Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia
Encyclopedia
The Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia (HFLGP) provides interest
-free loan
s to members of the Philadelphia Jewish community in need. Founded in 1984 as the Hebrew Free Loan Society at Beth Sholom and housed at Beth Sholom Congregation (Elkins Park, Pennsylvania), by 2006, over $2 million in loans had been granted
from its revolving fund. HFLGP is a member of the International Association of Hebrew Free Loans
.
HFLGP is a 501(c)(3) organization funded entirely by private donations.
, Chester
, Delaware
, Montgomery
or Philadelphia
counties in Pennsylvania
, or Burlington
, Camden
, Gloucester
or Mercer
counties in New Jersey
. Borrowers must be Jewish or serve the Jewish community.
Credit-worthy co-signers who live in Pennsylvania or New Jersey are required to guarantee repayment for all loans.
HFPGP lends money for many purposes, including but not limited to:
injunction "If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, do not act towards them as a creditor; exact no interest from them." (Exodus 22:24) Jewish communities throughout history have included these organizations as one of the pillars of communal life.
The Hebrew Free Society of Greater Philadelphia was founded in 1984 through the efforts of Rabbi Aaron Landes. Bernard and Marie Granor agreed to spearhead the original effort and Bernard served as President of the Society for more than 20 years.
Interest
Interest is a fee paid by a borrower of assets to the owner as a form of compensation for the use of the assets. It is most commonly the price paid for the use of borrowed money, or money earned by deposited funds....
-free loan
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....
s to members of the Philadelphia Jewish community in need. Founded in 1984 as the Hebrew Free Loan Society at Beth Sholom and housed at Beth Sholom Congregation (Elkins Park, Pennsylvania), by 2006, over $2 million in loans had been granted
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
from its revolving fund. HFLGP is a member of the International Association of Hebrew Free Loans
International Association of Hebrew Free Loans
The International Association of Hebrew Free Loans is an umbrella organization for Hebrew Free Loan societies, organizations that offer interest-free loans. There are members around the world, with most in North America. Each member organization has its own rules regarding such things as who may...
.
HFLGP is a 501(c)(3) organization funded entirely by private donations.
General information
HFLGP offers loans of up to $5,000. Borrowers must live in the Philadelphia area, specifically BucksBucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, Chester
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
, Delaware
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
, Montgomery
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
or Philadelphia
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
-History:Tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area which became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674...
counties in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, or Burlington
Burlington County, New Jersey
There were 154,371 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had...
, Camden
Camden County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census the population of Camden County was 60.28% Non-Hispanic white, 18.45% Non-Hispanic black, 1.12% Hispanic blacks, 0.17% Non-Hispanic Native American, 0.15% Hispanic Native Americans, 5.07% Non-Hispanic Asian, and 0.14% non-Hispanics reporting some other race...
, Gloucester
Gloucester County, New Jersey
Gloucester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 288,288. Its county seat is Woodbury....
or Mercer
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
counties in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Borrowers must be Jewish or serve the Jewish community.
Credit-worthy co-signers who live in Pennsylvania or New Jersey are required to guarantee repayment for all loans.
HFPGP lends money for many purposes, including but not limited to:
- Medical and dental bills
- Home repairHome repairHome repair involves the diagnosis and resolution of problems in a home, and is related to home maintenance to avoid such problems. Many types of repairs are "do it yourself" projects, while others may be so complicated, time-consuming or risky as to suggest the assistance of a qualified handyman,...
s - Apartment rental and deposits
- First home purchase closing costs
- Family member immigrationImmigrationImmigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
- AdoptionAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
- Fertility treatments
- Jewish camp
- UnemploymentUnemploymentUnemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
- Vocational and job training
- EducationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
History
Hebrew Free Loan Societies are based on the BiblicalBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
injunction "If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, do not act towards them as a creditor; exact no interest from them." (Exodus 22:24) Jewish communities throughout history have included these organizations as one of the pillars of communal life.
The Hebrew Free Society of Greater Philadelphia was founded in 1984 through the efforts of Rabbi Aaron Landes. Bernard and Marie Granor agreed to spearhead the original effort and Bernard served as President of the Society for more than 20 years.