Experts Brand Kabbalah A Cult After Vulnerable People’s Money

Cult buster Rick Ross, head of the nonprofit Rick A. Ross Institute of New Jersey, tells the National Enquirer he has serious questions about the Kabbalah Centers’ financial practices, which are controlled by the movement’s founder, Rabbi Philip Berg, and his family. “Rabbi Berg — who Kabbalists call ‘the Rav’ — is looked upon by many of his followers, including Madonna, as the living conduit between the light (or a higher power) and the creator,” he said. “At the top of the membership are people like Madonna, Roseanne, Elizabeth Taylor, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears who are treated royally. But then there are the regular middle-class people who find it financially demanding to buy tickets for Kabbalah events costing hundreds of dollars. People tell me they are being asked to tithe over 10 percent.”