By COLlive reporter
From bad to worse?
A group that was accused of being cult-like and brainwashing and later outlawed by leading Brooklyn rabbis seems to be enjoying a reincarnation under another founder, name and location.
“From Galut to Geula,” a large-group awareness training (LGAT) self-described as a “Jewish men’s workshop exploring our personal journeys from enslavement to awareness and embodiment,” is taking place this weekend.
Participants are required to sign a “Supplemental Covenant & Promise” stating that “I hereby acknowledge that I am attending this Training solely for my own benefit and not as an observer, researcher, journalist, investigator, or in any other capacity than as a participant.”
In another document, attendees are required to sign a waiver “that there is always the risk of emotional and/or physical contingencies in such a group experience” and that they “assume the risk, by this consent, of any accident or injury to myself or inflicted by me during the weekend.”
Its founders are father and son Aaron Shamberg and Benzion Shamberg who stated in promotional material that “This is a men’s weekend that is based, but not limited to, our experiences with Call of the Shofar. It is not affiliated with the Call of The Shofar organization.”
Aaron owns Deep Roots Organic LandCare in Baltimore, Maryland, specializing in organics and soil nutrition. Between the years 1999 and 2005, he served as a staffer of the ManKind Project (MKP), a training organization accused by anti-cult advocate Rick Ross of using coercive mind-control tactics, including limiting participants’ sleep and diet, cutting them off from the outside world, forcing members to keep secrets, and using intimidation. Ross also expressed concern that the organization performs group therapy, which could be dangerous to many individuals, although they are not licensed and they are not accountable to anyone.
Benzion, a licensed acupuncturist, was listed as Senior Facilitator and Alumni Relations Coordinator for Call of the Shofar. He is also a Breathwork Therapist, a New Age practice claiming to influence mental, emotional and physical state.
The waiver also states: “I assume the risk, by this consent of any illness during the weekend, and hereby release Aaron Shamberg and Benzion Shamberg (organizers) and Edward and Mesa Leventhal (property owners) and all they’re agents from any liability therefrom.”
A promotional email titled “From Galut to Geula: Men’s Workshop,” was sent on Tuesday, October 21, from [email protected] with the name Moshe Lieblich. Principal of ULY HaMesivta high school on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn, Lieblich told COLlive.com on Wednesday that he did not send out that email and denied any connection with the new group.
The Call of the Shofar was founded by Steven Simcha Frischling who listed ManKind and Landmark Worldwide among his influences. An estimated 1,800 Lubavitchers attended the weekend workshops held in Morristown, NJ, and its revenue jumped from $130,989 in 2011 to $241,981 in 2012, according to IRS documents.
Some 15 years ago, scholar and author Rabbi Nissan Mangel of Crown Heights wrote a letter against Landmark. 17 rabbis in Montreal, including Chabad’s Rabbi Yitzchok Hendel OBM and Rabbi David Raphael Banon, warned against participation in Landmark workshops.
An interview with Frischling posted on COLlive.com exposed his opinions on the difference between choosing to do mitzvos and being obligated to do them, leading the Crown Heights Beis Din and the Central Committee of Chabad Lubavitch Rabbis (Vaad Rabbonei Lubavitch) to ban it.
The scrutiny also revealed practices which were called into question as being cult-like and causing emotional harm to participants in a report by cult expert Rafael Aron of Australia and by Rabbi Shea Hecht, among others.
Similar to the Call of the Shofar, the new group is being held over Shabbos. It is limited to 10 participants at Leventhal Farm in New Berlin, PA, and begins on Friday, October 24 and ends on Sunday, October 26, 2014.
In response, Frischling wrote in an email on Thursday: “This workshop is not under my supervision or auspice. There are no scheduled workshops that I am planning to run or will be under my supervision. I know both Aaron and Benzion for many years. They are both wonderful men and I expect this workshop to be a very good experience for those who attend. Benzion has run several Shofar workshops which were under my auspices.”
#29 The training and background of both people speaks for itself. I’m not talking about the fact of being a psychotherapy patient – that’s nothing but an attempt to obscure the real issue. Breathworks, The Mankind Project and COTS are all as treif as you can get. It’s really that simple. Others have already pointed out the issues with the Mankind Project. It’s worth pointing out that Breathworks in all its forms is based in part on actual Avodah Zarah, and many forms of it still explicitly use these avoda zara techniques. The fact that there are many vulnerable people… Read more »
You gotta be kidding! Trained or untrained a cult is bad. An untrained cult maybe even worse, but who cares. These people are nuts, what they do is nuts, and anybody who goes to it is nuts.
