Difference between revisions of "British Friends of Tzohar"
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| − | [[British Friends of Tzohar]] (Charity number: 1183591) is a registered charity.<ref name="CCTrustees">Charity Commission for England and Wales, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5125297/trustees BRITISH FRIENDS OF TZOHAR trustees] ''Charity Commission for England and Wales'', accessed 13 October 2026.</ref> | + | {{short description|'''Edgware trust raising funds for the Israeli religious-Zionist rabbinic organisation Tzohar; its accounts name no recipient'''}} |
| + | {{Infobox organization | ||
| + | | name = British Friends of Tzohar | ||
| + | | type = Trust | ||
| + | | registration_id = Registered charity 1183591 | ||
| + | | founded = 2019-05-24 (registered) | ||
| + | | headquarters = Edgware HA8 | ||
| + | | area_served = Throughout England And Wales, Israel | ||
| + | | key_people = [[Joel Messod Silberstein]] (chair) | ||
| + | | revenue = £160,893 (year to 2024-12-31) | ||
| + | | website = https://tzohar-eng.org/ | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | '''[[British Friends of Tzohar]]''' (Charity number: 1183591) is a registered charity.<ref name="CCTrustees">Charity Commission for England and Wales, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5125297/trustees BRITISH FRIENDS OF TZOHAR trustees] ''Charity Commission for England and Wales'', accessed 13 October 2026.</ref> | ||
*Charity registered: 24 May 2019 (Registered)<ref name="CCTrustees" /> | *Charity registered: 24 May 2019 (Registered)<ref name="CCTrustees" /> | ||
*Charity contact address: 6 Purcells Avenue, Edgware, Middlesex, Ha8 8dt<ref name="CCOverview">Charity Commission for England and Wales, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5125297 BRITISH FRIENDS OF TZOHAR overview] ''Charity Commission for England and Wales'', accessed 13 October 2026.</ref> | *Charity contact address: 6 Purcells Avenue, Edgware, Middlesex, Ha8 8dt<ref name="CCOverview">Charity Commission for England and Wales, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5125297 BRITISH FRIENDS OF TZOHAR overview] ''Charity Commission for England and Wales'', accessed 13 October 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Objects and activities == | ||
| + | The charity's registered objects read: "THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY ARE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE JEWISH RELIGION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT.THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH VARIOUS ACTIVITIES OF THE CHARITY, INCLUDING:I)STRENGTHENING THE ATTACHMENT OF JEWS TO JUDAISM BY MAKING JEWISH CUSTOMS AND PRACTICE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT RELIGIOUSLY OBSERVANT, THROUGH EDUCATION AND THE PROVISION OF AND ACCESS TO JEWISH RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION, CELEBRATIONS AND SERVICES THAT ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION FROM PEOPLE IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR PREVIOUS LEVEL OF RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE;II)TO ASSIST JEWISH PEOPLE IN FORMALLY ESTABLISHING THEIR STATUS IN JEWISH RELIGIOUS LAW (HALACHA), PARTICULARLY IN CASES WHERE THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY THE NAZI REGIME OR THE SOVIET UNION, THUS MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THEM AND THEIR DESCENDANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN JEWISH LIFE, CUSTOM AND PRACTICE."<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> | ||
| + | |||
| + | The register describes its activities as: "The objectives of the trust are the advancement of the Jewish religion for the public benefit. This will be achieved through various activities of the charity, to advance the Jewish religion for the public benefit, including making Jewish customs and practices more readily accessible to those who are not religiously observant and assisting Jewish people in formally establishing their status in Jew"<ref name="EXTRACT" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Register classifications: Religious Activities.<ref name="EXTRACT" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Areas of operation recorded on the register: Throughout England And Wales, Israel.<ref name="EXTRACT" /> | ||
==People== | ==People== | ||
| Line 16: | Line 37: | ||
|} | |} | ||
Source: Charity Commission register.<ref name="CCTrustees" /> | Source: Charity Commission register.<ref name="CCTrustees" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Historical trustees (UK Government Web Archive) === | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| + | |+ Trustees shown in archived register pages | ||
