Berg was born as Shraga Feivel Gruberger in 1929 in Brooklyn, to an Orthodox Jewish family.
His father, Max Gruberger, immigrated from Nadvorna, Galicia (now in Ukraine), and worked as a clothes presser in Williamsburg.
In his youth, Berg underwent Talmudic education at Lakewood Yeshiva under Aharon Kotler.
He later returned to Williamsburg, where in 1951 at age 22 he received ordination from Yeshiva Torah Vodaas.
Berg went into the business world and worked as an insurance agent for New York Life.
He also became involved in real estate, and by 1962 it is claimed he was a millionaire.
It is likely that he began to be called Philip during this time, as it is usual practice among jews with Yiddish names to use an English equivalent to be more comfortable in a secular environment.

Bergs first wife, Rivkah Brandwein, had an uncle named Yehuda Brandwein, whom Berg first met on a trip to Israel in 1962.
Brandwein, a Hasidic rabbi from the Stretiner Hasidic dynasty and a close student in the Kabbalistic circle around Yehuda Ashlag, would become Berg's Kabbalistic mentor.
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".
The uniqueness of Kol Yehuda was that students focused on kabbalistic study.
The students would receive a salary to cover their living expenses so they could devote themselves to full-time learning.
However, Brandwein faced difficulty in finding funds for the yeshiva and publishing.
Berg had become Brandwein's book distributor and fund raiser in the United States, and it is likely he was encouraged by Brandwein to establish the "National Institute for the Research in Kabbalah" in New York in 1965 to aid the yeshiva.

Berg was studying with another of Ashlag's American students, Levi I. Krakovsky, of Brooklyn.
Krakovsky was interested in publishing his books through the National Institute, but Brandwein did not agree.
In Brandwein's letters to Berg, he also clarified that he did not encourage seeking or accepting funds from non-Jews for the yeshiva, as this was forbidden according to halakha.
Eventually, Brandwein allowed Berg to teach one student Kabbalah, and in 1966 Berg received an additional rabbinic ordination from Brandwein which certified his knowledge of Kabbalah, conferring him to the highest rabbinical rank.

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.
In 1971, Philip and Karen married and traveled to Israel.
It was there that they changed their surname from Gruberger to Berg, as it was a common practice to shorten a European Jewish surname upon moving to Israel.
In 1973, the Bergs returned to Queens, New York, where they established their full-time headquarters during the 1980s.

Berg, who had been ill since suffering a stroke in 2004, died on September 16, 2013.
He was generally reported to be 86 (although the Los Angeles Times reported that according to public records he was 84).
He is survived by his wife Karen and two sons, Yehuda and Michael, who have led the Kabbalah Centre since his stroke.
He also had eight children from his first marriage.
Berg was born as Shraga Feivel Gruberger in 1929 in Brooklyn, to an Orthodox Jewish family. His father, Max Gruberger, immigrated from Nadvorna, Galicia (now in Ukraine), and worked as a clothes presser in Williamsburg. In his youth, Berg underwent Talmudic education at Lakewood Yeshiva under Aharon Kotler. He later returned to Williamsburg, where in 1951 at age 22 he received ordination from Yeshiva Torah Vodaas. Berg went into the business world and worked as an insurance agent for New York Life. He also became involved in real estate, and by 1962 it is claimed he was a millionaire. It is likely that he began to be called Philip during this time, as it is usual practice among jews with Yiddish names to use an English equivalent to be more comfortable in a secular environment. 
Bergs first wife, Rivkah Brandwein, had an uncle named Yehuda Brandwein, whom Berg first met on a trip to Israel in 1962. Brandwein, a Hasidic rabbi from the Stretiner Hasidic dynasty and a close student in the Kabbalistic circle around Yehuda Ashlag, would become Berg's Kabbalistic mentor. 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". The uniqueness of Kol Yehuda was that students focused on kabbalistic study. The students would receive a salary to cover their living expenses so they could devote themselves to full-time learning. However, Brandwein faced difficulty in finding funds for the yeshiva and publishing. Berg had become Brandwein's book distributor and fund raiser in the United States, and it is likely he was encouraged by Brandwein to establish the "National Institute for the Research in Kabbalah" in New York in 1965 to aid the yeshiva. 
Berg was studying with another of Ashlag's American students, Levi I. Krakovsky, of Brooklyn. Krakovsky was interested in publishing his books through the National Institute, but Brandwein did not agree. In Brandwein's letters to Berg, he also clarified that he did not encourage seeking or accepting funds from non-Jews for the yeshiva, as this was forbidden according to halakha. Eventually, Brandwein allowed Berg to teach one student Kabbalah, and in 1966 Berg received an additional rabbinic ordination from Brandwein which certified his knowledge of Kabbalah, conferring him to the highest rabbinical rank. 
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. In 1971, Philip and Karen married and traveled to Israel. It was there that they changed their surname from Gruberger to Berg, as it was a common practice to shorten a European Jewish surname upon moving to Israel. In 1973, the Bergs returned to Queens, New York, where they established their full-time headquarters during the 1980s.
Berg, who had been ill since suffering a stroke in 2004, died on September 16, 2013. He was generally reported to be 86 (although the Los Angeles Times reported that according to public records he was 84). He is survived by his wife Karen and two sons, Yehuda and Michael, who have led the Kabbalah Centre since his stroke. He also had eight children from his first marriage.
Philip Berg