A controversial Kabbalah Centre rabbi has relocated from London to Los Angeles and sources say Madonna may have had something to do with the move. Rabbi Eliyahu Yardeni has been under fire recently because of his comments that six million Jews died in the Holocaust because they didn’t use Kabbalah. A source tells MSNBC.com that Madonna–who was close to Yardeni–was “instrumental” in getting him out of London, but even though the pop idol was “furious” about the rabbi’s comments, the source insists he was moved for other reasons.

A spokesperson for Madonna said she didn’t know if Yardeni’s comments triggered the move, and that Madonna hasn’t commented on the matter because she’s been busy rehearsing and performing in the NBC Tsunami Telethon.

Yardeni made his comments about the Holocaust to a BBC television reporter who was working undercover on a story about the Centre. The secretly filmed report aired in the U.K. on January 13. Several high-profile celebrities have visited The Kabbalah Centres in London, L.A. and New York. The Centre teaches classes based on a branch of ancient Jewish mysticism, but Jewish religious leaders do not acknowledge the Centre as an authentic branch of Judaism.

In other news, Madonna was honored by the long-running BBC children’s show Blue Peter recently. The singer received a Blue Peter badge for being on the program. Apparently, only five badges have been given out since the show’s debut in 1958. Madonna is in good company–previous recipients of the badge are the Queen of England, Brad Pitt, Ralph Fiennes and Wallace And Gromit creator Nick Park.

In still other news, lawyers for Madonna are claiming that a song by Mary J. Blige on the soundtrack of the film Barbershop 2 is remarkably like Madonna’s song “Holiday.” Celebrity Justice reports that Madonna’s publishers think the song “Not Today” featuring rapper Eve and produced by Dr. Dre has similar rhythms and harmonies.

Credit: Launch Radio Networks