Interest-free loans steeped in tradition

Interest-free loans steeped in tradition

By Kristin E. Holmes

The Philadelphia Inquirer

June 10, 2009

In tough economic times, a centuries-old financial lifeline might be one of the best-kept secrets in the Jewish community.

It is a secret whose roots go back to the Torah, where it is called an act of "lovingkindness."

When rent is due or tuition is short, there are loans available for thousands of dollars -- interest free.

The programs are part of a tradition in the Jewish community of offering loans without interest to people in need. The money has helped families adopt babies, a woman buy a pacemaker, and immigrants start a new life.

"I was going to Israel, and I just needed some extra money," said Yaron Gola of Northeast Philadelphia. "It was a tremendous blessing. It makes you feel a part of a community."

About 50 groups in the United States and abroad lend millions in interest-free loans each year, said Mark Meltzer, past president and cofounder of the International Association of Hebrew Free Loans.

In the region, the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia in Elkins Park and the Chaya Mushka Lubavitcher G'Milus Chesed in Northeast Philadelphia are two of the independent organizations that carry on the tradition.

Jewish nonprofit groups also offer small interest-free loans, often for educational pursuits.

It is viewed as a mitzvah, a good deed, said Rabbi Zalman Lipsker, director of the Lubavitcher fund. In fact, G'Milus Chesed translates to "deed of lovingkindness" in Hebrew.

The underlying principle goes back to biblical instruction, said Rabbi Aaron Landes, founding rabbi of the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia and rabbi emeritus of Beth Sholom Congregation, the society's headquarters.

Exodus 22:25 says, "If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest." Similar instructions are in Deuteronomy and Leviticus.

"When immigrants came over from Eastern Europe between 1880 and 1914, they brought these associations with them," said Shelly Tenenbaum, author of A Credit to Their Community: Jewish Loan Societies in the United States.

Other ethnic and religious groups have their own loan programs. Interest is prohibited in Islamic law and references to the law appear in the Quran and in statements of the prophet Muhammad, said Masood Ghaznavi, professor emeritus at Rosemont College.

Among the Hebrew loan societies, organization assets range from $100,000 to more than $20 million. Groups vary with respect to professional staffing, business partnerships, and annual lending, Meltzer said.

The first Jewish immigrants to the United States "got $25 to get their pushcart," said Tamar Granor, who with her husband, Marshall, runs the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia.

A bond of mutual trust linked the society, the borrower, and his or her cosigner. Each borrower usually must have at least one.

"It's one thing to default on an impersonal institution," Tenenbaum said. "It's another to default on someone you're close to."

The process is designed to be dignified and devoid of embarrassment, so applications can be brief. The Lubavitcher group, which typically lends up to $1,000, doesn't ask a reason for the loan. The Hebrew Free Loan Society requires a credit check of the cosigner, but not the applicant. The group lends a maximum of $5,000. Terms for payback vary.

Default rates were typically lower than those of banks, Tenenbaum said. Some borrowers have failed to pay the Lubavitcher group, Lipsker said. Fewer than 1 percent at the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia have defaulted. Court action is extremely rare, Tamar Granor said.

The Northeast Philadelphia program, with rolling assets of $150,000, has been in operation since the early 1970s. In Elkins Park, the Free Loan Society celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The group has assets of $350,000.

Both organizations rely on contributions and fund-raising to replenish the money.

As the economy has worsened, loan inquiries have started to increase. But Marshall Granor, whose parents, Bernard and Marie, helped start the fund, is surprised that more applicants haven't turned to the society. He has money to lend but no takers.

"It's been hard to connect with people," he said.

With only a volunteer staff, public relations isn't often a priority. The group's members hope to hire a part-time worker who can help spread the word.

Said Granor: "It's a tremendous feeling when a parent calls and says, 'My son graduated from Drexel, and I couldn't have done it without you.' "

Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Shomrei Habrith reborn as Chabad Center

By Carol Balinski
Religion Editor

2/7/2009


- Faced with dwindling membership and financial challenges, Congregation Shomrei Habrith, Berks County's only Orthodox Jewish synagogue, has been transformed into Chabad Lubavitch of Berks County.


Chabad Lubavitch is a Jewish outreach organization that is known worldwide. The Brooklyn-based movement sends emissaries to Jewish communities large and small around the world as a means of strengthening Jewish identity

Rabbi Yosef Lipsker, who has been the congregation's rabbi since 1997, will stay on as Chabad rabbi.

