Israel Charity Bot: New profile: UK charity operating in Israel (batch 17)

2026-10-16T13:54:52Z

New profile: UK charity operating in Israel (batch 17)

New page

{{short description|'''Nathanson-founded CIO staging Jewish music concerts in London, whose 2025 proceeds went to two unnamed charities for victims of 7 October'''}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Bishnat
| type = CIO
| registration_id = Registered charity 1197647
| founded = 2022-01-25 (registered)
| headquarters = Bishnat, 55 Baker Street, London, W1U 8EW
| area_served = Throughout England And Wales, Israel
| key_people = [[Hilton Nathanson]] (chair)
| revenue = £97,045 (year to 2025-12-31)
}}

'''[[Bishnat]]''' is a charitable incorporated organisation registered on 25 January 2022, also using the name Bishnat 2021; register areas are England and Wales and Israel.<ref name="EXTRACT">[[Charity Commission for England and Wales]], ''Register of Charities public extract'' (tables charity, charity_trustee, charity_annual_return_history, charity_area_of_operation, charity_classification, charity_other_names), extract dated 14 October 2026.</ref> Its object is to promote public education in and appreciation of music through concerts and recitals and choir services, and the report describes its aim as "to use musical performances to inspire Jewish people" (PDF p.4).<ref name="EXTRACT" /><ref name="ACC">[[Charity Commission]], [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5192983/accounts-and-annual-returns Bishnat (1197647): accounts and annual returns] ''Register of Charities''; latest accounts downloaded 16 October 2026 ("PDF p." = page of the PDF file).</ref> The trustees are [[Hilton Nathanson]] (chair), described in the accounts as the settlor, [[Naomi Nevies]] and [[David Bearman]], with an office at 55 Baker Street, London W1U (PDF p.2, 14).<ref name="EXTRACT" /><ref name="ACC" /> In January 2025 it held "another sell out concert" with [[Shulem Lemmer]], Avromi Freilich and Alby Chait at [[St John's Wood Synagogue]], and "Donations from the concerts were distributed to two charities supporting victims of the October 7 atrocities" (PDF p.4).<ref name="ACC" /> In 2025 income was £97,045 (donations £47,016 and events £50,029) and spending £106,052, leaving a deficit in funds of £285 (PDF p.7).<ref name="ACC" />

== Objects and activities ==
The charity's registered objects read: "TO ADVANCE, DEVELOP AND PROMOTE PUBLIC EDUCATION IN, AND APPRECIATION OF MUSIC, THROUGH THE PRESENTATION OF PUBLIC CONCERTS AND RECITALS, PROVIDE CHOIR SERVICES TO VARIOUS COMMUNITIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY"<ref name="EXTRACT" />

The register describes its activities as: "Hold Jewish music concerts in various locations for various communities to appreciate the music and learn about the music"<ref name="EXTRACT" />

Register classifications: Arts/culture/heritage/science.<ref name="EXTRACT" />

Areas of operation recorded on the register: Throughout England And Wales, Israel.<ref name="EXTRACT" />

== Trustees ==
Current trustees, with other charities on which the same register trustee ID appears:<ref name="EXTRACT" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Trustees of Bishnat (register, October 2026)
! Trustee !! Appointed !! Chair !! Other trusteeships
|-
| [[Hilton Nathanson]] || 2022-01-02 || Yes || —
|-
| [[Naomi Nevies]] || 2022-01-02 || || —
|-
| [[David Bearman]] || 2022-01-02 || || [[Foundation for Jewish Heritage]] (1162111); [[The Rosemarie Nathanson Charitable Trust]] (1127306); [[Welsh Jewish Cultural Centre]] (1214643)
|}

== Finances ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Income and expenditure, five most recent reported years
! Financial year end !! Income !! Expenditure
|-
| 2022-12-31 || £99,942 || £108,113
|-
| 2023-12-31 || £155,008 || £152,445
|-
| 2024-12-31 || £57,802 || £43,472
|-
| 2025-12-31 || £97,045 || £106,052
|}
Source: register annual-return history.<ref name="EXTRACT" />

