Starting a bakery business is as tough as kneading dough.

Dan's vision was to revitalize Bibi's Bakery & Cafe's image. He only had enough money to buy the bakery, but not enough to make the desired changes Bibi's really needed. A friend referred Dan to Jewish Free Loan.

Dan received an interest-free Small Business Loan and was able to paint, add counters and purchase new equipment. With these changes, growing revenue and foot traffic, Dan was able to revamp Bibi's reputation and relationships with the local community.

Today, his business is thriving with 12 employees and with increasing visibility in 

Bibi's Bakery Facebook Page

. Bibi's has been featured in local and national press;

Review

Visit Bibi's Bakery & Cafe

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Small Business Loans

Daniel was a freelance designer and art director with an innovative idea for a new business. He wanted to create a brick and mortar store that was at once a men's boutique, barbershop, gallery, and events space. He also wanted to build a community of artists, creatives, and innovators pushing boundaries with purpose in fashion, art and culture. By using the space as a boutique during the day and as an art gallery event venue on weekends, Daniel is able to attract a large demographic of people to turn his dream into a reality.

Offering haircuts is the bread and butter of the store and gets people in the door: “Beauty has a lot of influence on self-esteem and this business helps me offer that to my customers through personal care. I give a 50% discount to students and I wouldn’t have Saints without the loan for sure.” Using the space in a multi-purpose way is Daniel’s vision. It’s an idea that would not have taken off without an interest-free loan from Jewish Free Loan.

For entrepreneurs, it's the little things that create the vision.

Daniel really wanted to start a one stop shop.

Daniel

 ignited Aron's passion for giving back. Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and the onset of an economic recession, the Jewish Journal highlighted the pressing need for more loans in the Los Angeles area, with JFLA emerging as a vital solution. Recognizing the importance of community support, Aron was deeply moved. As an observant Jew, he understands the importance of aiding others, and the article spurred him into immediate action, inspiring his involvement with JFLA.

In 2002, Aron established the Abecassis Small Business Loan Program, cementing his commitment to assisting entrepreneurs. Shortly thereafter, he joined the board, contributing his expertise and resources. Serving on the loan committee for several years, Aron played an essential role in evaluating clients' needs and ensuring they received the necessary funding. In 2009, he furthered his impact by establishing the Abecassis Student Loan Fund, enabling aspiring students to pursue their educational goals.

Over the years, Aron's contributions have transformed the lives of over 200 individuals, providing necessary funding to fuel business ventures and academic pursuits. Witnessing firsthand the profound impact of JFLA's support on the community, Aron recognizes the pivotal role of donors like himself in enabling JFLA's mission to thrive.

Aron's contributions have impacted over 200 individuals, supporting entrepreneurs and students in pursuing their goals.

Loans for full-time, post-secondary education, up to $10,000.

Student/Education

Donor - Aron  Abecassis

Dr. Robert Boostanfar's relationship with JFLA began in the 1990s when he was in medical school. To help cover costs for his degree at the school of medicine at USC, Dr. Boostanfar took out an interest-free loan from JFLA. Since medical school, Dr. Boostanfar's medical practice in the field of infertility has become incredibly successful. He has been published in numerous publications, including People and Vogue Magazine and the Journal of the American Medical association and Fertility Sterility, and has made multiple television appearances on shows such as Good Morning America, CNN, KTLA, and
CBS. Additionally, he has received numerous awards and accolades for his remarkable work.

Within the JFLA family, Dr. Boostanfar is most recognized for his relationship with Emily and Alan Feit. As the couple's doctor, Dr. Boostanfar helped make their dream of becoming parents a reality. After the birth of Emily and Alan's twins, the couple felt compelled to give back to others struggling with infertility. Working closely with Dr. Boostanfar, the idea for the Feit4KidZ loan fund was born. Dr. Boostanfar played an instrumental role in developing the fund from the medical professional side. By leveraging the resources of the HRC fertility conglomerate and fertility pharmacies and donating significant time and resources personally, he garnered support and spread awareness about the fund to physicians throughout the area.

