I wish to share my .02 cents worth with my unfortunate dealings with the
Kabbalah Centre. This is something I strongly urge for you to read as soon as you can!!!
For several years now I have been reading the numerous books, listening to tapes, etc. from the Kabbalah Centre run by Philip Berg. Thankfully my local library had many of those books/tapes in their system. Regretfully last year I spent $26 for the Red String book and the infamous red string. Yes, I wore the red string for months. It fell off me in the shower one day earlier this year. Never wore another one again. I couldn't find someone to tie it on for me and say this prayer. They were too weirded out by it all.
In the back of every one of their books is a toll free number to call the Student Support Services. Naturally I got curious and sent an email for someone to call me from their website. I received my first phone call from them in early 2004. What I got out of that call was them trying to sell me the 23-Vol. set of The Zohar. That's ALL they were interested in. I told the instructor, who was some foreigner I later found out, that I have been and still am in a career change. I had no money to fork up $415 at the time.
Throughout my sporadic calls to the Kabbalah Centre it was ALWAYS the same ol, same ol trying to sell me The Zohar. I mean I was trying to
improve my life, yet I was in a Catch-22 situation. How can I get the Zohar if I have no money? How can I get the money if you say the Zohar is so powerful? Why do I need to pay money if you are a non-profit
organization? Your books state endlessly about sharing and receiving. Why can't the Kabbalah Centre give me the Zohar if its so important to my studies?
Well.......serendipitously I stumbled upon some information about a scholarship program through the Centre. Hmmmmmmm......none of the
previous instructors EVER talked about it before to me. I wonder why????? Was someone getting a nice fat commission somewhere? Anyways, I spoke to another instructor at the Kabbalah Centre in
NYC. Of course the conversation once again led straight to "You need to get the Zohar, because ALL of the students who were from the NY Kabbalah Centre that worked at the World Trade Center on 9/11 in 2001 all of survived and they did not go to work that day, because they all had the Zohar". I swear if I had a dollar every time this magical 23-volume set was being sold to me by a bunch of hard core high pressured salespeople I would be rich!!!
I told this person......"well if I have no money how will I get it?" I mean what part of "NO" don't they understand? Good Grief!!! At any rate, I mentioned to this pseudo instructor/hard sell salesperson "What
about a scholarship program I saw mentioned in an online newsletter from Michael Berg?" They seemed put off I was one-upping them and I could tell they were a tad resentful. They said that was for the very
destitute. I told them I definitely qualified. To make a long story short I registered for a scholarship to get the 23-vol set of the Zohar. It was NOT, I repeat, not easy. I had to do some follow-up calls. It took me two months before I got it. To add insult to injury they wanted me to send in
something, so I miraculously had what little money I could scrounge up (less than a $100, which I regret giving them now), which they seemed somewhat pleased.
Earlier this year I spoke with the instructor from the NY Center again, because I had not heard from them after I got the coveted Zohar a couple of months earlier. Well......apparently getting the Zohar was NOT enough. They were now literally hard-selling me a yearly subscription to a DVD program that was a companion piece to the Zohar I MUST have! They were grilling me non-stop about my financial situation, which was none of their f-ing business. I only gave them a little bit of information. It got so bad I ended up crying. Apparently they were trying to wear me down with their hard sell where I would get intimidated. Hey.......I am still in the midst of my career change, so I still have no other means of finances or disposable income. Nevertheless, I never spoke to them again.
Several months later I was assigned a new instructor. Everything was fine until our last phone conversation in early August. They started asking me about my financial situation, my work life, my housing scenario, etc. I told them "You are getting way out of line. I resent these personal questions. I am NOT going to go through another 3rd degree interrogation like I did with my last instructor." To make another long story short I no longer have anything to do with my instructor and the Kabbalah Centre whatsoever!!! The bottom line and the morale of the story......their so-called Zohar does not work. I did everything required and I am still struggling with my career and money!!!
I decided to do some research on my own about the Kabbalah entre. Yes, I had heard about all the controversy, Madonna's weirdness, people telling me it was a cult, coming upon some negative online articles over the years. However, the time had came for me to really see the Kabbalah Centre for what it truly was. I was shocked, but definitely NOT surprised! I had my suspicions all along.
I know there is a libel chill clause from the Kabbalah Centre where they will sue anyone who speaks ill of them. It'd be worthless to sue me, but
they can make anyone's life a hell. I know.....I was in one for nearly three years, so they are not making idle threats. Everytime I called the Centre they had my phone number on some state-of-the-art caller ID.
Even when I did the caller ID block on my telephone my phone number still showed up on theirs! It was super scary. They even called me back without my permission at times when I hung up on them and did not not want ANY further conversations. These people, especially the wacko brain-washed instructors, are as annoying as those wretched telemarketers who are being payed only on commission if they make a sale.
Please check out the voluminous articles about the Kabbalah Centre:
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www.culteducation.com]