Constitution
Validated and made effective at Annual General Meeting 8 May 2002.
Amended at Annual General Meeting 23 May 2004
Amended at Annual General Meeting 19 May 2008
Amended at Extraordinary General Meeting 8 June 2016
Amended at Extraordinary General Meeting 21 January 2021
CONSTITUTION OF THE YOUNG ISRAEL CONGREGATION OF NORTH NETANYA 5762 (2002)
Article 1 - Name and Registration as an Amuta
Article 2 - Purpose and objectives
Article 3 - Membership
Article 4 - Rights of Members
Article 5 - Dues
Article 6 - General Meetings
Article 7 - Administration
Article 8 - Elections
Article 9 - Meetings of Board
Article 10 - Chairman and Vice Chairman
Article 11 - Gabbaim
Article 12 - Treasurer
Article 13 - Secretary
Article 14 - Rabbi
Article 15 - Amendments and Revisions of this Constitution
Article 16 - Irgun Nashim
ARTICLE 1 - NAME AND REGISTRATION AS AN AMUTA
The name of this Organisation shall be Young Israel Congregation of North Netanya (hereinafter called "the Congregation"). The Congregation shall be registered as an "Amuta" and comply with the "Amuta" law.
The Congregation shall be registered with the Mas Hachnasa (Inland Revenue) to obtain the appropriate tax status. ARTICLE 2 - PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
ARTICLE 2 -PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
It shall be the purpose of the Congregation:
1.To maintain and operate a Synagogue. Its religious services and customs are to be in accordance with the orthodox Jewish traditions as specified in the Shulhan Aruch and as interpreted by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
1.1 The Ashkenazi rite will be followed in the main service of the Synagogue.
1.2 There shall be no commercialism in connection with the Synagogue or its services.
1.3 Strict decorum shall be observed at all services.
2. To provides proper facilities for the dissemination of knowledge of the Jewish faith, history, literature and orthodox Jewish life and its ideals.
3. To conduct educational, charitable and social activities, and to prepare and encourage the younger generation to take part in and lead services.
4. To commemorate Yom Hashoah, Yom Hazikaron, Yom Ha'atzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim.
5. To promote the welfare of the members of the Congregation.
6. To assist the Jewish Community in which the Congregation is located in every way possible.
7. To allow the use of part of the premises of the Synagogue by a Yeshiva High School or any other similar organisation.
ARTICLE 3 – MEMBERSHIP
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The membership year shall commence on the 1st January.
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Any man or woman over the age of eighteen years of the Jewish faith is eligible for membership.
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Membership shall be divided into three classes:
3.1 Full family
3.2 Full single
3.3 Associate / non-resident
4. All applications for membership shall be submitted in writing on the appropriate form to the Secretary or Treasurer. The application shall then be referred to the Rabbi for halachic approval and then to the Board. It shall require a majority vote of the Board to admit to membership.
5. Full family membership shall mean husband and wife and unmarried children up to the age of 18 years.
6. Full single membership shall mean a person of 18 years of age and over.
7. Associate/non-resident membership shall mean either:
7.1 any member living abroad or outside of Netanya or
7.2 any member living in Netanya who is a member of another Synagogue in Netanya.
ARTICLE 4 - RIGHTS OF MEMBERS
1. Subject to paragraphs 2.5.1 and 2.5.2 of Article 8 full members not in arrears with their dues can hold any Executive office or be a Board member if duly elected.
2. Full family membership will be allocated two seats (one for a man and one for a woman) for the High Holidays.
3. Full single membership will be allocated one seat for the High Holidays.
4. Members shall have priority to reserve additional seats for their family for the High Holidays subject to availability.
5. Priority will be given to members for mitzvoth and kibbudim (aliyot shaliach tzibur, etc.) at the discretion of the Gabbaim.
6. No precedent (chazakah) shall be created for any office or kibbud or mitzvah.
7. A member who has donated a seat in the Synagogue shall be entitled to occupy that seat for the Yamim Noraim.
8. When a person ceases to be a member, any seat in the Synagogue which they have donated may be allocated by the Board to any other member as the Board may decide.
ARTICLE 5 - DUES
1. Dues payable to the Congregation shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present at the Annual General Meeting and shall be payable in advance.
2. Any member failing to pay their dues 180 days after they are due shall automatically be deprived of all rights and privileges of the Congregation unless there is adequate reason (to be approved by the Board).
3. Any member who shall be in arrears at the end of the calendar year may be removed from the roll of membership; provided that at least one month before the end of the said year written notice has been given to the defaulting member of such action to be taken if all arrears have not been paid.