As far as being “quick to judge” goes; this folly has been around since the 70s!!! You’re nuts too!
I would not address the cult aspects of the seminar, I would question the clinical qualifications of the leaders
how ppl are so quick to judge. even the so called “experts”
During the COTS situation our rabbonim were very clear, it is ASSUR for any Lubavitcher to participate in this type of program. A person who feels in need of psychological help should consult a licensed professional, preferably after discussing the matter with his or her mashpia.
Cots is asur!
That’s what our rabonim said!
Anyone, asociated with them is asur too, period.
When something is asur We call it just that and make it clear that that is what it is.
1st of all, I wonder if the actual founders themselves are posting are those comments about how they’re Yiras Shamayim emese ppl… doesn’t sound legitemate
2ndly if you are a critical writer/reader you will notice many basic writing errors.
to publicise something like thst to public??
sounds very unproffesional
we really need Moshiach now!
ad Mosai!!!!?????
I.e., brainwashing. That, and money, is all this is about. The rest is window dressing to bait people.
Sadly, many get sucked into these groups; even good, stable, intelligent people. A conjured and transient feeling of release and empowerment is the best that people get from this stuff. But there often follows a very real and long-term damage to relationships and identities.
they are unqualified quacks and are not under the direction of any senior Halachic authority.
It would seem that this is not a private email, it is a mass email sent to promote this “new group”, coming from one of the directors of the Call of the Shofar.
They might be decent people (I have my doubts that anyone who does this kind of stuff is playing with a full deck) but the mere fact that they have to cover their donkeys with all these disclaimers tells me they know this is one big scam.
Rabbosai, STAY AWAY!
i personally know Benzoin and Aron and can vouch that they are good guys, Yirei Shomayim and caring people and can hopefully do a better job based on kedusha.
please stay away from the dangerous nonsense
Emai from Aaron Shamberg says, “we are limiting participation to 15 people.” From Galut to Geula says,
“Limited to 10 participants.” The fewer the better – as in
NONE!
thats already a no-no for any yid with a bit of yiras shamayim!!!
why no observers, investigators????
the red flags ae so many and so bright.
hope no one, not even meshugoyim fall for this !
hatzlacha rabba to all
and if ANYONE in chinuch gets involved here- fire immediately.
last time was a mistake- this time you gotta be in gantzin meshuga and not fit to be in ANY position of influence on ANYONE.
Blatantly posting private email is a violation of Cherem Rabbeinu Gershom! How would u feel if someone did that to you! Basic decency is sorely lacking.
i know these guys who run the program needs to make parnosa
may G-d bless them and they should have plenty
but not this way . ill write them a ck
You’re comparing a mental patient to the training that licensed therapists undergo and legitinate group therapy to what these people practice, or better put, perpetrate? My, my, my.
There is no inyan to dan mishugoyim l’kaf z;chus.
Your self-righteous defense of a cultist and cult-leader wannabe is stunning. A man who leads other men to disrobe, beat on drums, beat chickens with hammers, etc., and then engages in years of blindfolding and brainwashing people is not to be judged for his hashgafa? You equate professional training to being a patient? I don’t know if James is his name, but if it is, what’s “immature” about saying so?
Methinks thou doth protest too much.
cash?????
no ckecks?
no credit cards?
why?
100$ total?
do you cover all the meals, and hotel stay?
cheaper than staying home!!
lets go to this MABUL!
good Shabbos!!!!
Why would anyone sign such a thing!!!
And why would the organization mention any connection to cots if they want people to join?
And WHY is col advertising for it?It should’ve just written the name of the organizaion and why it’s dangerous to attend. The rest is just free advertising.