Since the creation of the Feit4KidZ loan fund, over 300 families have received financial assistance on their journey to parenthood. JFLA is deeply grateful for Dr. Boostanfar's generous contributions, which have not only benefited the JFLA community but also the broader medical community.

As a pivotal figure in the Feit4KidZ Loan Fund, he helped realize the Feits' dream of parenthood and assisted over 300 families on their journey to becoming parents. 

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Loans for individuals or couples to offset the cost of infertility treatments, and the costs related to adoption, up to $20,000.


In Vitro Fertilization, Adoption and Surrogacy 

Donor - Dr. Robert Boostanfar

"We had no idea that IVF doesn't always work and that our infertility journey could continue on." Those were the thoughts of a couple that struggled for 3 years trying to conceive, and IVF did not yield any results.

Emily and Gregg tried everything imaginable to have a baby, and when nothing worked they turned to IVF. They were under the impression that IVF was a last resort and would give them the baby they wanted, but after multiple efforts, thousands of dollars, and tremendous heartbreak, they found out they were wrong; IVF does not always work. With IVF no longer a viable option, they were left with the option of surrogacy, but they had burned through their hard earned savings, as insurance did not cover any part of their treatments.

Thanks to the Feit 4 KidZ Fertility Fund, they were able to complete their journey through surrogacy. They worked with an agency and found the most incredible woman who was willing to carry their baby for them. Named after her grandfather, Ava was born on February 11, 2015.

As we are approaching National Infertility Awareness Week, April 22-28, 2018, we ask that you consider donating today so we can continue helping couples struggling with infertility.

Emily and Gregg tried everything imaginable to have a baby.

Emily & Gregg

Five years ago, Fariba was excited to share the news to her coworkers that her son had announced he would be getting married. However, her excitement quickly turned into concern as she was unsure how she would pay for the wedding.

Fariba is a single mom of two that is also taking care of her mother. Although she was working, she didn't have the financial means to pay for her son's wedding. She didn't know who to turn to. Her co-worker suggested she look into an interest-free loan from Jewish Free Loan. Fariba applied and was approved. The interest-free loan enabled her to focus on celebrating her son and soon to be daughter-in-law rather than worrying about finances.

The loan process at Jewish Free Loan was so seamless for Fariba that she knew she could turn to JFLA when her daughter announced she was getting married. Fariba has since taken out a second loan for her daughter's wedding.

No one wanted to help me in those times, Jewish Free Loan was the only one.

Loans for Jewish and non-Jewish lifecycle events, up to $12,000.

Life Cycle Events

Fariba

In the Spring of her senior year at high school, my daughter Khady was thrilled to receive acceptance letters from five excellent American universities. However, when their financial aid packages arrived, we were dismayed to find that even after scholarships, loans, work study, and grants, their estimated family contribution averaged at 48,000 per year.  We were confused. How could they be asking for 48K per year when my yearly earnings as a single mother and waitress was 48K per year? !

I took my tax return in personally to one college to show their financial aid counselor. She told me she was sorry. There was nothing she could do. There was a long line of people who would happily take Khady’s space if she declined.

For weeks, we agonized over what to do? Khady had her heart set on New York's New School for their incredible creative arts program. She had already connected online with other incoming freshmen girls with a similar mixed-racial background and envisioned sharing a dorm room together and diving into the city’s energy and culture. But the idea of taking out colossal loans and graduating at the age of 22 with $160,000 in debt seemed like madness.

Just as Khady began to consider giving up and attending a community college, a college in Michigan emailed us that she had been waitlisted. It had been so agonizing to watch her go through the heartbreak of not being able to afford the colleges she wanted, I privately sent the college an email explaining our situation and begging them NOT to admit her officially unless they could offer her a financial aid package that we could afford. 

