Philip S. Berg (original name Shraga Feivel Gruberger, Hebrew: שרגא פייבל; August 20, 1927 – September 16, 2013)[1] was an American rabbi and dean of the worldwide Kabbalah Centre organization.

Having written a number of books on the subject of Kabbalah, Berg expanded its access to a greater audience than traditionally permitted, one which included secular Jews, non-Jews and women.

There is disagreement about whether Berg's teachings, as relayed through the Kabbalah Centre, have sufficient grounds and/or genuine authority according to halakha (Jewish law), as they include some dogmas and translations differing markedly from those of more-traditional Kabbalists.

[10] It is likely that he began to be called Philip during this time, as it is not unusual practice among Jews with Yiddish names to use an English equivalent while working in a secular environment.

Brandwein was the head of the Religious Department of the Israeli national workers union, Histadrut, and established Yeshivat Kol Yehuda (named after Ashlag) as a continuation of his mentor's yeshiva/publishing house "Beit Ulpana Itur Rabbanim".

[11] After Brandwein's death in 1969, Berg returned to the United States and began working again with his former secretary (and future wife) Karen, on the condition that she let him teach her Kabbalah, a discipline he claimed was reserved exclusively for men.

[13][failed verification] In July 1965, Berg was initially involved in the founding of a publishing house called "The National Institute for the Research in Kabbalah"[14] along with Ashlag's American student Levi Krakovsky, who died the following year.

In 1980, he established a yeshiva, "Or Hozer le’Limud ha-Nigleh ve ha-Nistar" (Returning Light for the Study of the Revealed and the Concealed) in Tel Aviv, which circulated various kabbalistic works.

[15] The aim of the now independent research centre was to resolve a widespread spiritual crisis affecting Jews, where many found traditional Judaism dry and unfulfilling.