International Association of Hebrew Free Loans
{{Short description|Organization for Jewish interest-free loans}}
{{No footnotes|date=February 2021}}
The International Association of Hebrew Free Loans (IAHFL) is an umbrella organization for Hebrew Free Loan societies, organizations that offer interest-free loans to Jews. There are members around the world, with most in North America. Each member organization has its own rules regarding such things as who may borrow, the maximum loan amount, and the repayment process. However, all offer loans without interest.
Hebrew Free Loan societies (such a society is also known as a Gemach) are based on the biblical injunction that Jews may not charge interest to other Jews in need, found in Exodus 22:25: "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."
The IAHFL provides a forum for independent free loan societies to interact, share information, and helps establish new Hebrew Free Loans. There is an annual conference hosted by a member organization.
See also
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- Aktsiye, which is a Jewish form of credit union{{cite web |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/modern-tzedakah/ |title=A History of American Jewish Free Loan Societies |first1=Michael |last1=Feldberg|publisher=myjewishlearning.com|access-date=March 13, 2025}}
- Halakha
- Hebrew Free Loan Society of New York
- Loans and interest in Judaism
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== References ==
=Notes=
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=Sources=
- Jaffe, Eliezer David. Micro-Lending: A Nonprofit Response to Economic Crisis, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110728171926/http://www.wcjcs.org/materials/Microlending_Loan_Jaffe.DOC]
- {{cite book |last1=Tenenbaum |first1=Shelly |year=1993 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ujfRXSFs950C&q=%22Tenenbaum%22+%22A+Credit+to+Their+Community:+Jewish+Loan+Societies+in+...%22+ |title=A Credit to Their Community: Jewish Loan Societies in the United States 1880-1945 |location=Detroit, Michigan |publisher=Wayne State University Press)|series=American Jewish Civilization Series |id=ISBN 0814322875 |isbn=9780814322871|language=English}}}
- {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0u23AAAAIAAJ&q=Hebrew+Free+Loan+Society+of+New+York |title=Lending Dignity: The First One Hundred Years of the Hebrew Free Loan Society of New York |first1=Jenna |last1=Weissman Joselit |publisher=The Society |year=1992 |asin= B0000D6LQ1 |language=English}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://freeloan.org/|International Association of Hebrew Free Loans -- official website}}
- [http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2008/11/07/features/cavalcade/doc49134ae40b0f7307883870.txt Coverage of 2008 conference]