| + | ! Capture date !! Trustees listed !! Source | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | 2021-01-17 || [[Stanley Bloom (trustee, British Friends of Tzohar)|Stanley Bloom]] (from 04 December 2017) – also trustee of [[British Friends of Kishorit]]; [[Margaret Gioia Rothem]] (chair) (from 04 December 2017) – also trustee of [[Shaare Zedek UK]]; [[Guido Baruch Sharage Rauch]] (from 20 May 2019) || <ref name="udf13cb48">[https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20210117080528/https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5125297/full-print Register entry 1183591, full print (capture of 20210117)] ''UK Government Web Archive''.</ref> | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | |||
| + | Joel Messod Silberstein is also a register trustee of [[British Friends of Ariel University]] (1002872), Israel Magen Trust UK (1202788), [[Mizrachi UK Israel Support Trust|Mizrachi (UK) Israel Support Trust]] (1137199), Sephardi Kashrut Authority (259337), The British Friends of Yeshivat Hakotel (1117836) and UK Friends of Eretz Hemdah (1084816); Margaret Gioia Rothem of Shaare Zedek UK (262870).<ref name="EXTRACT" /> Ariel University is in the settlement of Ariel; this note records the trusteeship only. | ||
==Finances== | ==Finances== | ||
| Line 32: | Line 63: | ||
|} | |} | ||
Source: Charity Commission financial history and register data.<ref name="CCFin">Charity Commission for England and Wales, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5125297/financial-history BRITISH FRIENDS OF TZOHAR financial history] ''Charity Commission for England and Wales'', accessed 13 October 2026; figures from the Commission's public register data extract dated 13 October 2026.</ref> The Commission records grant-making as the charity's main activity.<ref name="CCOverview" /> Trustee payments: "No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity."<ref name="CCOverview" /> | Source: Charity Commission financial history and register data.<ref name="CCFin">Charity Commission for England and Wales, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5125297/financial-history BRITISH FRIENDS OF TZOHAR financial history] ''Charity Commission for England and Wales'', accessed 13 October 2026; figures from the Commission's public register data extract dated 13 October 2026.</ref> The Commission records grant-making as the charity's main activity.<ref name="CCOverview" /> Trustee payments: "No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity."<ref name="CCOverview" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Funding in Israel == | ||
| + | * FY2024 charitable activities £70,370 (2023: £100,221); the recipient is not named (PDF p.5).<ref name="ACC">[[Charity Commission]], [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5125297/accounts-and-annual-returns British Friends of Tzohar (1183591): accounts and annual returns] ''Register of Charities''; latest accounts downloaded 16 October 2026 ("PDF p." = page of the PDF file).</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Israeli partners === | ||
| + | Not named in the accounts beyond the charity's name.<ref name="ACC" /> The register lists the website tzohar-eng.org, which presents Tzohar as offering "Jewish Culture & Community for Observant & Secular Jews" in Israel, including weddings, kashrut and Jewish-ancestry services.<ref name="EXTRACT" /><ref name="TZ_WB26">Tzohar, [https://web.archive.org/web/20260101083011/https://tzohar-eng.org/ tzohar-eng.org home page] ''Wayback Machine'', capture of 1 January 2026 (site title "Tzohar | Jewish Culture & Community for Observant & Secular Jews Israel"; menu items include Wedding, Kashrut, Shorashim – Jewish Ancestry, Prenuptial Agreement, "For the Bereaved" and "Parent's Prayer for Child Enlisting to IDF").</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | == 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 or the occupied territories is named.<ref name="ACC" /> || Not established | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Support for the IDF:''' No IDF or military funding is stated in the accounts.<ref name="ACC" /> The Tzohar website menu includes a "Parent's Prayer for Child Enlisting to IDF", a religious text; this is not evidence of funding.<ref name="TZ_WB26" /> | ||
==Controversies and conflicts== | ==Controversies and conflicts== | ||
| Line 37: | Line 86: | ||
*'''Overlapping trusteeships:''' [[Margaret Gioia Rothem]] is also a trustee of [[Shaare Zedek Uk]] (262870). [[Joel Messod Silberstein]] is also a trustee of [[British Friends Of Ariel University]] (1002872), [[Sephardi Kashrut Authority]] (259337), [[Israel Magen Trust Uk]] (1202788), [[Uk Friends Of Eretz Hemdah]] (1084816), [[The British Friends Of Yeshivat Hakotel]] (1117836), [[Mizrachi (uk) Israel Support Trust]] (1137199).<ref name="CCTrustees" /> | *'''Overlapping trusteeships:''' [[Margaret Gioia Rothem]] is also a trustee of [[Shaare Zedek Uk]] (262870). [[Joel Messod Silberstein]] is also a trustee of [[British Friends Of Ariel University]] (1002872), [[Sephardi Kashrut Authority]] (259337), [[Israel Magen Trust Uk]] (1202788), [[Uk Friends Of Eretz Hemdah]] (1084816), [[The British Friends Of Yeshivat Hakotel]] (1117836), [[Mizrachi (uk) Israel Support Trust]] (1137199).<ref name="CCTrustees" /> | ||
