Bnei Brak City Hall Approves Funds for Elevator in Demolished Building

The Bnei Brak municipality approved a budget of over half a million shekels for the construction of an elevator and an acoustic ceiling in a derelict building slated for demolition. This was revealed in a letter from the city's audit committee chairman, Shlomo Album, to the Ministry of Interior. Album is requesting the ministry investigate the matter and potentially recover the funds from the personal assets of the mayor, the city treasurer, and council members who approved the budget.

The funds were allocated for accessibility at the "Eckstein" seminary, based on its old address, even though the institution had already moved and the building was abandoned and marked for demolition. An audit of the city's finances by "Calcalist" found that a transportation terminal plan was approved for the site in June 2022, and a demolition permit was issued in July 2023.

Album's letter details a pattern of systematic approval of funds for the seminary at the old address, despite his repeated warnings that the building was derelict. In June 2025, 411,820 shekels were approved for an elevator, with 326,000 from the Ministry of Education and 85,000 from the city's budget. In September, an additional 40,000 shekels were approved for acoustic and sensory accessibility, and in December, a further 118,000 shekels were added to the elevator budget, bringing the total for the elevator to 530,000 shekels. The total for both projects reached 570,000 shekels.

Album also contested the municipality's claim that the funds were intended for the seminary's current rented building, stating that an elevator already exists there. He questioned whether the Ministry of Education was aware of and approved the address change for the funds it provided.

This revelation comes shortly after the Ministry of Interior imposed severe restrictions on Bnei Brak due to a deficit of approximately 130 million shekels. The ministry is considering appointing a financial supervisor to limit the city's financial autonomy. The Ministry of Interior stated that the city's financial conduct is under review on multiple fronts, beyond the specific case highlighted by Album. The Bnei Brak municipality did not provide a response.