Apparently, my email circulated around the admissions office and they became determined to have her. The package they offered her was far more generous, but it was still beyond my means. So my siblings offered to pitch in and someone recommended Jewish Free Loan Association. When I contacted JFLA, everyone was super helpful and the process was straightforward. We took out a $5,000 loan toward Khady’s college costs and loved the fact that she would be paying it while she was at school. In fact, just last week, we finished paying it !! 

Khady had an amazing four years at college. She made lifelong friends. She studied in Lyon, France for their study abroad program. She gained a myriad of skills in their work-study program and gained in confidence, maturity, and independence.

Our whole family appreciates JFLA helping fund Khady’s college experience. JFLA had a positive impact on her entire life and set her up for a successful future. Thank you most sincerely.

My daughter's college dreams were threatened by unaffordable financial aid packages until assistance from JFLA made it manageable.

A mother finds financial aide through JFLA

Grace & Khady

At the end of 2019, Greg started a new job teaching at a small private school in Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, his father got very ill and he went on bereavement to take care of him at the end stages of life. He couldn't keep his job as a teacher and take care of his Dad at the same time, so he resigned in January 2020. Because of COVID he had a difficult time finding a job and has spent the last year working odd jobs and collecting unemployment. He just started a new job in November, but he needed the loan to catch up on back rent and bills.

Greg had to give up a new job to care for his father.

Greg

Orthodontics is my way of being of service and I would not be where I am today without the Jewish Free Loan. Jewish Free Loan  was there for me with an interest-free loan when I was ready to start my business and provided me with the funds I needed to buy a practice.

Jewish Free Loan’s interest-free, no-fee loan was the critical selling point for me because it allowed me to borrow without already having an existing cash ﬂow. No other loan exists like this! Finding an affordable way to get started was truly exciting.

All Jewish Free Loan funding comes from private donations from people in our community who believe in the idea of helping people to help themselves. I am grateful to be able to offer my support.

No other loan exists like this! Finding an affordable way to get started was truly exciting.

Hillel

Jonathan and Elise always knew they wanted to adopt a child, to get one child out of the system and give that child a chance at having a better life. Jonathan and Elise had a biological child, and when she was two, they hired an attorney to help them navigate the adoption system and welcome a second child into their lives.

Unfortunately, Jonathan and Elise went through three heartbreaking adoption processes. All these experiences were devastating and horrible and they decided that unless the baby is free and clear, they just didn't know if they could do this again.

Jonathan knew about Jewish Free Loan, but never really thought about it in the context of adoption. When the couple received a call in December 2012 about a baby boy in Downey, Jonathan and Elise were delighted but due to challenges with the Department of Children and Family Services, they learned that it would take 2 years to finalize the adoption and at a considerable cost to them.

Going through the adoption process and fighting for a better life for their son was expensive, but an interest-free loan empowered them along the way:

Jonathan and Elise always knew they wanted to adopt a child.

Jonathan & Elise

Do you walk with your phone? Shop with your phone? Dine with your phone? Do you do anything without it? Kim didn't. She was hooked on her phone all the time and even during a 45-minute spin class she was anxious at the thought of not having access to her phone. But then she had an A-Ha moment and the idea for 

The lilspace app gives you 'a little space' to do things without your phone. The app encourages you to take a break and make time for real-time connections. It helps motivate you by linking the act of unplugging with supporting worthwhile causes and great rewards.

With a background in nonprofits, Kim needed to hire people with technology skills to bring her idea to fruition. She applied for Startup LAunch SBDC, a program through 

 , which helps founders launch and scale sustainable companies through one-on-one mentorship, specialized workshops and access to their vetted entrepreneurial community. They referred her to Jewish Free Loan as a means to help fund her small business idea.

The interest-free loan that Kim received to help start her business enabled her to hire the necessary consultants in social media, public relations and engineering to get her app where it is today.

Kim needed to hire people with technology skills to bring her idea to fruition.

Kira grew up in a single-parent household. Her mother was widowed and had gone back to school herself, so she worked hard to help pay for college.

