Karen Berg

Karen Berg
Born Karen Mulnick[1]
Nationality American
Occupation Author, Founder of Kabbalah Centre International

Karen Berg is an author and the Founder of the Kabbalah Centre International. She has written four books, God Wears Lipstick: Kabbalah for Women,[2] Simple Light, Wisdom from a Woman's Heart,[3] To Be Continued, Reincarnation and the Purpose of our Lives,[4] and Finding the Light through the Darkness, Inspirational lessons rooted in the Bible and the Zohar.[5]


Early Years

From a young age, Karen had an awareness of the constant presence of God. Her first extraordinary experience was at ten years of age, when she was flung into a construction pit by children at her school. During those lonely dark hours, she was visited by the Angel Michael who told her she would be saved, and that every difficulty she experiences is part of a larger plan for her life. From that moment on, Karen continued to find spirituality in all things.

Karen was a medium by the age of 21. In 1972, after a series of synchronistic events and a chance meetings, Karen married Rav Berg. When they married, they didn’t just marry each other, they married two worlds—Karen’s world, spirituality and the mystical arts, and the Rav’s, the rites and rituals of a traditional orthodox religious practice.

Although Kabbalah was intended for use and study by all of humankind, until their chance meeting, the wisdom of Kabbalah had been a closely guarded, perplexing study reserved for religious male scholars.

In the face of persecution and constant obstacles, Karen successfully defied thousands of years of “religious” tradition and restrictions, opening the doors for women to study Kabbalah, as well as for all people, at all levels of study.


Career

Born Karen Mulnich,[1] Berg grew up in a Jewish family, but was not around orthodox Jews until she worked at an insurance office based in New York where she met Philip Berg. She and Philip Berg later married in 1971. The couple moved to Jerusalem with Karen Berg's two daughters from a previous marriage, and had two sons, Yehuda and Michael, born in 1972 and 1973. Philip began teaching Kabbalah with Berg supporting him. They set up The Research Centre of Kabbalah in Tel Aviv. After living there for 12 years, they moved to Richmond Hill in Queens. Berg suggested opening a school so that all people could learn Kabbalah. Their house became the first American location of the Kabbalah Centre.[6][7][8] The Bergs later moved to Beverly Hills.[7]

In 2005, Berg wrote God Wears Lipstick: Kabbalah for Women.[6][9] The book covers ancient Kabalistic wisdom in a contemporary and practical way.[10] She also wrote Simple Light, Wisdom from a Woman's Heart in 2008.[11]

Berg founded The Kabbalah Centre Charitable Foundation, Spirituality for Kids, an online program that works to help at-risk kids and teens. In 2005, she founded Kids Creating Peace, an organization that works with children in war-torn areas of the Middle East.[11][12][13]

Philip Berg died in 2013 and after his death, Karen Berg and the couple's son Michael directed the daily activities of the Centre, Karen Berg became spiritual leader of the Kabbalah Centre.[11] In 2016, Berg wrote Finding the Light Through the Darkness: Inspirational Lessons Rooted in the Bible and the Zohar.[5]

As the Founder of The Kabbalah Centre, Karen Berg is devoted to an enduring vision— within each person is a spark of God that can be bound together to create transcendence beyond all differences. Karen is certain that peace is possible, and foresees a world free of hatred and intolerance. She works untiringly to cultivate a new paradigm of Global Spirituality through which people from diverse beliefs and no belief can work together to bring the world to a better place through mutual respect, dignity, and love for humanity.

Today

Following Rav Berg’s passing in 2013, Karen continues to passionately lead and nurture the Kabbalah Centres around the world. She has expanded her efforts to bring peace to the world through spiritual unity and travels extensively. Karen meets with people daily, both personally and online, serving a worldwide community of over 300,000 souls.

To this end Karen has:

  • Founded the international children’s program Spirituality for Kids, an online children’s educational program that supports children to find the spark of Light within themselves, within others, and within all things.
  • Founded Kids Creating Peace (KCP), a program designed to help children discover for themselves a place of peaceful coexistence in the Middle East. For the International Day of Peace in 2010, teenage KCP participants were invited to make a presentation on behalf of peace in the Middle East to the French National Assembly. In 2014, teenage KCP representatives attended the United Nations Youth Assembly at the UN in New York City where Karen gave the keynote address.
  • Discussed human dignity and peace with many spiritual leaders including: the Dalai Lama; Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Centres; Imam Mohammed Ali Elahi, spiritual leader of the Islamic House of Wisdom; Michael Bernard Beckwith, founder and CEO of the Agape Centre International; Bawa Jain, Secretary-General of the Millennium World Council of Religious Leaders; Mabel Katz, authority on the ancient Hawaiian healing method, Ho’oponopono; and Ilchi Lee, founder and developer of Brain Education and Dahn Yoga. Karen has also spoken with political and thought leaders including: President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority; Hilary Rantisi, director of the Middle East Initiative at Harvard University; Governor Cesar Duarte of Chihuahua, Mexico; and First Lady of Mexico Anjelica Rivera. In London in 2011, Karen spoke alongside Dr. Jehan Sadat, human rights activist and widow of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and later that year, hosted an event in honor of International Women’s Day with Ibtisam Mahameed, co-founder of the Women’s Interfaith Encounter, and Professor Galia Sabar, chair of African Studies at Tel Aviv University, both recipients of the Dalai Lama Peace Prize.


Karen has four children, sixteen grandchildren, and considers everywhere there is a Kabbalah Centre her home.


Bibliography

  • Karen Berg (2005). God Wears Lipstick: Kabbalah for Women. Kabbalah Centre.
  • Karen Berg (2008). Simple Light, Wisdom from a Woman's Heart. Kabbalah Publishing.
  • Karen Berg (2012). To Be Continued, Reincarnation and the Purpose of Our Lives. Kabbalah Publishing.
  • Karen Berg (2016). Finding the Light Through the Darkness. Kabbalah Publishing.



References

  1. 1 2 Harriet Ryan (September 22, 2013). "Philip Berg dies; controversial kabbalah rabbi with celebrity followers". Faith Street. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  2. ↑ Karen Berg (2005). God Wears Lipstick: Kabbalah for Women. Kabbalah Centre.
  3. ↑ Karen Berg (2008). Simple Light, Wisdom from a Woman's Heart. Kabbalah Publishing.
  4. ↑ Karen Berg. "To Be Continued: Reincarnation and the Purpose of Our Lives". GoodReads. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Finding the Light Through the Darkness". The Kabbalah Centre. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Harriet Ryan, Kim Christiansen (October 16, 2011). "Couple's success spreading kabbalah yields to discord, tax probe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  7. 1 2 David Brinn (September 9, 2009). "Madonna's Kabbalah guide Karen Berg has built a spiritual empire". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  8. ↑ Veronique Altglas (May 1, 2014). From Yoga to Kabbalah: Religious Exoticism and the Logics of Bricolage. Oxford University Press.
  9. ↑ David Brinn (September 4, 2009). "Madonna's Kabbalah guide: Mysticism has made her better, humbler person". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  10. ↑ Robin Palmer. "God Wears Lipstick". Yogi Times. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 "Karen Berg". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Karen Berg". Inspire Me Today. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Israeli, Palestinian children go to 'Peace Camp'". The Acorn. November 24, 2005. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
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