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	Jewish Groups Wary of Disclosure Bill By Ted Siefer The Jewish Advocate [Massachusetts] August 23, 2005 Sen. Cynthia Creem: New bill raises alarm bells at local synagogues BOSTON – Synagogue leaders are expressing alarm over a bill debated at a State House hearing last week that would require churches and synagogues to make the same public financial disclosures required of nonprofit charities. Jewish groups have yet to take an official position on the bill, although the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts shares many of the concerns raised at the Aug. 10 hearing by leaders of Protestant churches. They argued that the bill stems from specific disputes with the Catholic Archdiocese and would impose an unfair administrative burden on smaller, independent religious denominations and would encroach on freedom of religion. "There was an overwhelming feeling in opposition," said Alan Teperow, executive director of the Synagogue Council, referring to discussions held with leaders of some of the 120 congregations the organization represents. "We're concerned that this is invasive in terms of amount of work; we're concerned that this is something that came out of the situation with the Archdiocese. "Our community is very different. Each synagogue is autonomous; it owns its own land and property, and it reports through various religious movements in a way very different from the hierarchal archdiocese," Teperow told the Advocate. Rabbi Abraham Halbfinger of the Rabbinical Council of Massachusetts echoed those concerns. "We don't see any value in [financial matters] being placed in the hands of the attorney general. This will only embarrass the Catholic Church, and Protestants and Jews in particular," he said. The bill, which would require religious organizations to file annual financial reports and declare all real estate holdings with the attorney general's Office of Public Charities, was proposed by Sen. Marian Walsh, Democrat of West Roxbury. Walsh acknowledged that the bill is connected to the "horrific situation within the archdiocese," referring to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and ongoing property disputes. But she told the Advocate that "this is a matter of fairness and responsibility, and I would hope all religions would see this for what it is." Walsh, who was brought up Catholic, said that the bill would allow those who donate to religious institutions and all taxpayers, who subsidize the exemptions enjoyed by religious organizations, to have access to financial information. "Some of the membership [of religious institutions] are afraid to approach the leadership [with financial questions]. With this bill, you'll eliminate that inappropriate tension," she said. Responding to concerns that the bill would be onerous for small temples and churches, Walsh said that many small nonprofits, including local Little League baseball clubs, have to fill out disclosure forms. Walsh rejected the suggestion that the bill would violate the separation of church and state. "It doesn't expand the powers of the IRS or the attorney general. It just asks for information big government can get but the general public can't," she said. Sen. Cynthia Creem, a Jewish Democrat whose district includes Brookline, Newton and Wellesley, is among 35 legislators who have signed onto the bill. "People who make contributions want to know where their money is going. I don't know what rationale there is for making a distinction [between religious entities and other charities]," said Creem, who added that she is "totally committed to Jewish causes." Gov. Mitt Romney has also signaled support for the bill. The Jewish Community Relations Council intends to formulate an official position that will take into account the concerns of the Synagogue Council, as well as the Massachusetts Association of Temple and Synagogue Administrators. But the JCRC has yet to reach a consensus and, due to the large number of public policy committee members on vacation, it does not expect to do so until after Labor Day, a council official told the Advocate. "We're contemplating [the bill]," said Alan Ronkin, deputy director at JCRC. "People generally are opposed to this kind of government scrutiny. But accountability is an important thing, so we've got to balance those two values." The Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, which has taken strong stands against government support of religion in the past, also intends to formulate an official position on the bill. "It doesn't take a great deal of imagination to see how this bill pulls in two directions," said attorney Joel Eigerman, JALSA's legal affairs specialist. "On the one hand, why shouldn't churches be financially transparent? On the other hand, one is always wary of government intrusion into religious affairs." The Committee on the Judiciary is expected to make its recommendation on the bill to the Legislature in the fall.
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