An active leader of the UCLA Jewish Student Union and Hillel, Kira was encouraged to attend an Israel summer educational program at the Hebrew University to sharpen her knowledge about Israel, as well as an Israel-based leadership program to further develop advocacy skills.

While UCLA Hillel contributed a scholarship and Kira had saved funds for the trip, this simply was not enough. The Los Angeles Jewish Federation directed her to apply for a $1,000 Jewish Experience loan from Jewish Free loan, which made all the difference.

Kira was encouraged to attend an Israel summer educational program at the Hebrew University

Kira

Mandi and her husband Lior imagined that starting their family would happen easily. After a year, they realized that that they were going to have to be more intentional about the process. They also realized that they had a major potential looming expense ahead of them. Like others, they first tried some less expensive drug therapy, alternative medicine and IUI. Finally, when those approaches failed and their doctor suggested doing a round of IVF treatment, Mandi and Lior knew they had to face the massive hurdle of the cost of IVF, not to mention the invasive and emotional roller coaster ride of it all.

Fortunately for them, an interest-free loan from Jewish Free Loan  made the IVF treatment possible. Nine months later, Mandi and Lior had a baby boy and a manageable repayment schedule with no fees or interest. In honor of their baby's first birthday, Mandi and Lior are donating to the Feit 4 KidZ Fertility Loan Fund at Jewish Free Loan that made one part of their journey easy and straightforward. Their donation is a way of saying thank you and encouraging others to do the same.

“When we got married, we started saving to make a down payment on a house.
It never occurred to us that we would have to do the same to make a baby.”

Mandi and her husband Lior imagined that starting their family would happen easily.

Mandi & Lior

Marlene T. had embarked on a profound journey to build a family alongside Edward, her husband, enduring countless trials over the years. Their desire to start a family led them down a path marked by uncertainty and disappointment, yet their unwavering determination remained unshakeable. Despite undergoing hormone treatments, fertility drugs, and IUI, success seemed to evade them at every turn. Their insurance coverage limited their options, leaving them unable to explore alternative treatments due to financial constraints.

In the midst of their struggle, Edward's mother, recalling her own positive experience with a JFLA loan, suggested they reach out for assistance in covering the expenses associated with IVF. With this newfound support, Marlene and Edward found renewed hope and determination.

Their resilience paid off tenfold when, after a decade-long journey, they welcomed their son Evan into the world. As Evan approaches his first birthday, reflecting on the past year evokes a profound mix of exhaustion and overwhelming gratitude within Marlene and Edward. Every smile and giggle from Evan serves as a poignant reminder of the hard yet rewarding path they've traveled.

For Marlene, motherhood is a journey marked by persistence and resilience.  It's about advocating fiercely for her child, as she did when Evan battled pneumonia and contracted RSV at just four months old. It's about refusing to relinquish their dream of parenthood, even in the face of a decade-long struggle.

For ten years, Marlene and Edward demonstrated unwavering perseverance on their journey to parenthood. JFLA takes immense pride in having played a pivotal role in their remarkable story to becoming parents.

Marlene's journey to parenthood is a testament to the power of persistence and love. Despite facing years of infertility challenges and financial constraints, Marlene and her husband refused to give up on their dream of starting a family.

Marlene & Edward 

Marshall Mend went from being a high school drop out to a multimillionaire in a journey that started with the Jewish Free Loan.

In 1960, when Marshall was 20 years old, his mother took him to Jewish Free Loan to take out a small business loan. He borrowed $5,000 and started Country Meat Company, a restaurant supply business. As his new business grew he came upon an opportunity to segue into the high end meat delivery business, selling directly to the consumer. United Steaks of America was born. Marshall found success in selling boxes of steaks door to door and from office to office at wholesale prices. His steaks were gourmet cuts. He grew his business to four locations and trained over 1,000 sales people.

Today, Marshall is writing a book of inspirational quotes called "Words of Wisdom" that can show his readers how to be happy, healthy, successful, wealthy and wise.

The loan of $5,000 was all it took to change Marshall’s life. He is a big believer in paying it forward and has committed to donating every year to  Jewish Free Loan.