Lipsker said Shomrei Habrith's declining membership made the synagogue's continued operation at 2310 Hampden Blvd. no longer viable. The congregation voted unanimously in November to make the change.

In describing what the change means, Lipsker said Shomrei Habrith was membership based, while Chabad Lubavitch has an open-door policy. No dues will be collected, as was the policy under Shomrei Habrith, but donations will be welcomed and there will be some fundraising. Lipsker hopes to reach out to attract people from all walks of Jewish life and those who want to learn more about Jewish tradition.

"I think people (in the congregation) are happy," Lipsker said. "They felt it was a blessing."

The Chabad Center will continue to offer services Friday nights at 5:30 and Saturday mornings at 9:30. Lipsker said the Chabad services use a prayer book that is slightly different than the Orthodox congregation had been using.

Lipsker said members of the congregation did not want to sell the building and decided to lease it to Chabad Lubavitch, with an option to buy it. The lease, finalized in December, stipulates that the organization provide funds for upkeep of the congregation's cemetery in Cumru Township.

Before coming to Reading, Lipsker worked for Chabad in Connecticut, England and Florida establishing youth clubs, adult education classes and running a boys high school.

He said some events will be held in sites away from the Chabad Center to reinforce the message of inclusiveness.

Lipsker said he views the Chabad Center's activities as a supplement to the work of other Jewish institutions in the area. He said he has good relationships with the Conservative and Reform rabbis in the community

"We (Chabad centers) are very traditional, but we're known as welcoming," he said.

Paul Safir, a longtime member who served on the board for Shomrei Habrith, said, "As long as the services are conducted the same way, it should remain the same as far as the religious end of it goes."

Regarding Chabad Lubavitch, Safir termed it a fine thing which does excellent work to help people.

Safir said the congregation lives on even though it no longer has its own building.

• Contact Religion Editor Carol Balinski at 610-371-5007 or cbalinski@readingeagle.com.

Chabad Center welcome addition

The Chabad movement is a great addition to Berks County ("Shomrei Habrith reborn as Chabad Center," Reading Eagle, Feb. 7).

Having lived throughout the United States, I have had the great pleasure of meeting many Chabad emissaries. The one quality they all share is that they are selfless in their giving to accommodate a passing traveler or a member of the community.

Although it is an Orthodox Jewish movement, it accepts all without passing judgment. Rabbi Yosef Lipsker has been a welcomed part of this community since 1997 and has many supporters and fans. I am hopeful that the community helps in making the Chabad Center of Berks County flourish. I offer my support.

Alan Tootman
Alsace Township

Chabad's Answer to Mumbai: Spread Acts of Lovingkindness

December 11, 2008 - Bryan Schwartzman, Staff Writer

The worldwide Chabad Lubavitch movement must respond to last month's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, by doubling its efforts at Jewish outreach and react to acts of cruelty by spreading acts of kindness, stated Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, who chairs the executive committee of the Agudas Chassidei Chabad, Chabad's umbrella organization.

Shemtov, who also oversees Lubavitch activities in the region, delivered an emotional address to roughly 400 people who turned out for a Dec. 8 memorial ceremony at Congregation B'nai Abraham in downtown Philadelphia. The program was held in memory of the nearly 200 killed in the series of attacks, including the six Jews killed inside the Chabad house in India's commercial hub.

Those victims included Norma Shvartzblat Rabinovich, a Mexican citizen planning to make aliyah; and Israelis Yocheved Orpaz, Rabbi Benzion Kruman and Rabbi Areyh Leibish Teitlebaum; and Chabad emissaries Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg.

The Holtzbergs had moved from Brooklyn to India in 2003, starting out in a rented apartment. They eventually bought the building that became the Chabad house. Their 2-year-old son, Moshe, was rescued from the building and will be raised by relatives in Israel, according to Chabad's Web site.

"These murderers sought to disconnect humanity from decency," said Shemtov, 71, who traveled to Israel last week to attend the Holtzergs' funeral in Kfar Chabad, a village founded by Lubavitcher Rebbe Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn in 1949. "It is our test now to strengthen connections between people."

He said that the Holtzberg families had requested that Jews of all persuasions promise to perform additional mitzvot. Organizers distributed mitzvah pledge cards in honor of "Gabi & Rivky," in which people could promise to do things like light Shabbat candles, study Torah or give charity daily.

In addition, Shemtov said that Chabad is asking all Jews to try to respond to the pain and loss caused by the events by making connections with 10 new people during the traditional 30-day mourning period.