ARTICLE 6 - GENERAL MEETINGS
1. An Annual General Meeting shall take place each year. The meeting shall be held during the Omer period. At such Annual General Meeting elections for Executive Officers, Gabbaim, ten members of the Board and the Auditor for the Congregation shall take place. The meeting shall also:
1.1 receive and approve the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting
1.2 receive the Chairman's Report on behalf of the Board
1.3 receive and approve the Treasurer's Report
1.4 discuss any other notified business for the good and welfare of the Congregation deal with motions, notice of which has been given prior to the meeting.
2. Twenty days notice in writing of such meeting shall be given to the members by the Secretary.
3. Special meetings of members (Extraordinary General Meetings)
3.1 may be called by the Board of its own volition
3.2 shall be called by the Board within twenty days of receipt of a written application from at least twenty full members
4. Twenty days’ notice in writing of such meeting shall be given to every member.
5. All notices shall contain the Agenda of the Meeting and no other business, other than discussion of matters and notices of motion of which 7 days prior notice has been given, shall be transacted other than that for which the meeting has been called.
6. Fifteen percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum for all General Meetings of the Congregation. 7. A motion at a General Meeting shall be passed by a majority of votes.
8. In the event of a tie the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote except at an Extraordinary General Meeting referred to in paragraph 4.4 of Article 14.
9. If no quorum is present at the time appointed for a General Meeting the Chairman shall wait 30 minutes and if there is still no quorum those present and entitled to vote shall be deemed to constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE 7 - ADMINISTRATION
1. The Board of Management ("the Board") shall be the decision making body of the Congregation. All executive and administrative decisions shall be made by the Board.
2. The Executive Officers of the congregation shall be the Chairman - Vice Chairman - Senior Gabbai - Treasurer - Secretary
3. The Board shall consist of the Executive Officers, ten members duly elected by the Annual General Meeting, the immediate past Chairman (for the year only after leaving office) and such persons co-opted under paragraph of Article 7.
4. The Board shall have the power to co-opt not more than two full members to the Board. A member who has been co-opted shall serve until the next election.
5. The tenure of office for Executive Officers, Gabbaim and Board members shall be for the period until the next election.
6. Any Executive Officer, Gabbai or Board member can be removed by a majority vote at an Extraordinary General Meeting. 7. The duties of the Executive Officers shall be as generally prevailing in the said offices.
8. It shall be the duty of the Board to discuss and report on the matters and policies affecting the Congregation; to co-ordinate and approve the work of various committees appointed by the Board; to discuss their activities and make suggestions and recommendations for the good of the Congregation.
9. The Board shall be exclusively empowered to authorize any general expenditure of funds on behalf of the Congregation save that :
10. No loan may be taken by the Board
11. The Board may not charge any of the assets of the Congregation without the specific authority of the members given at a General Meeting.
12. No Executive Officer or committee can assume the powers of the Board.
13. A member of the Irgun Nashim (nominated by the Irgun Nashim) shall be invited to sit as an observer at all meetings of the Board.
ARTICLE 8 - ELECTIONS
1. Elections shall be held at the Synagogue premises and conducted by the Chairman.
2. Nominations
2.1 Any full member may on or before the duly prescribed date of nomination nominate for any of the offices of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Gabbaim, Treasurer, Secretary or member of the Board any qualified person or persons not exceeding the number of vacancies to be filled. It is expected that persons nominated as Executive Officers and Gabbaim should be Shomrei Mitzvot.
2.2 Nomination shall be made in writing on a form which shall be forwarded by the Secretary to every member at least fourteen days prior to the duly prescribed date of nomination.
2.3 All nominations shall be received by the Secretary at least 14 days prior to the date of the elections.
2.4 All nominations received after the duly prescribed date of nomination and all nomination forms containing a greater number of names than there are respectively offices to be filled shall be invalid.
2.5 No member shall be deemed to be duly nominated:
2.5.1 as a member of the Board unless they shall have been a full member for six months
2.5.2 as an Executive Officer unless they have been a full member for one year and have been nominated on the prescribed form by at least two full members and have signified their willingness to stand for election.
2.6 No Executive Officer save for the Treasurer shall be nominated for the same office for more than three consecutive years.
2.6.1 Any person who has served as an Executive Officer for six consecutive years shall not be eligible for re-election as an Executive Officer until a period of two years has elapsed since they ceased to be an Executive Officer.
2.6.2 The Treasurer shall be nominated to hold office for a period of 5 years
2.7 At least seven days prior to the prescribed closing date for nomination a list of all members who have been nominated for office shall be displayed on the Synagogue Notice Board.
