Karen Berg and the Kabbalistic Dream

I just came across the amazing story of how Karen Berg, the co-director of the Kabbalah Center with her husband Rav Berg, first became involved with learning Kabbalah. Back in 1971 Karen, who came from a secular Jewish background, heard that Rav Berg had just returned to the United States from studying Kabbalah in Israel. Having known him before, she decided to call him and ask Rav Berg to teach her Kabbalah. This request was not as simple as it might sound, since Kabbalah has always been considered esoteric knowledge only to be shared with certain people who have attained a certain level of spiritual and intellectual profeciency. Uncertain what to do, Rav Berg prayed that his own teacher, Rav Brandwein in Israel, would appear to him in a dream and tell him whether or not to teach the Kabbalah to Karen. Upon waking Rav Berg was disappointed that his teacher did not appear to him and thought this meant that he could not teach Karen Kabbalah. Rav Berg went to meet Karen to explain to her why he could not teach her. Instead Karen described to Rav Berg the strange dream she had that night. An old man touched her forehead with his cane and blessed her. Karen's description of the Holy man matched perfectly that of Rav Berg's teacher, Rav Brandwein. Rav Berg realized that Karen's dream conveyed the message that yes, indeed, he should teach Karen Kabbalah. Thus a partnership in love and spiritual growth began and grew to become the Kabbalah Centre of today.