"I can't think of a better answer to the calls of the souls of Gavriel and Rikvah," declared Shemtov, who later said that the community could not remain paralyzed with grief and would have to move on.

Several speakers cited a precedent for responding to terror. In 1957, eight years after Kfar Chabad was founded in central Israel, a band of Palestinian fedayeen infiltrated the village and killed five children and a teacher.

The most recent Lubavitcher Rebbe -- Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who died in 1994 -- sent a telegram at the time of fedayeen attack, urging Kfar Chabad residents to seek comfort from overwhelming grief by continuing to build up the village and teach the young.


Fighting Back Tears

During the Philadelphia memorial, men and women sat on opposite sides of the recently refurbished, historic synagogue. While more than a week had passed since the attacks in India and a number of smaller programs had been held in the interim, raw emotions still colored this event. Some audience members seemed visibly shaken; a few looked to be fighting back tears, while others buried their faces in their hands.

Rabbi Zalman Lipsker, who works with the city's Hebrew-speaking population, led the room in a recitation of Psalm 107.

Israeli Consul General Daniel Kutner read the eulogy that Israeli President Shimon Peres had delivered at the Holtzbergs' funeral. Leonard Barrack, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, offered brief remarks.

"The loss of cherished souls are being grieved throughout our city," he said.

Organizers also played a 15-minute video about the Holtzbergs -- including clips from interviews conducted in India -- that portrayed the couple as eager, idealistic and doing work that they considered a calling.

Rachel Wise, a Northeast Philadelphia woman who lingered for a few moments after the program, said that she felt inspired to translate her pain into some tangible action.

"This was like a wake-up call to remind us of what we should be doing," said Wise. "When light is extinguished, you have the opportunity to bring light back into the world."

Chabad to open Jewish outreach center

Oct 18, 2007 —

Rabbi Elazar Green believes the most important building in the Jewish faith isn't the synagogue. It's the home.
"It's where people can come and experience and live Judaism," he said.
A home is what Green's organization recently purchased in Spring Garden Township on the edge of the York College campus.
After some remodeling and a good scrub down, the four-bedroom house now peeling with white paint will become York County's first Chabad House - an outreach center to Jews and home to an emissary family of Chabad-Lubavitch, a branch of Hasidic Judaism with mystical roots.
Including 30-year-old Green and wife Shira, Pennsylvania is home to 59 shluchim, young Lubavitch couples who have left their homes and relocated to communities with little or no orthodox presence.
Their mission in part is to encourage Jews to live more religiously observant lives and to spread the teachings of their revered rebbe. They belong to a growing, highly organized network of 4,000 Lubavitch rabbis and their families who serve lifetime assignments in more than 70 countries, according to figures on Chabad.org, the movement's Web site. That number of emissaries has doubled in the last decade.
They're acting on Chabad's belief that its highest calling is to help other Jews.
Green and his family moved to Lancaster three years ago and started the Chabad Jewish Enrichment Center, which sponsors hands-on, educational activities designed to teach about Jewish culture, tradition and history. Next month, the topic of a new course is Israel and why Jews should care about it.
Green established a location in Lancaster but looked for a house in York for three years. He and his board of directors wanted something big enough to host Bible studies, counseling and other events but also centrally located for the Jewish community in York County and students at the college, he said.
In August, a friend discovered the half-acre property on the corner of Colonial Avenue and Grantley Road.
That friend, Elliott Weinstein (also a member of the local Chabad board), lent the Chabad center $200,000 to cover the purchase. Green plans to raise the funds to pay Weinstein back, he said.
Among the largest branches of Hasidic Judaism, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement began in Russia in the 18th century. Since coming to the U.S. in the 1940s, the Lubavitch have used various American institutions, such as day schools, summer camps, adult classes and holiday celebrations to reach Jews unschooled in the faith.
Sue Fishkoff, author of "The Rebbe's Army: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch," cites some critics who say Chabad pushes the outreach too far with an "in-your-face" type of Judaism. She also notes tension with many rabbis in the U.S. because Chabad doesn't recognize non-orthodox denominations.
Still, Lubavitch are known for their dedication and idealism, Fishkoff writes.
Green grew up in Pittsburgh, the son of educators who also serve as emissaries. Friendly, energetic and talkative, he said he knew as a child he'd someday become an emissary for the movement.
A few years ago, Green's uncle, Rabbi Shaya Sackett of Congregation Degel Israel in Lancaster, invited him to teach at a yeshiva (Jewish school) he founded there.
Green accepted. At the same time, he approached a rabbi in Philadelphia who leads shluchim in this region and asked about starting a Chabad center in Lancaster and York. The rabbi agreed.
For the most part, the Jews who attend the Chabad programs in York and Lancaster are unaffiliated with a congregation, Green said.
After it's fixed up, the Chabad home in Spring Garden Township will house Green and his family part time. Eventually, they'll hire another emissary family to live in the house and focus full time on outreach in York County, Green said.
Besides planning the Enrichment Center's programs, much of Green's job is fundraising - something that's gotten relatively easier as the community learns more about what he does, Green said. Chabad houses are funded by donations and not membership dues.
Green plans to partner for some activities with the Jewish-student group Hillel at York College. He also might erect a 10-foot-high menorah on the Chabad house lawn come Hanukkah time to alert Jewish students to the home's presence. Last month, some students attended a Sukkot party at the house, said Dena Leavey, 20, president of Hillel.
"It just brings another option to Jewish students on campus," she said of Chabad.
"People do want to learn more about Judaism, which is something Rabbi Green provides with his programs."
Leavey and Green estimate York College has about 100 Jewish students, some of whom regularly daven Shabbos at Temple Beth Israel, the Reform congregation in York Township that offers transportation to the synagogue and host-families to Jewish students, Leavey said.
Green isn't trying to make anybody adopt orthodox observances. He wants to reach the unaffiliated and nonpracticing.
He said, "Everybody's welcome (at Chabad) - no matter their affiliation or level of observation."
Reach Melissa Nann Burke at 771-2024 or mburke@ydr.com
ABOUT CHABAD-LUBAVITCH
One of the largest branches of Hasidic Judaism, the Chabad movement originated in Russia in the 18th century.
In 1940, the head of the movement (the Rebbe), Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn, emigrated from Poland to the United States.
Under his successor and son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitch used American institutions such as day schools, summer camps, adult classes and holiday celebrations to reach out to U.S. Jews the group felt had not been exposed to “authentic” Judaism.
Since, the Chabad organization has developed a vast international presence with 4,000 full-time emissary families directing more than 3,300 institutions worldwide to spread their teachings. Lubavitchers emphasize outreach to nonpracticing Jews.
Schneerson died in 1994, and a new leader has not been appointed. Some groups regard Schneerson as the Messiah and await his return. Others aren't so sure. Still others believe he never died and is living in a way that ordinary people cannot perceive.
The branch is also called Chabad-Lubavitch - Lubavitch referring to the name of a small town in northern Russia where the movement was based for more than a century. The organization Chabad is now based in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Journalists and scholars estimate that there are 100,000 to 200,000 Lubavitchers worldwide.
Source: Chabad.org and ReligionStylebook.org