2.8 At least eight days prior to the elections a list of all members who have been nominated for office shall be displayed on the Synagogue Notice Board.
2.9 Should there be no more nominations for any office or offices than there are vacancies, the Chairman at the Annual General Meeting shall declare the persons nominated to be duly elected.
3. Voting
3.1 Voting shall be by secret ballot.
3.2 Not less than two persons entitled to vote in such elections and whose names are not on the nomination list shall be appointed by the members present to act as scrutineers.
3.3 Every member present shall be furnished with a ballot paper containing a list of the persons nominated on which paper they shall make a mark against the name of the person for whom they wish to vote.
3.4 Each voting paper shall before it is issued be stamped with the name of the Congregation. 3.5 The voting paper shall be deposited in the ballot box provided.
3.6 Any paper not so stamped or containing a greater number of votes than there are vacancies to be filled shall be invalid.
4. Result of Poll
4.1 It shall be the duty of the scrutineers:
4.1.1 to open the ballot boxes and ascertain the result of the poll by counting the votes
4.1.2 to prepare a list of the number of votes recorded for each candidate and deliver such a list, duly signed by them, together with the ballot results to the Chairman.
4.2 The Chairman shall forthwith declare in alphabetical order the result of the election namely those candidates to whom the majority of votes have been given.
4.3 The Gabbai who receives the largest number of votes will be the Senior Gabbai.
4.4 If there is an equal number of votes between any of the candidates, at the election the Chairman of the meeting shall give his casting vote (in addition to his original vote).
4.5 Unless formal objection challenging the validity of the elections be immediately lodged by any member present at the meeting the declaration by the Chairman as to the persons elected shall be final.
5. Eligibility of voters
5.1 Any member shall be entitled to one vote at elections for each vacant position
5.2 There shall be no absentee voting or voting by proxy
5.3 Members who are in arrears in the payment of their dues for 180 days or more shall not be eligible to vote.
ARTICLE 9 - MEETINGS OF BOARD
1. The Board shall meet at least bi-monthly. All meetings of the Board shall be convened by order of the Chairman at a reasonable time.
2. Notice of the time appointed for holding such meeting and the agenda shall be forwarded by the Secretary to every Board member and the representative of the Irgun Nashim at least seven days prior to each meeting.
3. Five Board members (of whom two must be Executive officers) shall constitute a quorum for all meetings of the Board.
4. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Board. In his absence the Vice Chairman shall preside. If both are absent then the members present shall appoint one of their members to act as Chairman for that meeting.
5. All matters shall be decided by a majority of the votes of those present at a meeting. In case of a tie the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
6. At every meeting the Minutes of the preceding meeting shall be read from the official Minute Book. If approved they shall be signed by the presiding Chairman.
7. Any three members of the Board or any twenty full members of the Congregation (such members being no more than 180 days in arrears with their dues) may by requisition in writing, stating the subject to be considered, require the Chairman to convene a meeting of the Board for that special purpose only. Such meeting shall be convened within 10 days from the receipt of such requisition to take place no later than fourteen days thereafter.
8. In the event of a vacancy for any Executive Officer, Gabbai or member of the Board occurring during the course of the year, the Board shall be empowered to fill such vacancy until the next elections.
9. The Board shall be empowered to appoint any member to a committee of the Congregation.
10. All appurtenances (Sifrei Torah, prayer books, tables, chairs, etc) and property vested in the Congregation shall be under the immediate management of the Board.
ARTICLE 10 - CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN
1. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Board. In his absence the Vice Chairman shall preside. 2. The Chairman shall convene all meetings of the Board or of members at the Synagogue.
3. In the absence of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall assume all the duties of the Chairman.
4. The Chairman shall consult with the Rabbi and keep him informed of relevant decisions made by the Board.
ARTICLE 11 - GABBAIM
1. There shall be four Gabbaim, one of whom shall be the Senior Gabbai. 2. The Senior Gabbai shall be an Executive Officer of the Congregation.
3. The Gabbaim shall arrange the rotation of their duties. All decisions shall be by majority vote. Three Gabbaim shall constitute a quorum. In case of a tie the Senior Gabbi shall have a casting vote.
4. The Gabbaim shall be responsible for the conduct of services, for strict decorum at the services and for the allocation of kibbudim and mitzvoth.
5. In the absence of the Gabbaim, other Executive officers or suitable persons may act in their place.
6. The Gabbaim shall recommend the Chazan for the High Holidays for approval by the Board in consultation with the Rabbi.