*'''Shared trustees/directors:''' [[Joel Messod Silberstein]] is also connected with [[Mizrachi (uk) Israel Support Trust]] (1137199), which is subject to a Charity Commission regulatory alert<ref>Charity Commission for England and Wales, public register data extract (trustee table, trustee ID 12613491), 13 October 2026.</ref>. | *'''Shared trustees/directors:''' [[Joel Messod Silberstein]] is also connected with [[Mizrachi (uk) Israel Support Trust]] (1137199), which is subject to a Charity Commission regulatory alert<ref>Charity Commission for England and Wales, public register data extract (trustee table, trustee ID 12613491), 13 October 2026.</ref>. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Charity Commission register === | ||
| + | * 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-14 charities, all retrieved successfully on 16 October 2026 and checked for a "Regulatory alerts" section; none was shown for any of them. Nineteen registered charities showed "Charity reporting is up to date (on time)"; Friends of the Israel Cancer Association showed "up to date (13 days late)" and The Bertie Black Foundation "up to date (82 days late)"; British Friends of Neve Shalom, Mesila UK, The Friends of Ohr Akiva Institutions and Etz Chaim Foundation 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> | ||
| + | * '''Arithmetic error.''' The statement of financial activities prints net movement in funds as £89,745, although income of £160,893 less expenditure of £72,148 is £88,745 – the figure the report gives, in brackets as if negative ("£(88,745)") (PDF p.2, 5).<ref name="ACC" /> | ||
| + | * '''Recipient not named.''' The accounts say the charity "raised funds for the general objectives" but do not name the recipient of the £70,370 (PDF p.2, 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-14 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=Sellata&pageNumber=1 Register of charities search API] ''CCNI'', searched 16 October 2026 (keyword searches for each of the 25 batch-14 charity names returned zero results).</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === The Gazette === | ||
| + | Searches of ''The Gazette'' notice feeds (all notices, insolvency and company) for the charity's name found no insolvency, winding-up or strike-off notice.<ref name="u6bfcbcf1">[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice/data.feed?text=Tzohar The Gazette: notices matching 'Tzohar'] ''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="uf26369e0">[https://api.threesixtygiving.org/api/v1/org/GB-CHC-1183591/grants_received/?limit=100 360Giving API: grants received by GB-CHC-1183591] ''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-14 screening covered 282 name strings: the 25 charity names, current register trustees, trustees named on archived register pages, Companies House officers of the eight charitable companies, directors of the dissolved Etz Chaim Foundation company and of Mesila UK Limited, related companies and charities named in the accounts (including Bestgreat Ltd, Jonvan Properties, One Shakespeare Limited, Beauland Limited, Tifereth Benevolent Fund Limited and Torah Temimah Trust) and trustees, examiners and donors named in the accounts read for this batch; matching on surname plus forename tokens, reviewed manually. No forename-and-surname match for any person or company was found; the only token matches were surname-only coincidences (for example Cohen and Jones); 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> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === US counterparts (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer) === | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| + | ! Organisation !! EIN !! Latest filing year !! Revenue (US$) !! Expenses (US$) | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[American Friends Of Tzohar]]<ref name="ue43609c8">[https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133579958 American Friends Of Tzohar – Nonprofit Explorer] ''ProPublica'', viewed 16 October 2026.</ref> || 133579958 || 2019 || 280,922 || 295,419 | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | These US organisations share the name or beneficiary of the UK charity; no financial flows between them and the UK charity were established. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Parliament === | ||
| + | Hansard exact-phrase searches for "Friends of Tzohar", "Tzohar" returned 0 contributions in total.<ref name="HANS">UK Parliament, [https://hansard-api.parliament.uk/search/contributions/Spoken.json?queryParameters.searchTerm=%22Tzohar%22&queryParameters.take=100&queryParameters.orderBy=SittingDateAsc Hansard search API: contributions matching the exact phrase "Tzohar"] ''Hansard'', queried 16 October 2026 (Spoken and Written endpoints; quoted-phrase search).</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Web archive == | ||