WHAT'S THAT MEAN?
Chabad is an acronym for the Hebrew words of chachmah (wisdom), binah (comprehension) and da'at (knowledge).

ON THE WEB
Chabad Jewish Enrichment Center of Lancaster & York, http://www.jewishenrichment.com
Chabad Lubavitch, http://www.chabad.org

IF YOU GO
What: A six-week course, "The Land & the Spirit: Why We All Care About Israel," from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute
When: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, starting Nov. 1
Where: York Jewish Community Center, 2000 Hollywood Drive in York Township
Cost: $90, including textbook
For details: Register at 843-0918

Jewish center welcomes arrival of Torah

For the 250 or so families involved, it is a time of great happiness at the Chabad of the South Hills.
The Jewish Center for Living and Learning in Mt. Lebanon formally welcomed the addition of its own Torah scroll last evening.
"Purchasing or refurbishing a Torah is considered to be a huge, huge celebration in the Jewish community," said Rabbi Mendel Rosenblum, co-director of the Chabad with his wife, Batya.
Ten days of the High Holidays begin Wednesday with Rosh Hashana and conclude at Yom Kippur.
The synagogue's ark currently has three other scrolls -- the text, written in Hebrew, is literally considered the words of God as given to Moses -- on loan through various long- and short-term arrangements.
"Typically, the first time the [scroll] arrives, it is welcomed to the synagogue, but the timing just didn't work out for us," Rabbi Rosenblum said, explaining that the Chabad of the South Hills received the Torah several months ago.
Last night's festivities included dancing and dinner, as well as an education program for the children.
The cost of obtaining a Torah "is significant," he said. "which ranges anywhere from $20,000 to $70,000.
"But the spiritual achievement is great as well. It's always welcomed into the synagogue, even if it's not the first Torah scroll."
The scroll was purchased from another conservative synagogue, Poale Tzedek in Squirrel Hill.
"One of the members of our congregation grew up in this synagogue and their family is still very active. They were the ones who made the connection for us.
"It was a huge donation [but] the family wants to remain anonymous. They just wanted to see the Torah restored."
The scroll, he said, "was not fit for use when we purchased it," so they sent it to a scribe in New York who restores Torahs.
The process took about five months; all of the characters are handwritten on parchment and those handling the scrolls must be painstakingly careful due to age and wear.
When the restoration was complete, the entire Torah was run through a computer scanner to check for accuracy.
"We found two letters missing entirely," Rabbi Rosenblum said. "So in a sense, this is the first time it's really fit for use. It's really a cause for celebration in our community."
The Chabad of the South Hills began in the Rosenblum's home almost nine years ago, but is currently renting property from the Bower Hill Swim Club. A new center on McFarland Road will be dedicated this winter.
"There's a lot of symbolism here, between the holidays and our moving to a new place," Rabbi Rosenblum said.