Marshall grew his business to four locations and trained over 1,000 sales people.

Marshall

Everyone wants to go to school, receive a great education and have a successful career. But no one wants to worry about how to pay for it.

While Noah was pursuing a double major in religion and English, his parents didn't want him to have to worry about finances. His mom, Sherri, was a former loan recipient. She knew she could turn to Jewish Free Loan.

 as the Senior Program Officer managing grant making for economic and community development in underserved communities in 15 states.

The loan provided stability and the ability to take risks. To be OK. To fail and to sustain the trajectory and advancement.

Noah

The diagnosis of cancer and the subsequent treatment takes a tremendous toll on a person. The last thing you want to think about are medical bills.

Last year, Randi was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Insurance wouldn't cover a lot of the medication for chemotherapy and the medical costs became a burden. Originally, Randi started a GoFund Me campaign. A gentlemen who did not know Randi, responded to her campaign and referred her to Jewish Free Loan. The interest-free loan enabled Randi to pay the most immediate bills that were due and alleviated the accumulating stress. This enabled her to focus on her treatment and recovery.

It's been a year since Randi's diagnosis. She is in the process of healing her body through diet, lifestyle, exercise and vitamin supplements. She recently found out that her chest x-rays are clear, blood work is very good and her blood counts are normal. She is back to her normal life and staying positive.

She saved every single card people sent her because they show the power of positivity. They show what human nature is all about in someone's time of need and Jewish Free Loan is a big part of that.

We were in so much debt. The medical costs were astronomical.

Get a Medical Loan for preventative and urgent healthcare care, up to $12,000 for medical and dental care. Apply online for a medical loan today.

Medical Loans

Randi

I have been fortunate enough to receive two Jewish Free Loans from JFLA for my undergraduate degree at UCLA and my graduate degree at Yale. Your financial support helped me get acquire the education needed to launch this business.

Samantha earned her degrees with the help of personal loans from JFLA

Samantha

Shelly first came to Jewish Free Loan as a student. Jewish Free Loan's student loan empowered her to get a degree in speech pathology. She now works at a rehabilitation hospital as a speech pathologist working with patients with traumatic brain injuries, stroke and neurological disorders.

Fast forward, Shelly and her husband struggled with infertility for a couple of years. Unfortunately, their insurance did not cover IVF. Shelly saw the flyer for Jewish Free Loan's Feit 4 KidZ Fertility Loan Fund at her doctor's office. Because she had already been a recipient of a student loan, she knew to expect a seamless process so she reached out to Jewish Free Loan and received the funding necessary to move forward with IVF.

They now have a baby boy who just turned 2 months old!

Shelly and her husband struggled with infertility for a couple of years.

Shelly

It's almost unimaginable to live in Los Angeles without a working car. After 11 years, Sherri's car broke down while she was in the process of interviewing and looking for a job to support herself. Her car was paid off, but she didn't have the money to buy a new one and make payments. She also did not have the funds to pay a mechanic to fix the car.

Upon the recommendation of a friend, Sherri turned to Jewish Free Loan for an interest free loan that enabled her to get the car fixed.

Driving her newly repaired car, she went to an interview and landed a well-paying job. The car also enabled her to attend a networking event where she met her husband!

Sherri turned to Jewish Free Loan for an interest free loan that enabled her to get the car fixed.

Get a Transportation Loan if you need help covering the cost of car repairs or need extra cash for a down payment on a used vehicle. We can help you get back on the road.

Transportation Loans

Sherri

Steve wanted a way to provide comfort to children with serious illnesses who have to leave their homes to go to the hospital. Using ‘distraction therapy’ as a starting point, Steve created an attractive 'transition box' that kids can take with them when going for chemotherapy, surgery, or treatment for chronic conditions. The transition boxes, filled with familiar and fun things, have proven helpful in easing a child’s stress and anxiety. Transition boxes contain coloring books and crayons as well as personal items like a favorite toy, stuffed bear, or blanket. The transition box helps make the move from home to hospital a little more comfortable.