| + | * tzohar-eng.org: 9 yearly captures, first 2018-07-02, last 2026-01-01.<ref name="u71d8f0e8">[https://web.archive.org/cdx/search/cdx?url=tzohar-eng.org&output=json&fl=timestamp,original,statuscode&filter=statuscode:200&collapse=timestamp:4 Internet Archive CDX index for tzohar-eng.org] ''Wayback Machine'', queried 16 October 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | The [[UK Government Web Archive]] holds 2 archived Charity Commission register pages used in this profile (cited in the sections above). | ||
| + | The 2021 archived full print showed the status "Charity reporting is up to date" and "Other regulators: No information available".<ref name="udf13cb48" /> | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| Line 43: | Line 130: | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Category:Religious Zionist organisations]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Jewish charities in the United Kingdom]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Israel]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Charities]] | ||
Latest revision as of 10:35, 17 October 2026
Edgware trust raising funds for the Israeli religious-Zionist rabbinic organisation Tzohar; its accounts name no recipient
| British Friends of Tzohar
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Trust |
| Founded | 2019-05-24 (registered) |
| Registration ID | Registered charity 1183591 |
| Headquarters | Edgware HA8 |
| Area served | Throughout England And Wales, Israel |
| Key people | Joel Messod Silberstein (chair) |
| Website | https://tzohar-eng.org/ |
British Friends of Tzohar (Charity number: 1183591) is a registered charity.[1]
- Charity registered: 24 May 2019 (Registered)[1]
- Charity contact address: 6 Purcells Avenue, Edgware, Middlesex, Ha8 8dt[2]
Objects and activities
The charity's registered objects read: "THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY ARE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE JEWISH RELIGION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT.THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH VARIOUS ACTIVITIES OF THE CHARITY, INCLUDING:I)STRENGTHENING THE ATTACHMENT OF JEWS TO JUDAISM BY MAKING JEWISH CUSTOMS AND PRACTICE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT RELIGIOUSLY OBSERVANT, THROUGH EDUCATION AND THE PROVISION OF AND ACCESS TO JEWISH RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION, CELEBRATIONS AND SERVICES THAT ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION FROM PEOPLE IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR PREVIOUS LEVEL OF RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE;II)TO ASSIST JEWISH PEOPLE IN FORMALLY ESTABLISHING THEIR STATUS IN JEWISH RELIGIOUS LAW (HALACHA), PARTICULARLY IN CASES WHERE THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY THE NAZI REGIME OR THE SOVIET UNION, THUS MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THEM AND THEIR DESCENDANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN JEWISH LIFE, CUSTOM AND PRACTICE."[3]
The register describes its activities as: "The objectives of the trust are the advancement of the Jewish religion for the public benefit. This will be achieved through various activities of the charity, to advance the Jewish religion for the public benefit, including making Jewish customs and practices more readily accessible to those who are not religiously observant and assisting Jewish people in formally establishing their status in Jew"[3]
Register classifications: Religious Activities.[3]
Areas of operation recorded on the register: Throughout England And Wales, Israel.[3]
People
Trustees
| Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guido Baruch Sharage Rauch | Trustee | 20 May 2019 | None on record |
| Margaret Gioia Rothem | Trustee | 4 December 2017 | Shaare Zedek Uk (charity number: 262870) |
| Joel Messod Silberstein | Chair | 28 October 2021 | British Friends of Ariel University (charity number: 1002872) | Sephardi Kashrut Authority (charity number: 259337) | Israel Magen Trust UK (charity number: 1202788) | UK Friends Of Eretz Hemdah (charity number: 1084816) | The British Friends of Yeshivat Hakotel (charity number: 1117836) | Mizrachi (UK) Israel Support Trust (charity number: 1137199) |
Source: Charity Commission register.[1]
Historical trustees (UK Government Web Archive)
| Capture date | Trustees listed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-01-17 | Stanley Bloom (from 04 December 2017) – also trustee of British Friends of Kishorit; Margaret Gioia Rothem (chair) (from 04 December 2017) – also trustee of Shaare Zedek UK; Guido Baruch Sharage Rauch (from 20 May 2019) | [4] |
Joel Messod Silberstein is also a register trustee of British Friends of Ariel University (1002872), Israel Magen Trust UK (1202788), Mizrachi (UK) Israel Support Trust (1137199), Sephardi Kashrut Authority (259337), The British Friends of Yeshivat Hakotel (1117836) and UK Friends of Eretz Hemdah (1084816); Margaret Gioia Rothem of Shaare Zedek UK (262870).[3] Ariel University is in the settlement of Ariel; this note records the trusteeship only.
