The word about the trouble at Yeshiva Chabad in Worcester has quickly spread throughout the Jewish community. The IRS seized the building at 22 Newton Avenue in Worcester, Massachusetts last month. An auction is scheduled this week to sell the building. Mendel Fogelman, Director of the school, said they have been working hard to secure $472,000.00 in order to divert this action.
Since the article about Yeshiva’s IRS troubles surfaced, there has been an amazing show of support from alumni and supporters from all over the world asking how they can help. These are people who recognize the Yeshiva’s contributions to their own lives and the lives of countless others over the past 70 years, and they want this tradition to continue. They cannot imagine Worcester without the Yeshiva.
“Problems with the IRS go back to 2004, but the economic crash in 2008 made the situation considerably worse. Many of our local donors were adversely affected, resulting in an extreme decline in donations to our Yeshiva,” explained Fogelman.
In spite of the financial burden, the Yeshiva has always been and continues to be an oasis for Yiddishkeit and a home for the entire Jewish community in Central Massachusetts, both spiritually and physically. Yeshiva was one of the first day schools established by the Previous Rebbe. “My father, Rabbi Hershel Fogelman, was sent here in 1946 by the Frierdiker Rebbe and continues his shlichus until today under our beloved Rebbe.” Under Rabbi Fogelman’s guidance six Chabad houses were established in Central Massachusetts. Today Yeshiva is reaching out to new unaffiliated families more than ever before, and it is an established presence as Chabad on Campus at Clark and WPI.
Though this action on the part of the IRS is a threat to our building, it has not dampened the commitment and resolve to persevere. The Yeshiva has served the Jewish community of Worcester and the surrounding communities for over seventy years and will continue to do so. It is a beacon of light…the center of Jewish education and commitment to Jewish pride and continuity. We are enthused and committed about our future. The only bump in the road is the IRS.
Yeshiva Worcester needs help to prevent the IRS from taking their building. A website has been established where donations can be made. Please make a donation and then tell your family, friends, business acquaintances, and anyone you think could help Yeshiva win this battle with the IRS.
Make a donation and help us save our Yeshiva!
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2 Responses
Many Yeshivas have fallen into the same mud pile having to do with payroll taxes owed to the government(IRS). The tax amount is deducted from the teachers’ checks but never forward (due to lack of funds)to the IRS. Its a big problem which results in this hard situation.
To No. 1 (Bklynmom)
You are right…it is a “mudpile” but it like putting lipstick on a chazir to say the failure to provide the funds deducted from teachers’ paycheck to the IRS is the result of “lac of funds”. Call it what is is…mamash ganavah. If the money is deducted from the paychecks, it is obviously there but it is being diverted to pay other bills. That is illegal and the IRS certainly should do whatever it can to collect, including selling off the assets of the school that engages in such practices. Thousands of yiddeshe mosdos face the same financial stress but don’t engage in this kind of illegal diversion of funds.