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February 16, 2001/Shevet 23, 5761, Vol. 53, No.20
Loan group expands tradition of giving
BARRY COHEN
Community Editor
Volunteers Harry Adler and Helen Handler interview a potential loan recipient.
Photo by Barry Cohen |
A misconception exists that only the destitute and desperate turn to the Phoenix Jewish Free Loan Association for help - that the association grants loans to individuals or families just a paycheck away from hunger or homelessness.
As a result, many persons who might use the group's assistance never consider doing so.
"My take on it was they were around to help people in personal distress," says Dori Hurwich. "I did not even know if they would consider (our need) worth their attention."
Dori's son Rob needed financial assistance to complete his senior film project at the University of Arizona. The good news, Dori recalls, was that his script was one of four chosen in his class to be produced; the bad news was the limited financial assistance the university would provide to make the script a reality.
By Rob's senior year, Dori recounts, money she had saved for her son's education was "long gone." Though he used Pell Grants to finish his final three semesters, there was not nearly enough money to cover a budget that escalated from $1,500 to $3,000 to $10,000, Dori says, for a 20-minute film.
Rob raised $3,500 on his own before running out of options, says Dori. Her last hope, before turning to banks and interest payments, was Jewish Free Loan.
"They were fabulous, considerate, and they listened," she says.
"We were received really well," adds Rob. "I appreciate what they did for me." He adds he had been doubtful they would grant any money because he was not living in poverty and did not need the money to put food on the table.
"They let us know anything educational was worthy," adds Dori.
The association granted the family a maximum $5,000 loan, and Rob completed his film project.
People who request loans fit into two types, says Selma Fiel, the association's part-time executive director: "real need for existence" and "miscellaneous" categories. The former includes food, rent, clothing and medical expenses. The latter encompasses debt consolidation, housing repairs, small business start-up fees and education expenses.
From 10 a.m. to noon every Sunday, two volunteer interviewers are available at the JFLA office at 400 W. Camelback Road to speak with applicants. Sometimes no one arrives, says Fiel, and sometimes the line extends out the door.
"Each (potential) borrower is treated as an individual," Fiel adds. The interviewers "make it as palatable as possible."
The requirements to receive assistance are minimal. The applicant must be Jewish and of legal age and must sign a promissory note to repay the loan. A regular loan requires one to three co-signers, depending upon circumstance and loan size, she adds.
With his mother as a co-signer, Rob agreed to pay back a set amount each month. He will make his final payment in March.
With backing from the loan, Rob wrote, directed and produced "Living Dead," a film telling the story of two brothers who witness a robbery.
Rob says production, even for a short film, takes money and time. The January 1999 shoot took two weeks, followed by six months for processing and editing, adding sound and music and making a final print.
His next step is getting what began as a senior project into film festivals, Rob says. He also intends to move to Los Angeles, which he says is the best location to launch a professional film career.
The Phoenix Jewish Free Loan Association has made thousands of interest free loans to individuals and families since its founding in the mid-1940s. One of many such agencies in Jewish communities around the world, it carries forward the ancient tradition of Jews helping Jews to become self-sufficient.
"The free loan helps you to help yourself, with dignity," says Helen Handler, association president. She has been involved in its work for 10 years.
Because applicants always make the commitment to pay the money back, the program "teaches you to stand on your own two feet," she adds.
In addition to general loans, JFLA since 1998 has granted Jewish Continuity Loans "to promote Jewish life in all its forms," says Fiel. The loans fund Jewish children to go to summer camp or visit Israel and enable families to attend lifecycle events such as weddings and funerals, she explains.
Another program, unique to the Valley, is the Maimonides Fund.
"It is for people who have fallen between the cracks," says Fiel, "for those who need help but have nowhere else to turn and know no one to assist." An example, Fiel adds, is a woman with young children "in crisis," making a break from an abusive husband.
The Maimonides Fund is for those who lack co-signers and the means to re-pay the loan. Though recipients may sign a promissory note, repayment schedules are indefinite.
According to an association statement, annual membership dues cover minimal operating expenses; individuals are invited to contribute to the general loan fund or can designate gifts for continuity loans or the Maimonides Fund.
In 2000, more than 75 loans were granted, for amounts ranging from $200 to $5,000. Currently, JFLA has $175,000 in outstanding loans, said Fiel.
Handler says a highlight for her is when a loan recipient not only pays back the money in full but also is able to co-sign for another couple needing assistance.
"I believe in an institution which helps Jewish immigrants or newcomers to the Valley with limited resources and contacts to start over," she adds.
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