Finances
| Financial year end | Total income | Total expenditure | Income from donations and legacies | Expenditure on charitable activities | Grants to institutions | Total funds (assets less liabilities) | Cash | Employees | Volunteers | Accounts received |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2020 | £30,710 | £19,940 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 0 | 31 October 2021 (due 31 October 2021) |
| 31 December 2021 | £103,512 | £111,566 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 0 | 26 October 2022 (due 31 October 2022) |
| 31 December 2022 | £79,902 | £82,673 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 4 | 31 October 2023 (due 31 October 2023) |
| 31 December 2023 | £99,908 | £101,064 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 4 | 29 October 2024 (due 31 October 2024) |
| 31 December 2024 | £160,893 | £72,148 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 0 | 9 October 2025 (due 31 October 2025) |
Source: Charity Commission financial history and register data.[5] The Commission records grant-making as the charity's main activity.[2] Trustee payments: "No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity."[2]
Funding in Israel
- FY2024 charitable activities £70,370 (2023: £100,221); the recipient is not named (PDF p.5).[6]
Israeli partners
Not named in the accounts beyond the charity's name.[6] The register lists the website tzohar-eng.org, which presents Tzohar as offering "Jewish Culture & Community for Observant & Secular Jews" in Israel, including weddings, kashrut and Jewish-ancestry services.[3][7]
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.
| Finding | Confidence |
|---|---|
| No place in Israel or the occupied territories is named.[6] | Not established |
Support for the IDF: No IDF or military funding is stated in the accounts.[6] The Tzohar website menu includes a "Parent's Prayer for Child Enlisting to IDF", a religious text; this is not evidence of funding.[7]
Controversies and conflicts
- Filing compliance: All 5 annual returns and accounts on the Charity Commission record were received by their due dates, and the register states "Charity reporting is up to date (on time)".[5][2]
- Overlapping trusteeships: Margaret Gioia Rothem is also a trustee of Shaare Zedek Uk (262870). Joel Messod Silberstein is also a trustee of British Friends Of Ariel University (1002872), Sephardi Kashrut Authority (259337), Israel Magen Trust Uk (1202788), Uk Friends Of Eretz Hemdah (1084816), The British Friends Of Yeshivat Hakotel (1117836), Mizrachi (uk) Israel Support Trust (1137199).[1]
- Shared trustees/directors: Joel Messod Silberstein is also connected with Mizrachi (uk) Israel Support Trust (1137199), which is subject to a Charity Commission regulatory alert[8].
Charity Commission register
- No Charity Commission inquiry, Official Warning or Gazette insolvency notice naming this charity was found, and its register entry shows no regulatory alert;[9] 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.[10][11][12][13] 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.[14]
- Arithmetic error. The statement of financial activities prints net movement in funds as £89,745, although income of £160,893 less expenditure of £72,148 is £88,745 – the figure the report gives, in brackets as if negative ("£(88,745)") (PDF p.2, 5).[6]
- Recipient not named. The accounts say the charity "raised funds for the general objectives" but do not name the recipient of the £70,370 (PDF p.2, 5).[6]
Other registers and records
Scotland and Northern Ireland
No entry was found on the Scottish Charity Register for this charity (register export dated 14 October 2026, searched by name).[15] No entry was found on the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland register (API name searches returned zero results).[16]
The Gazette
Searches of The Gazette notice feeds (all notices, insolvency and company) for the charity's name found no insolvency, winding-up or strike-off notice.[17]
Grants recorded by 360Giving
No grants received or made by this charity are recorded in 360Giving data.[18]
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.[19]
Land and property
The register records that the charity does not own or lease land or property.[3] No title registers were purchased; the HM Land Registry interactive search blocked automated access.[20]
US counterparts (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
| Organisation | EIN | Latest filing year | Revenue (US$) | Expenses (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Friends Of Tzohar[21] | 133579958 | 2019 | 280,922 | 295,419 |
These US organisations share the name or beneficiary of the UK charity; no financial flows between them and the UK charity were established.
