January-February 2012 - The Jewish Georgian

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Page 12 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN January-February 2012 Jewish Free Loan Funds Help Jewish Georgians in Need In March, 2009, Mrs. Malka Rosenbaum z”l, a beloved individual who was known for her many acts of loving kindness and who made many contributions to the spirituality of the Atlanta community and Klal Israel planted the seeds for what is known today as the Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta or JIFLA. JIFLA now provides loans to Jewish families and individuals throughout the state of Georgia. Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta, Inc., is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity established to provide financial assistance through interest-free loans and is committed to the biblical precept (Exodus 22:24), “If you lend money to My people, to those in need among you, do not act as a creditor; exact no interest from them.” According to Dr. Mort Barr, JIFLA president, “the prolonged economic downturn in our state has increased the ranks of Jews one can classify as marginally needy.” Since the stock market collapse in late 2008 pushed the nation into recession, the demand for financial support, food and clothes from Jewish social service agencies and charities in Atlanta and throughout the state of Georgia has risen significantly. Barr continued to say that “JIFLA is a member of the International Association of Hebrew Free Loans. Through direct contact with other Jewish Free Loans, we are painfully aware that the same phenomenon has appeared in Jewish communities across the country.” Right here in Atlanta, both JIFLA and JELF (Jewish Education Loan Fund – which provides loans for higher education) have been busier than ever before in helping people and families in need. As economic times have gotten tougher, requests for loans have been increasing. While JIFLA had provided 8 loans in its first 12 months of operation, it has provided another 12 loans in the following 9 months with two loan applicants waiting for approval. Since opening its loan office in March, 2010, JIFLA has provided $52,600 in interest-free loans to members of our local communities. All loans are being repaid, and with these repayments the money is available to recycle and loan out again. Each loan JIFLA has provided has helped Jewish families in unique ways: an unemployed family was provided funds to pay for living expenses until they were able to find jobs. One loan persuaded the borrower’s mortgage bank to approve a mortgage loan modification. Another loan helped a family member pay for emergency surgery, which was not covered by their medical insurance. JIFLA helped an individual who started a new job after being unemployed for 2 years and needed help with 2 months of rent payment until the first paycheck came in. A recent loan helped a hardworking but strug- gling family pay for unexpected funeral expenses of a parent. Their most recent loans helped families who lost income due to unexpected layoffs and were temporarily unable to pay their bills. The loans will bridge these families while they are searching for new jobs. Other loans helped families consolidate their debt and helped lower debt-management costs, and in other ways helped families manage their way out of severe financial crises. JIFLA will provide loans for vocational training, purchasing used cars if needed for employment purposes, emergency home repairs, dental and medical bills, and many other purposes that will help families in financial need. “We recycle money so we can recycle people’s lives,” said Barr. “The story is not that we lent $52,600. The story is that there are thousands of stories out there.” Anonymity of the borrower and loan guarantor is a major value and promise of JIFLA. The loan applicant is assigned a loan number, and all information, is identified only by the loan number. According to Barr, “At most, only two people are aware of the borrower’s identity and only one person is aware of the guarantor’s identity. Confidentiality is carefully protected.” According to JIFLA’s rabbinic advisor, Rabbi Doniel Pransky: “Besides giving to those who are already poor, make sure you prevent others from joining the ranks of the On October 28, The Temple in Midtown Atlanta hosted a special bar mitzvah ceremony for Benjamin Faber, who has mitochondrial myopathy. The unique ceremony involved assisted communication devices and the participation of Faber’s fellow students to help him through the event. Two hundred teens from all across the Southeastern United States also attended the bar mitzvah before embarking on a weekend of learning about inclusion in Judaism. Benjamin has been a student at The Temple’s Breman Religious School since he was in pre-Kindergarten. He has benefited from The Temple’s commitment to cre- impoverished….Very worthy causes exist to ease the enormous burden that crushes our fellow Jews who