New Tax Is
An About-Face
director of the Jewish Federation
of Greater Houston.
This plan may be the boldest
example to date of the growing
cooperation between synagogues Stock market profits will be taxed
and Jewish community federa- at 10 percent from the beginning
tions, as issues of Jewish identi- of next year, Israel Finance Min-
ty rise on the agenda of the ister Avraham Shohat announced
American Jewish community.
at a hastily convened news con-
It was conceived by Houston's ference.
Community Think Tank on Jew-
This dramatic reversal in gov-
ish Continuity, a body composed ernment policy — only two
of representatives of the city's months ago, Prime Minister
five largest synagogues and its Yitzhak Rabin said there would
five largest communal organiza- be no tax on capital gains as long
tions, including the federation.
as he was in office — follows
Like similar think tanks, task July's high Consumer Price In-
forces and commissions across dex and this month's 3.7 percent
the country, the Houston body cost-of-living increment. Both
was formed in the wake of the threaten to further stoke infla-
alarm generated by the 1990 Na- tion, now running at 14.5 percent
tional Jewish Population Study, annually.
with its report of a 52 percent in-
On the government's credibil-
termarriage rate.
ity following this about-face, Mr.
Beginning after the High Hol- Rabin said: "When you're talking
idays in the fall, Houston's Jew- about the finance minister or the
ish community — which prime minister, the public should
numbers about 45,000 — will not expect them to tell the whole
target one Shabbat a month for truth when you're talking about
widespread participation.
taxes or a devaluation."
The federation will be at the
The new tax will be collected
center of the program as coordi- by the banks or registered stock-
nator and catalyst, budgeting brokers at the source, based on
$90,000 for the 18-month project. real profits realized on the day of
Federation agencies will play the sale, calculated based on the
a key role in creating Sabbath stock's value on Dec. 31, 1994.
programming for singles, the el-
Mr. Shohat stressed that along
derly and new immigrants from with the new tax, there will be a
the former Soviet Union.
string of tax reductions in areas
But it is the synagogue that that affect the prices of goods and
will be at the core of the program. labor costs, aimed at fighting in-
Synagogues throughout the city flation.
are being encouraged to match
The purpose of the stock mar-
families unfamiliar with Shab- ket tax, which will not be applied
bat observance with families who to gains made by provident funds,
are familiar, and to make syna- advanced study funds, pension
gogue services that week acces- funds and insurance company
sible and welcoming to stock investments, is to offset the
newcomers.
government's revenue loss fol-
Traditionally, federations and lowing these reductions.
synagogues in America have
been separated by a wall akin to
that separating church and state
under the United States Consti-
tution. Both sides were wary of
the other, with synagogues see-
ing federations as both competi-
tors for money and as a secular
substitute for religious affiliation.
Now, however, that divide is
London (JTA) — The long-await-
coming down.111
ed first visit to Israel by a mem-
ber of the British royal family will
take place in October.
Authoritative sources have
confirmed that Prince Philip will
travel to Israel at that time to at-
tend a ceremony in Jerusalem
honoring his mother, Princess Al-
Tel Aviv (JTA)— Israel's cost-of- ice of Greece, for her role in sav-
living index rose by 1.1 percent ing Jews during the Second
in July, the Central Bureau of World War. He may meet Presi-
Statistics announced.
dent Ezer Weizman during the
The increase, which was high- visit.
er than the 0.7-0.8 percent rise
The decision to proceed with
anticipated by the Finance Min- the trip comes after months of
istry, put the annual rate of in- doubt, both here and in
flation at 14.5 percent.
Jerusalem.
July was the third consecutive
Although the decision was of-
month that the increase an- ficially made by Buckingham
nounced by the bureau was high- Palace, royal visits abroad require
er than that anticipated by the approval of the Foreign Of-
economists.
fice.
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British Royals
Visit Israel
Cost Of Living
Rises Again
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