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NY Jewish Philanthropist Questions Where his Millions in Donations Went

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Millionaire Brooklyn resident and philanthropist Harvey Bookman.

A New York philanthropist is fuming over the use of the millions he donated to a camp for sick kids in the Catskills. Millionaire and retired investor Harvey Bookman wants to know where $900,000 he gave to build a sewer for camp that was to be named after him.

Bookman exclaims, “I gave them $900,000 more than two years ago — after they knew the type, size and price of the sewer — and they still have not begun construction.”

The nonprofit organization in charge of the camp, Chai Lifeline, has been reported New York State Attorney General’s Office by Bookman. He says that the donation he contributed in 2012 was specifically for the sewer and septic system project only.

The Midtown based organization that provides services for the Jewish community, one of which is Camp Simcha that they run each summer for children with illnesses, like cancer, has collected $22.8 million in donations during 2013, $20.4 million of which has been spent according to recent tax filings.

In 1998, Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, bought Bookman’s Teckchek testing service. Around 2002, he started donating to the Chai Lifeline organization. In 2009, when the group was on the verge of bankruptcy, Bookman, who says he was their largest funder, came to the rescue, putting up over $1 million to bail it out.

Bookman explained he had agreed to pay for Camp Simcha’s new plumbing system, which they gravely needed. The funds were for this project only, which was tobe eponymous.

According to an email that The Post obtained, in October 2012, the development director of the charity wrote that Bookman “wants any additional funds over the $1 million that he donated this year or may donate going forward to be set aside for building a new sewer system in Camp Simcha.”

In 2013, Bookman says he could not get straight answers from the directors of the charity, who he asked several times what the standing of the sewer project was and what his money has been used for. He says the organization also rejected his offer for in exchange of naming the entire group after him, he would donate millions of dollars.

In November of 2013, Bookman finally reached out to the Attorney General’s Office, tired of getting the run around.

A Chai Lifeline representative, Stu Loeser, claims that as of the spring of 2013 the plumbing system project has been in the planning and necessary state review process. He projected actual construction to begin in March.

Loeser says the organization still has Bookman’s money, and denies the $900,00 donation having restrictions. He also explained that including $50,505 for employee’s time wages and a contractor deposit, $195,202 has already been put into the sewer project.

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