Parliament
Hansard exact-phrase searches for "Friends of Tzohar", "Tzohar" returned 0 contributions in total.[22]
Web archive
- tzohar-eng.org: 9 yearly captures, first 2018-07-02, last 2026-01-01.[23]
The UK Government Web Archive holds 2 archived Charity Commission register pages used in this profile (cited in the sections above). The 2021 archived full print showed the status "Charity reporting is up to date" and "Other regulators: No information available".[4]
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Charity Commission for England and Wales, BRITISH FRIENDS OF TZOHAR trustees Charity Commission for England and Wales, accessed 13 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Charity Commission for England and Wales, BRITISH FRIENDS OF TZOHAR overview Charity Commission for England and Wales, accessed 13 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 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.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Register entry 1183591, full print (capture of 20210117) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Charity Commission for England and Wales, BRITISH FRIENDS OF TZOHAR financial history Charity Commission for England and Wales, accessed 13 October 2026; figures from the Commission's public register data extract dated 13 October 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Charity Commission, British Friends of Tzohar (1183591): accounts and annual returns Register of Charities; latest accounts downloaded 16 October 2026 ("PDF p." = page of the PDF file).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tzohar, tzohar-eng.org home page Wayback Machine, capture of 1 January 2026 (site title "Tzohar | Jewish Culture & Community for Observant & Secular Jews Israel"; menu items include Wedding, Kashrut, Shorashim – Jewish Ancestry, Prenuptial Agreement, "For the Bereaved" and "Parent's Prayer for Child Enlisting to IDF").
- ↑ Charity Commission for England and Wales, public register data extract (trustee table, trustee ID 12613491), 13 October 2026.
- ↑ 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-14 charities, all retrieved successfully on 16 October 2026 and checked for a "Regulatory alerts" section; none was shown for any of them. Nineteen registered charities showed "Charity reporting is up to date (on time)"; Friends of the Israel Cancer Association showed "up to date (13 days late)" and The Bertie Black Foundation "up to date (82 days late)"; British Friends of Neve Shalom, Mesila UK, The Friends of Ohr Akiva Institutions and Etz Chaim Foundation showed "Removed charity".
- ↑ Charity Commission, Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator GOV.UK, 14 May 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator opens next phase of investigation into 105 charities connected to company cashing cheques GOV.UK, 1 September 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator announces next charities to be investigated as part of inquiry connected to company cashing cheques GOV.UK, 4 December 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator concludes investigation into 4 charities as class inquiry continues GOV.UK, 9 September 2026, with Statement of the results of a class inquiry (same date).
- ↑ Charity Commission, 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").
- ↑ Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Scottish Charity Register download OSCR, export dated 14 October 2026; keyword search of the 25 batch-14 charity names found no matching Scottish registration.
- ↑ Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, Register of charities search API CCNI, searched 16 October 2026 (keyword searches for each of the 25 batch-14 charity names returned zero results).
- ↑ The Gazette: notices matching 'Tzohar' The Gazette, searched 16 October 2026.
- ↑ 360Giving API: grants received by GB-CHC-1183591 360Giving, queried 16 October 2026.
- ↑ Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Sanctions List (CSV); Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets (ConList.csv). Batch-14 screening covered 282 name strings: the 25 charity names, current register trustees, trustees named on archived register pages, Companies House officers of the eight charitable companies, directors of the dissolved Etz Chaim Foundation company and of Mesila UK Limited, related companies and charities named in the accounts (including Bestgreat Ltd, Jonvan Properties, One Shakespeare Limited, Beauland Limited, Tifereth Benevolent Fund Limited and Torah Temimah Trust) and trustees, examiners and donors named in the accounts read for this batch; matching on surname plus forename tokens, reviewed manually. No forename-and-surname match for any person or company was found; the only token matches were surname-only coincidences (for example Cohen and Jones); lists downloaded October 2026.
- ↑ HM Land Registry, 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 CCOD / OCOD datasets (October 2026 release), not from paid title registers.
- ↑ American Friends Of Tzohar – Nonprofit Explorer ProPublica, viewed 16 October 2026.
- ↑ UK Parliament, Hansard search API: contributions matching the exact phrase "Tzohar" Hansard, queried 16 October 2026 (Spoken and Written endpoints; quoted-phrase search).
- ↑ Internet Archive CDX index for tzohar-eng.org Wayback Machine, queried 16 October 2026.