It feels really weird to be reading this article and all these commons that seem to know with such certainty about how awful and damaging this project is – before it has even begun!!?? “James “Aaron” Schamberg worked as a staffer for the Mankind Project (MKP) for about 6 years; little doubt that he recruited his own son.” Come on!! Calling him “James” is pathetically immature – many of us have english names – some of us have even used them in the past and it in no way has anything to do with anything. And the fact that he… Read more »
YOU cry on the outside for Mashiach yet you continue to act in a way that would never allow Mashiach to redeem us all. Stop wasting your time spreading sheker and hatred against other Jews and start calling out to Hashem for Mashiach from the pain that we feel as a COMMUNITY of JEWS. Stop pointing fingers at other Jews and start the real avodah of Ahavas Yisroel and tshuva. It’s very easy to feel false pride in ourselves at how “good” and “kosher” we are and blame these Jews rather than face our own imperfections.Can we make the difficult… Read more »
Stay away from this crap.
If Mashpiyim are not enough see a licensed therapist. These groups are for lunatics.
SHAM
Berg
James “Aaron” Schamberg worked as a staffer for the Mankind Project (MKP) for about 6 years; little doubt that he recruited his own son. Look up MKP and you will understand why this is alarming. Schamberg has purportedly been a psychotherapy patient for many years. No crime there. But hardly the qualifications to be counseling others on how to live, think, etc. Naming this LGAT retreat “From Galut to Geula” is a transparent attempt to lure frum yidden to what is clearly a 3-day-brainwashing-for-dollars marathon. The low cost of the retreat is meant to be a kickstarter. If successful, the… Read more »
The Shambergs are very fine and emesdik people
These guys so happy! Look at their faces!
They are close to Hershey park PA
wow!!
Geula to Galut
There are many people reading these articles and comments who are hurting inside. There was such a big need for ‘group therapy’ as witnessed that so many earnest lubavitchers who were looking to work on themselves went to those workshops before they were suspected to be wrong. We need to start a group al pi torah, to be able to help so many people willing to look into themselves, be real, and make real changes for them and their families. Please stop posting every mishegas just to get publicity… Instead people have to come up with a proper and kosher… Read more »
Please be more specific of how these people are dangerous.
Not everybody can always read between the lines..
I dont believe this! after almost a full year of peace from COTS now they struck up again and even have the audacity to state clearly “it is based, but not limited to, our experiences with Call of the Shofar. It is not affiliated with the Call of The Shofar organization.” They are trying to get in confused youth and instill within them the terrible concept of Avodah Zara! We had the Call of the Shofar, he have the misichistim (thats a different story), and now a new way to shame our community!! And thank you COL for informing this… Read more »
This looks like a practical joke. If they ready wanted customers, why would they associate with a name like cots, rather than just start anew, and pretend to be different? At least they would have a chance.
300 comments…
anyone seeking an authentic program should look into Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh’s Torat Hanefesh distance learning program.
I totally agree. And I believe its because they are counting on it growing as COTS did, being that participants are hooked into convincing all their family members and friends to attend this so called “life changing experience.” Amazing how gullible people can be. I can’t help laughing.
Keep your money, you idiots!
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
They try to deceive the Moshichitm with the name of the group
This is avoda Zara!!
I
When something is too good to be true – there’s got to be a hidden agenda. Why are they going to all this effort for a measly $1,500 =15 participants x $100 fee including meals and board = something doesn’t add up properly….
if all members of COTS who are in chinuch specifically Maspiam etc would have been properly dealt with, then no one would have the guts to reopen.
however since all of them still have the jobs and are still speaking at the mike at all functions then we shouldn’t expect any different.
Stay away. Sneaky and slimy.
What is the reason for this being on COL?
To warn people?
To help advertise?
What?
Explain your position.
You are not just a news-bringer, you are a news-maker. Shifting paradigms, exposing faults, and securing a better future for our children.
Thanks!
Moshe Liblich PLEASE give out a true statement against this avoda zara
If not you are machte es harabim.
Klipa has so many faces!
This is worrisome. please keep them away from our community. And especially the shluchim, many of which seemed very susceptible and vulnerable the last time around.
Pardon the Pun, but this is one big Sham(berg).
Flakey people running it. Flakey ideas. New Age.
“a men’s weekend that is based, but not limited to, our experiences with Call of the Shofar. It is not affiliated with the Call of The Shofar organization.”
sounds like the same thing to me…
Something smells fishy
thanks for exposing this and hopefully this never gets off the ground
i hope people aren’t fooled by this again
hashem yishmoir
moshe