About a year after an Iranian missile hit a residential building at 68 Maccabim Street in Bnei Brak during Operation 'With a Dog', the project is underway: the old 4-story building with 24 residential units will be demolished and a new residential project will be built in its place as part of TAMA 38/2.
The project, initiated by Urbanitop, led by Pinchas Salzman, includes the construction of three residential buildings, including 84 new housing units and approximately 422 square meters of commercial space.
On June 16, 2025, a few days after Operation Kalavi began, an Iranian missile struck the building that was now being demolished. The structure suffered very heavy damage, and was completely unusable.
The building permit for the project was received less than a year from the date the building was damaged.
After the missile hit the building, Urbantop ensured that it assisted the residents who lost their homes, according to the residents' various needs, whether in finding alternative housing or in assisting with financial solutions.
Urbantop is an entrepreneurial company specializing in urban renewal and the promotion of complex evacuation-construction and TAMA 38 projects, and is active mainly among the Haredi community. The company is promoting several residential projects in Bnei Brak, with the project on Maccabim Street intended for housing for the Haredi community. The company is owned by Rabbi Pinchas Salzman.
Illustration: Tamar Halevi Graphics and Illustrations
The real estate financing company Barekat has been accompanying the entrepreneurial company since those complex days and, together with the insurance company, signed an agreement to accompany the project to provide financing and guarantees totaling approximately 247 million shekels. Attorney Carmel Nodler of the Keren Belcharsky Law Firm is accompanying Barekat and the insurance company in the transaction.
Adi Gazit, CEO of Barkat: "The damage to the project required a rapid response and adjustment of the financing structure to the created reality and the developer's schedules. In a short time, we formulated an envelope that allowed the project to move forward to receiving a permit and starting implementation. From the perspective of Barkat, which is a home for developers throughout the country, this is a significant deal in Bnei Brak and the Haredi sector, which illustrates the importance of flexibility, creativity and the ability to respond quickly even in exceptional events.".
Rabbi Pinchas Salzman, CEO and owner of Urbantop: "I would like to thank the mayor of Bnei Brak, Hanoch Seibert, and his deputy, the chairman of the Planning and Building Committee, Menachem Shapira, for the agility and efficiency with which all processes were advanced. Special thanks also to the law firms of Reisman Deutsch and all the parties that took part in the project. When necessary, everyone stepped up and went above and beyond to enable the advancement of the project and reach a significant result in record time. About a year after the Iranian missile strike, we are starting work on a new building with 84 apartments for the families of the city and the community.".
Barkat is a public financing company specializing in financing projects and real estate transactions. The company, controlled by Roni Biram, Chairman of the company, Gil Deutsch and Adi Gazit, CEO of the company, operates from an entrepreneurial perspective according to which financing is much more than providing credit. In each transaction, Barkat builds a dedicated, precise and creative financial architecture, tailored to the characteristics of the project and the needs of the entrepreneur. A combination of financial experience, entrepreneurial understanding and strategic thinking allows the company to support even complex transactions, to provide certainty and flexibility along the way, and to be a true partner in turning a vision into reality.
