Madonna Slams Kabbalah Marketing  6/22/05

Superstar Madonna is concerned about the marketing campaign of her controversial Kabbalah following, claiming many who work at the religion's Los Angeles Center are "naive".

The mystical offshoot of Judaism has received negative criticism in the press over the large donations given by followers, such as Madonna and DEMI MOORE, and has also been lambasted by Israeli rabbis, who claim the Kabbalah Center in LA has nothing to do with the ancient Jewish study.

The LA Kabbalah Center generates money by selling special Kabbalah water and red-string bracelets for $8 (#4.20), and Madonna has puts thousands of dollars into funding a Kabbalah school in New York City and more recently a hotel in London for followers to stay in.

Referring to the LA Center's leader Rabbi Rav Berg, Madonna enthuses, "I have an incredible leader who is very wise. The last thing you'd accuse him of is charlatism.

"I do think lots of the ones who started the Center, they're not worldly-wise, they've been naive about marketing themselves.

"What I say is, don't listen to the messenger, hear the message.

"I don't consider it Jewish or religious, because I meet all kinds of people there - Hindus, pagans, Buddhists."

Madonna insists all religions need to raise money to support themselves.

She explains, "If people want to delve into the veracity of religious organizations, have a look at the evolution of Christianity, or hop over to The Vatican. Where does all that money go? Have you see all the gold on the roof?

Not that I'm picking on Catholics, God forbid, my father would never forgive me."