Interest-free loans will be made available to qualified applicants who wish to build their Jewish family.

Hebrew Free Loan of New Jersey is proud to announce the launch of Building Jewish Families, a new initiative to help members of our community build Jewish families—one child at a time.

The Building Jewish Families fund will provide interest-free loans to help defray the costs associated with fertility treatments, surrogacy and/or adoption, with the express intention of helping to build Jewish homes and strengthen Jewish families.

Since 2008, Hebrew Free Loan of New Jersey has given loans to more than 300 people in the total amount of $1.4 million. In this new Building Jewish Families program, all loan applicants must agree that these children will be raised and nurtured in a home consistent with Jewish values and practices. Arthur Schechner, Chairman of the Board of HFL, states, “Hebrew Free Loan of New Jersey is committing money and effort to building Jewish families. We will help prospective parents bring about the miracle of life by providing a resource for the tremendous expenses associated with in-vitro fertilization, surrogacy and adoption by the granting of interest-free loans. We can think of no better use of our funds than this.”

For the loan, prospective parent(s) will be considered individually and jointly, and at least one prospective parent (loan applicant) must be Jewish. As part of the loan criteria, the applicant also must be a resident of the Hebrew Free Loan of New Jersey community. The identity of all applicants and the information provided is held in the strictest confidence.

Hebrew Free Loan of New Jersey traces its origins back to the late 1800s, when the original Hebrew Free Loan Association was founded in Newark to aid the burgeoning migration of Jews from Eastern Europe. Today, Hebrew Free Loan of New Jersey serves Jews in Essex, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Sussex and Union counties. In Monmouth and Greater Middlesex counties, the organization partners with the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey. The mission remains unchanged: helping Jews in need to become self-sufficient by providing interest-free loans.

For more information, visit http://hebrewfreeloanofnj.org.