== Funding in Israel ==
* FY2025: proceeds of the January 2025 concert were distributed to two charities supporting victims of the 7 October attacks; neither the charities nor the amounts are given, and no grant line appears separately from charitable events expenses of £88,493 (PDF p.4, 12).<ref name="ACC" />

=== Israeli partners ===
Two unnamed charities supporting victims of the 7 October attacks (PDF p.4).<ref name="ACC" />

== Activity beyond the Green Line and support for the IDF ==
Findings are graded by confidence. "Partner" findings concern the Israeli recipient organisation, not proven use of UK funds.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Evidence of activity beyond the 1949 armistice line
! Finding !! Confidence
|-
| No place in Israel is named.<ref name="ACC" /> || Not established
|}

'''Support for the IDF:''' No IDF or military funding is stated; the concert proceeds went to two unnamed charities supporting victims of the 7 October attacks (PDF p.4).<ref name="ACC" />

== Controversies and regulatory action ==
* No Charity Commission inquiry, Official Warning or Gazette insolvency notice naming this charity was found, and its register entry shows no regulatory alert;<ref name="ALERTS">[[Charity Commission]], ''Register of Charities'', charity overview page (register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/ followed by the organisation number) for each of the 25 batch-17 charities, all retrieved successfully on 16 October 2026 and checked for a "Regulatory alerts" section; none was shown for any of them. Seventeen registered charities showed "Charity reporting is up to date (on time)"; Starscope Limited showed "up to date (23 days late)", UK Friends of Tzohar "up to date (18 days late)" and The Mr W and Mrs I Carrant Charitable Trust "up to date (3 days late)"; BFON Trust showed no reporting-status line; Yeshiva Gedola Zichron Michoel, Friends of Reb Sender Dominitz, Emerald Benevolence Ltd and Academic Study Group showed "Removed charity".</ref> it is not among the charities named in the Commission's cheque-cashing class-inquiry announcements (May, September and December 2025) or in the September 2026 statement of results.<ref name="CC_CHEQUE1">[[Charity Commission]], [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/serious-concerns-over-use-of-22-million-triggers-investigation-by-charity-regulator Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator] ''GOV.UK'', 14 May 2025.</ref><ref name="CC_CHEQUE2">[[Charity Commission]], [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regulator-opens-next-phase-of-investigation-into-105-charities-connected-to-company-cashing-cheques Regulator opens next phase of investigation into 105 charities connected to company cashing cheques] ''GOV.UK'', 1 September 2025.</ref><ref name="CC_CHEQUE3">[[Charity Commission]], [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regulator-announces-next-charities-to-be-investigated-as-part-of-inquiry-connected-to-company-cashing-cheques Regulator announces next charities to be investigated as part of inquiry connected to company cashing cheques] ''GOV.UK'', 4 December 2025.</ref><ref name="CC_CHEQUE4">[[Charity Commission]], [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regulator-concludes-investigation-into-4-charities-as-class-inquiry-continues Regulator concludes investigation into 4 charities as class inquiry continues] ''GOV.UK'', 9 September 2026, with [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-the-results-of-a-class-inquiry/statement-of-the-results-of-a-class-inquiry Statement of the results of a class inquiry] (same date).</ref> The charities in the Commission's settlements class inquiry (opened August 2026) have not been named, so it is not known whether this charity is among them.<ref name="CC_SETTLE">[[Charity Commission]], [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/charity-regulator-opens-inquiry-into-charities-working-in-illegal-israeli-settlements Charity regulator opens inquiry into charities working in illegal Israeli settlements] ''GOV.UK'', 5 August 2026 (a fact-finding statutory class inquiry initially involving 8 charities which "are not being publicly named at this time").</ref>
* '''Related-party services and funding.''' [[Firefly Capital Limited]], controlled by Hilton Nathanson, charged £5,400 for management services, and £46,000 of donations (2024: £55,000) came from "a charity which is under the common control of two trustees", which is not named (PDF p.14).<ref name="ACC" />
* '''Recipients not named.''' The two charities that received the concert proceeds are not named (PDF p.4).<ref name="ACC" />
* '''Reserves claim.''' The report says reserves of three to six months' expenditure have been "maintained throughout the year", although funds ended the year in deficit (PDF p.4, 7).<ref name="ACC" />
* '''Company wording for a CIO.''' The report says the trustees "are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1" (PDF p.5).<ref name="ACC" />

