Posted on 04/28/2017 5:29:56 AM PDT by Olog-hai
The Tel Aviv municipality on Friday reversed an earlier decision to seize the assets of the city’s historic Great Synagogue.
On Thursday, the Great Synagogue of Tel Aviv’s president, Shlomo Pivko, announced that the historic house of prayer would be closing, noting that the City of Tel Aviv had seized the synagogue’s bank account to cover back taxes.
According to Behadrei Haredim, the synagogue owed a total of 2 million shekels ($550,000), for seven years’ worth of back taxes. While Pivko has raised hundreds of thousands of shekels to help stabilize the synagogue’s finances, he was unable to secure sufficient funds to pay off the debt. …
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
That is pathetic that some wealthy patron won’t contribute.
Just think how the left would go after churches in the USA if they could be taxed in like manner.
[If CHRISTIANS tithed and gave offerings to the LORD, there wouldn’t be a problem.]
MALACHI 3:10
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
The place is in the heart of the financial district on prime real estate. It’s hardly an exaggeration to say religious Jews are hated in Tel Aviv, and the place could barely get a minyan.
A couple of very young guys have tried to take charge, but it’s an uphill battle like a lot of kiruv. Some work out, some don’t. There are plenty of assets that could be liquidated.
Very interesting, that apparently religious property in Israel is not “tax exempt”. Maybe Israel has the right idea?
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
Other weekend threads
Joke of the Week: Arab Countries Would Give Security Guarantees to Israel
Obama selling Israel the policy?
Donald Trump Disappoints the Anti-Semites
WHITEWASHING LEFTIST ANTI-SEMITISM: The Washington Post's peculiar "exposé" on campus Jew-hatred.
Never happen, but I think a good case that non profits should be subject to real estate taxes. I'd be happy to exempt those that don't use services, police, fire, local roads. This is a major burden in some cases, from the cost of service to removal of existing property from the tax rolls. Probably more of an issue for educational rather than religious institutions. I'd also tax income on operations which don't contribute to their purpose. From gift shops to travel to insurance.
I want to use a simple rule, as to “non-profits< other than the religious property relative to performing religious services - if you charge for your services you are not tax exempt.
That will put all the giant well endowed private “non-profit” academic institutions on the same financial position as “for profit” schools, other than the self-acquired giant expenses the “non-profit” schools have adopted.
I would do the same with health care institutions. You charge for your services you are not tax exempt.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.