Born in 1929, Gruberger was a former Brooklyn insurance salesman and was married with seven children, yet he would later go on to leave them and his normal secular life, and become a very successful ace guru.

He studied in Jerusalem and controversially and allegedly would succeeded rabbi Yehuda Brandwein. However, according to Brandweins son, (now dean at the Kol Yehuda seminary in Jerusalem) Berg and his organisation is not recognised by the university, in any way or shape or form.

Apparently he was ordained a rabbi, but evidence as to where he obtained his doctorate isn't clear.