== Other registers and records ==
=== Scotland and Northern Ireland ===
No entry was found on the [[Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator|Scottish Charity Register]] for this charity (register export dated 14 October 2026, searched by name).<ref name="OSCR">[[Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator]], [https://www.oscr.org.uk/download/charity-register Scottish Charity Register download] ''OSCR'', export dated 14 October 2026; keyword search of the 25 batch-17 charity names found no matching Scottish registration.</ref> No entry was found on the [[Charity Commission for Northern Ireland]] register (API name searches returned zero results).<ref name="CCNI">[[Charity Commission for Northern Ireland]], [https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/api/charity-search/results?searchText=Starscope&pageNumber=1 Register of charities search API] ''CCNI'', searched 16 October 2026 (keyword searches for each of the 25 batch-17 charity names returned no matching charity).</ref>

=== The Gazette ===
Searches of ''The Gazette'' for the charity's name returned only Companies House filing lists naming Bishnat Limited (14744371), a separate company; no notice naming the charity was found.<ref name="uf093b4e6">[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice/data.feed?text=Bishnat The Gazette: notices matching 'Bishnat'] ''The Gazette'', searched 16 October 2026.</ref>

=== Grants recorded by 360Giving ===
No grants received or made by this charity are recorded in 360Giving data.<ref name="u32180743">[https://api.threesixtygiving.org/api/v1/org/GB-CHC-1197647/grants_received/?limit=100 360Giving API: grants received by GB-CHC-1197647] ''360Giving'', queried 16 October 2026.</ref>

=== Sanctions screening ===
The charity's name, its current register trustees, trustees named on archived register pages, trustees and officers named in the accounts read for this profile and (for charitable companies) its Companies House officers were screened against the UK Sanctions List and the OFSI Consolidated List. No match was found. [[Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor]] (UK sanctions ID RUS1127) does not appear among this charity's trustees or officers.<ref name="SANC">[[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office]], ''UK Sanctions List'' (CSV); [[Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation]], ''Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets'' (ConList.csv). Batch-17 screening covered 231 name strings: the 25 charity names, current register trustees, trustees named on archived register pages, Companies House officers of the eight charitable companies, and trustees, examiners and other people and bodies named in the accounts and sources read for this batch; matching on surname plus forename tokens, reviewed manually. No forename-and-surname match for any person was found; token matches were surname-only coincidences (for example Rotenberg, Weiss, Levy and Cohen) or generic words such as "Ltd", "International", "Group" and "Team"; lists downloaded October 2026.</ref>

=== Land and property ===
The register records that the charity does not own or lease land or property.<ref name="EXTRACT" /> No title registers were purchased; the [[HM Land Registry]] interactive search blocked automated access.<ref name="HLRWEB">[[HM Land Registry]], [https://search-property-information.service.gov.uk/ Search for land and property information] ''GOV.UK'' – the service returned HTTP 403 (bot protection) to automated access in October 2026; no titles were looked up or purchased. Candidate title numbers below come from the free [[Corporate and Commercial Ownership Data|CCOD]] / [[Overseas Companies Ownership Data|OCOD]] datasets (October 2026 release), not from paid title registers.</ref>

=== Parliament ===
Hansard exact-phrase searches for "Bishnat" returned 0 contributions in total.<ref name="HANS">UK Parliament, [https://hansard-api.parliament.uk/search/contributions/Spoken.json?queryParameters.searchTerm=%22Bishnat%22&queryParameters.take=100&queryParameters.orderBy=SittingDateAsc Hansard search API: contributions matching the exact phrase "Bishnat"] ''Hansard'', queried 16 October 2026 (Spoken and Written endpoints; quoted-phrase search).</ref>

== Web archive ==

The [[UK Government Web Archive]] holds 0 archived Charity Commission register pages used in this profile; none were found for this charity number.

== External links ==
* No current official website.

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Jewish charities in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Charities based in London]]
[[Category:Israel]]
[[Category:Charities]]

Bishnat - Revision history

Israel Charity Bot: New profile: UK charity operating in Israel (batch 17)