Steve needed funds to purchase the packaging, dies, and printing plates for his product, as well as to develop marketing materials and design a website to bring his “Kids To Go” boxes to life. He turned to the Jewish Free Loan or help. Jewish Free Loan gave Steve an interest-free loan to help him with his business and, as a result of his success helping thousands of children, the Kids To Go Box® is partnering with large name brands and foundations to bring the boxes to every hospital and pediatric care facility throughout America.

Steve needed funds to purchase the packaging, dyes, and printing plates for his product.

Loans for the expenses related to caring for a child with special needs, up to $12,000.

Children with Special Needs

Steve

The Feit 4 KidZ Fertility Loan Fund, established by Emily and Alan Feit back in 2013, underscores the need to support the couples and individuals grappling with infertility. Alan and Emily, having faced their own fertility struggles, understand firsthand the emotional and financial toll of this journey. While they were taking aggressive steps to become pregnant, they realized how little control they had over everything. They learned that the mantra of ‘working hard and being determined will make your dreams achievable’ was not applicable with infertility.  

Many individuals lack the financial resources needed for costly infertility treatments. Having the added financial stress, in
addition to the psychological and physical discomfort, would have made the Feit's journey even more arduous. They made a promise that if their last IVF procedure was successful, they would do everything possible to help others pay for these expensive treatments. After their twins, Kara and Zachary were born in 2012, they fulfilled their promise and established the Feit 4 KidZ Fertility Loan Fund. This initiative offers zero-interest, zero-fee loans for residents of Southern California who need financial assistance in paying for infertility treatments. Since its inception 11 years ago, the fund has provided crucial
support to countless individuals (over 300 loans have been made) allowing them to pursue their dream of starting a family.

 Join us in acknowledging the Feits' remarkable initiative and their invaluable partnership with JFLA. Additionally, check out
Emily's debut children's book, 

, which sensitively addresses the challenges of conception in an age-appropriate manner. Emily has pledged to donate fifty percent of her book sales back to Feit 4 KidZ to ensure that the dream of becoming a parent is attainable. 

After successfully navigating their own IVF journey and welcoming twins, Kara and Zachary, into the world, the Feits vowed to pay their blessings forward and established the Feit 4 KidZ Fertility Loan Fund in 2013, offering vital financial support to couples and individuals grappling with similar challenges. 

The Feit Family

Lord Windsor Coffee started out as a dream to bring exceptional coffee to Southern California.

Wade and Lindsay Windsor had no idea how difficult it would be to borrow the money necessary to get their business off the ground. After applying for numerous credit cards and bank loans and being turned down, they found Jewish Free Loan. Jewish Free Loan  gave them just what they needed: the money to pursue their ambitious project and the credibility to raise more capital.

With the loan from Jewish Free Loan , Wade and Lindsay bought equipment for their retail shop. Six years later, Lord Windsor Coffee is expanding to do wholesale coffee roasting on site.

Wade and Lindsay's dream is indeed a rich brew.

Wade and Lindsay Windsor had no idea how difficult it would be to borrow the money

Wade & Lindsay

Beginning your freshman year in college comes with its own set of challenges, but when tragedy strikes, earning a degree can feel unattainable.

Shortly after Yulia and her family emigrated from Russia, her mother was hit by a car and left disabled. Tragically, three days later her father was in an accident and passed away.

Still grief stricken and with limited resources Yulia was determined to go to college. She was referred to Jewish Free Loan by The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. Jewish Free Loan's student loan program empowered Yulia to obtain her undergraduate degree. After graduating college with honors, she felt encouraged to pursue her master's degree with the help of a second loan.

Yulia now leads the finance department for a large accessories manufacturer and designer.

I didn't have any source of income other than financial aid and government assistance.

Yulia

JFLA can help residents of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura by offering loans without collateral, any interest, or fees. Regardless of religion, race or gender.

We'd love to hear from you!

Client and Donor Stories

Dan