Friends of Mercaz Hatorah Belz Macnivka
UK grant-maker for Belz Machnovka institutions in Israel (charity 1126075); under Charity Commission inquiry
| Friends of Mercaz Hatorah Belz Macnivka
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Unincorporated charitable trust |
| Founded | Trust deed 26 June 2007 (amended 17 June 2020); registered 26 September 2008 |
| Location | 83–95 Bethune Road, London N16 5ED |
| Key people | Elozer Yonah Brander (chair) Chaye Gitel Krautwirt Menachem Lieber |
Friends of Mercaz Hatorah Belz Macnivka (charity number 1126075) is an English unincorporated charitable trust. It was created by trust deed dated 26 June 2007 (amended 17 June 2020) and registered with the Charity Commission on 26 September 2008. Principal address: 83–95 Bethune Road, London N16 5ED (the same Stamford Hill freehold charged to Barclays by Beis Aharon Charitable Trust Limited). No company number. No trading subsidiary; trustees unpaid. Reporting is recorded as on time. The register carries a regulatory alert: the Commission has opened an inquiry into the charity.[1][2]
The Commission activity summary states that the primary purpose is “to support the charitable activities of the Mercaz Hatorah Belz Mcnivka in Jerusalem, Israel,” with other activity “the relief of poverty, hardship and distress amongst residents of Israel and the advancement of the Orthodox Jewish education.” It operates throughout England and Wales and in Belgium, Israel and the United States. Main method: grant-making.[1][3]
Objects
The objects in the trust deed are:[4]
- the prevention and relief of poverty, hardship or distress within the United Kingdom and abroad, by grants of money to individuals and to other organisations;
- the advancement of Jewish education within the United Kingdom and abroad, including grants to educational institutions to cover a financial shortfall;
- the advancement of the Orthodox Jewish religion within the United Kingdom and abroad, including grants to synagogues and organisations which enable Jewish people to observe the requirements of their faith.
Trustees may apply income or capital, including gifts or loans (with or without interest) to persons in any part of the world who qualify as objects under English law.
The 2024 trustees’ report says the charity provides bursaries to students in the wider Mercaz Hatorah Belz Macnivka network, that funds have been accumulated “to fund the construction and development of premises for use as a synagogue and community centre in Israel by the Belz Macnivka movement,” and that it is “assisting with funding the purchase and construction of a new headquarters in Israel.”[5]
Finances
Income is almost entirely donations. In the year to 30 June 2024 the charity received more than £7.2 million and paid grants of £7,200,400 (£6,747,937 to institutions and £452,463 to individuals). Institutional grants of £50,000 or more included Heichalei Doraysa £1,540,560 and Heichalei Hakodesh £249,274; a further £3,650,951 was paid in grants under £50,000. Prior-year institutional grants included Bnos Melochim £800,000 and Heichalei Doraysa £1,395,945.[5]
| Period ending | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 30 June 2022 | £8.90m | £8.54m |
| 30 June 2023 | £7.49m | £7.87m |
| 30 June 2024 | £7,234,123 | £7,287,611 |
| 30 June 2025 | £6.78m | £6.72m |
Other assets at 30 June 2024 were £166,980; liabilities £12,000. No own-use or long-term investment assets are recorded on the Commission register.[2][6]
Funding
A major UK donor has been Keren Association Limited, whose published grant lists show payments to this charity of £4,596,600 (2018), £2,883,201 (2019), £2,608,460 (2020), £2,007,541 (2021) and £1,632,315 (2022), totalling £13,728,117 over those five years. Other named UK sources on the existing public record include Mayfair Charities Limited and The Raphael Freshwater Memorial Association. Related UK Belz Machnovka bodies include Belz Machnovka (M/C) Ltd (charity 1124718; company 06561919) and Friends of Mosdos Belz Machnovka (charity 1101793).[7]
Charity Commission inquiry
The Commission register states that an inquiry has been opened. The charity was among those linked in public reporting to the statutory class inquiry opened on 14 May 2025 after an HMRC visit to a company in Hackney found that 105 charities had cashed cheques there to a value of £22 million between December 2021 and March 2023. That inquiry is examining how funds were transferred, trustee oversight of cash obtained against cheques, and whether the transactions were in the charities’ best interests.[1][8]
People
| Name | Role | Appointed |
|---|---|---|
| Elozer Yonah Brander | Chair / trustee | (current) |
| Chaye Gitel Krautwirt (also filed Krautwirt) | Trustee | 20 December 2012; also trustee of Beis Aharon TT Activity Centre |
| Menachem Lieber | Trustee | (current) |
The 2024 accounts name the same three as Mrs G Krautwirt, E Y Brander and M Lieber.[9][5]
See also
- Belz (Hasidic dynasty)
- Belz Machnovka (M/C) Ltd
- Friends of Mosdos Belz Machnovka
- Beis Aharon Charitable Trust Limited
- Keren Association Limited
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Charity Commission, FRIENDS OF MERCAZ HATORAH BELZ MACNIVKA charity 1126075, accessed 9 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Charity Commission, Full print charity 1126075, accessed 9 September 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, What, who, how, where charity 1126075, accessed 9 September 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Governing document charity 1126075, accessed 9 September 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Friends of Mercaz Hatorah Belz Macnivka, Report of the trustees and financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2024, Charity Commission accounts file.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Assets and liabilities charity 1126075, accessed 9 September 2026.
- ↑ Keren Association Limited, published grant listings compiled from charity accounts for years 2018–2022.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator, 14 May 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Trustees charity 1126075, accessed 9 September 2026.
Resources
See: Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator
Funding
- Keren Association £13.7 million between 2018 and 2022.
- Mayfair Charities Limited
- The Raphael Freshwater Memorial Association
See also
- Belz Machnovka (M/C) Ltd (Charity No. 1124718; Company number 06561919) 'The charity was involved in raising funds to repay loans taken out for the purchase and refurbishment of premises used as a synagogue and as a religious centre.'
- Friends of Mosdos Belz Machnovka (Charity No 1101793)