Lubavitch Debuts Its Hub With a Flourish

February 08, 2007 - Rachel Silverman

It's been seven years of real estate shopping, zoning-board hearings, fundraising and construction, but Lubavitch of the Main Line finally has a new home -- at one of the oldest spots in town.

The General Wayne Inn, which once served as a pub for British redcoats and later as a post office founded by Benjamin Franklin, will now play host to a bevy of Jewish activities.

Speaking at a lavish opening ceremony on Jan. 31, Rabbi Shraga Sherman, director of Lubavitch of the Main Line, called the refurbished space "a tremendous nexus of this three-millennia-history of the Jews and the 300-year-history of the building."

An old stone fireplace, for example, now houses an ark and two Torah scrolls, and portraits of Franklin flank the entrance to the property's on-site kosher restaurant.

Other additions to the building, which dates back to 1704, include a large multipurpose room for services and B'nai Mitzvah, Hebrew and preschool classes, administrative offices, as well as up-to-date electrical, sprinkler and fire-safety systems.

Sherman said that the inn gives Lubavitch much more visibility -- and physical space -- than its old Bala Cynwyd hub.


"We used to have to rent off-site locations for holiday celebrations and services," Sherman said of that office, known as the Mitzvah Factory. "As more and more people attended, and the array of programming expanded, we knew we needed more space."

However, the search for a vacancy in the primarily residential and heavily developed Main Line proved challenging. That's why when the storied General Wayne Inn went on the market in 2003, three individuals involved with Lubavitch -- Morris Willner, Gary Erlbaum and Steven Erlbaum -- immediately placed a bid on it.

After obtaining the property, Lubavitch spent two years getting the necessary zoning, and working out parking and traffic arrangements with Lower Merion Township. Construction, under the leadership of general contractor Core Management, took another year -- and $1 million -- to complete, said Sherman.

Though some elements of the building remain unfinished -- Sherman said that they are still searching for a vender for the kosher restaurant and to stock the gift shop with Judaica -- most Lubavitch programs have been up and running at the inn since the summer.

The grand-opening event -- which was attended by nearly 400 guests, and included abundant food trays and a musical performance -- was a public celebration. Sherman noted that the occasion allowed Lubavitch to thank various supporters and to announce its presence in the neighborhood.

Many who attended, like Lubavitch of Main Line education director Tsipy Weiss, practically gushed about the new building.

"It validates us a little bit," said the 29-year-old, who heads the preschool and Hebrew-school programs. "When you're in a [dumpy] little building, people are going to take you like that. Now, we're bigger; we're able to offer a lot more classes. We already have more people enrolled."

More importantly, perhaps, the facility provides a new home for the organization's message.

Rabbi Moshe Brennan, who also acts as programming director of the Lubavitch chapter, said that message is about "exposing Jewish people to their Judaism," regardless of their synagogue and denominational affiliations.

He said that the center will continue to offer classes on the Torah and Kabbalah, but that it's expanded to include topics like mystical ethics and the Hebrew language. He stressed that Lubavitch is making a concerted effort to reach all demographics -- children, women, families -- with classes like the new "Mommy & Me," women's fitness and challah-baking.

The Lubavitch approach to outreach resonated with Wynnewood resident Eunice Miller, who said that she recently signed up for a seminar on growth and development.

"You feel comfortable walking through this door," said Miller, a member of Congregation Beth Hamedrosh in Overbrook Park. "It doesn't require any religious commitment; it's not threatening in any way."