ARTICLE 12 - TREASURER
1. The Treasurer shall prepare a budget for the calendar year to be approved by the Board.
2. The Treasurer shall maintain bank accounts in the name of the Congregation and all dues and donations are to be paid into these accounts.
3. All payments on behalf of the Congregation must have prior approval of the Board and be signed by two Executive Officers one of whom shall be the Treasurer.
4. The Treasurer shall maintain records of income and expenditure and prepare financial statements which shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting.
5. The books maintained by the Treasurer shall be audited annually by an Israeli qualified accountant appointed by the members at the Annual General Meeting. The Auditor shall not be a member of the Board.
6. The Treasurer shall issue official receipts for all monies received.
7. The Treasurer shall be empowered on an individual case by case basis to reduce membership fees or accept post dated checks or instalment payments.
ARTICLE 13 - SECRETARY
1. The Honorary Secretary shall have executive power to oversee all matters relating to the Congregation and shall have the power to delegate any of the Honorary Secretary's responsibilities to an appropriate person or persons. In particular the Honorary Secretary shall have the duties set out in this Article.
2. The Secretary shall bring to the attention of the Board all correspondence relating to the Congregation and will reply to the same on its behalf. The Honorary Secretary shall be responsible for the content and quality of such correspondence.
3. The Secretary shall attend to the sending of notices in regard to all congregational events and matters.
4. The Secretary :
4.1 shall send out all notices convening meetings of the Board and General meetings
4.2 shall record the Minutes of proceedings and transcribe the same into the official Minute Book.
5. The Secretary shall maintain a list of members' names, addresses and telephone numbers.
6. The Secretary (or other designated person) shall keep a register of Yahrzeits and notify a member of such Yahrzeit at least two weeks before such anniversary occurs.
7. The Secretary shall be responsible for the bookings of all Kiddushim, Seudot Shlishit, Shiurim and other functions and events for which the Synagogue premises are required.
ARTICLE 14 - RABBI
1. The Rabbi will be responsible for all halachic decisions concerning the Congregation and shall carry out all communal and other duties as is customary of an orthodox congregational Rabbi.
2. Decisions of the Board or Gabbaim can be nullified by the Rabbi when in violation of the Halacha.
3. If there is a difference of opinion between
3.1 The Board and the Rabbi, or
3.2 A majority of the members and the Rabbi
on any decision made by the Rabbi, the matter may be referred for clarification to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Pending such clarification the decision of the Rabbi shall prevail.
4. In the event of a vacancy in the position of Rabbi
4.1 The Board shall appoint a Selection Committee as soon as practicable
4.2 the Selection Committee shall consist of two Executive officers, two members of the Board who are not Executive officers and four full members of the Congregation.
4.3 The Selection Committee shall interview prospective candidates for the position of Rabbi, make all necessary enquiries and thereafter make recommendations to the Board.
4.4 The Board shall approve one candidate and then call an Extraordinary Meeting for the purpose of placing their recommendation before the membership and for a vote to be taken on the proposed appointment of the candidate.
4.5 The election of a Rabbi of the Congregation shall be by a majority vote of the members present and entitled to vote at the meeting.
4.6 The Chairman of the meeting shall not have a casting vote.
ARTICLE 15 - AMENDMENTS AND REVISIONS OF THIS CONSTITUTION
Any proposed amendment or revision of this Constitution shall be placed on the Agenda of a General Meeting and be approved by a majority of all members present and entitled to vote at the meeting.
ARTICLE 16 - IRGUN NASHIM
1. This is an auxiliary organization to be governed by its own rules.
2. Its primary function will be to arrange Kiddushim, Seudot Shlishit and other events for the Congregation.
3. To the extent that it uses the facilities of the Synagogue, all of its decisions are subject to review and approval by the Board.
4. A Board member nominated by the Board shall be invited to sit as an observer at all meetings of the Irgun Nashim.
5. Ownership of all assets, including equipment purchased by the Irgun Nashim, and decisions as to the usage thereof, shall be vested in the Congregation.
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Approved by the Members at an Extraordinary General Meeting held on 5 November 2001 Validated and made effective at the Annual General Meeting held on 8 May 2002 Amended at Annual General Meeting 23 May 2004 (Article 8 - Clauses 2.6 and 2.6.1) Amended at Annual General Meeting 19 May 2008
Amended at Extraordinary General Meeting 8 June 2016 (Article 6 Clauses 9.1 and 9.2; Article 8 Clauses 2.6, 2.6.2, 3.3, and 5.1; Article 14 Clauses 4.4 and 4.5; Article 15)
Amended at Extraordinary General Meeting 21 January 2021 ( Article 2 - New Clause 7 added)