cannot afford the basic necessities of life. As the number of those in need grows, however, it is equally necessary for us to do our part to hold back as many people as we can from that burden. “This is the job of the Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta. By offering interestfree loans to those who have encountered a significant, and perhaps sudden, expense that is beyond their means, we can keep them on a sound financial footing. We can grab hold of someone teetering on the edge of a cliff and literally pull him or her back to safety. This is our mission. As our sages teach us, if a heavy burden is about to fall off a donkey, it only takes one person to steady it. After it falls to the ground, even five people can’t lift it.” JIFLA is professionally managed by volunteers. All involved in this endeavor have a passion for unity and shalom in the Jewish community. The outreach to all Jews and non-judgmentalism of the fund provides a wonderful opportunity to bridge diverse elements of our Jewish community to contribute to peace, unity, cooperation, and understanding within the community. More information about JIFLA can be found through its website at www.jifla.org or e-mail freeloan@jifla.org Southeast teens attend bar mitzvah for student with mitochondrial myopathy ating a fully inclusive learning environment for all of its students. Stacey Levy, a speech pathologist and member of The Temple, has been working for the Breman Religious School for ten years as learning coordinator and has developed a program that serves Benjamin and dozens of other students with developmental disabilities each year. “Judaism has never been an exclusive religion. It is available to everyone,” says The Temple’s director of lifelong learning, Rabbi Steven H. Rau, RJE. “We have a commitment to ensure that every student has a chance to learn and share in the Jewish experience.” To drive home this Jewish value of inclusion, The Temple scheduled Benjamin’s bar mitzvah as a kickoff to a weekend gathering of Jewish teenagers from across the Southeast that included opportunities to learn about welcoming and including everyone in Jewish life. This is a continuation of The Temple’s tzadikim (Hebrew for “righteous person”) program, which trains students to serve as shadows and aides to students, like Benjamin, who learn differently. The many students who worked with Benjamin over the years were present for his bar mitzvah.
January-February 2012 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 13 Taste of Atlanta wraps up a landmark festival Taste of Atlanta, the city’s largest food festival, hosted its landmark 10th annual event October 22-23. The two-day affair saw thousands of festivalgoers flocking to Midtown’s Technology Square, enjoying samples from more than 80 of Atlanta’s premier restaurants. Highlights included the return of Inside the Food Studio, which featured a behind-the-scenes look into the kitchens and minds of some of Atlanta’s most celebrated chefs; the Family Food Zone, for young chefs-in-training; cooking stages featuring demonstrations from local and national celebrity chefs; and the introduction of The Big Grill, a Friday night block party that kicked off the weekend. In addition, Taste of Atlanta furthered its commitment to community. The on-site silent auction raised over $25,000 to benefit Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters, a groundbreaking program that provides a strong foundation in nutrition, cooking, and household budgeting through specialized courses for adults, kids, and teens. The festival’s president and founder, Dale Gordon DeSena, has over 25 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and festival production. She has been instrumental in bringing together national celebrity chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, Sara Moulton, Iron Chef Morimoto, and Rocco DiSpirito as well as Atlanta chefs such as Kevin Rathbun, Linton Hopkins, and Richard Blais. DeSena created Taste of Atlanta to fill the city’s need for a food festival truly representing the best the city has to offer. Taste of Atlanta been named a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society, Best Food Dale Gordon DeSena Event in Atlanta by The Atlanta Journal- Constitution and Jezebel magazine, and a “Top Festival Worth the Trip” by O, The Oprah Magazine. It has earned numerous Kaleidoscope Awards and been covered by The New York Times, People Magazine, and “The Today Show” on NBC. DeSena is a board member of the Georgia Restaurant Association and a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, American Culinary Federation, Georgia Organics, the American Institute of Wine & Food, and the International Festivals & Events Association. She has held board positions with the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish National Fund.
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January-February 2012 - The Jewish Georgian

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