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The Hebrew Free Loan Association (HFLA) was founded in the late 1800s by Jewish immigrants who were excluded from traditional financial institutions. They created a community-based lending system to help fellow Jews access the capital needed to build homes, start businesses, and establish new lives in America.
In 1914, four Seattle community leaders — S.B. Goldman, Harry Lerner, E. Friedman, and P. Schneider — established the Hebrew Free Loan Association of Washington State. Their goal was simple but powerful: to provide interest-free loans that would help newly arrived Jewish immigrants build better lives with dignity.
Since then, HFLA has operated continuously for more than a century, offering interest-free loans that uphold Jewish values of compassion, justice, and community.
Today, HFLA WA is proud to be a member of the International Association of Jewish Free Loans (IAJFL), carrying forward this timeless tradition of empowering our Jewish community through lending without interest.
Left-Top: Moshom (Patatel) Eskenazi (returned to Turkey after 5 yrs, Jacob Policar, Moshom Adatto (returned to Turkey)
Left-Bottom: Soloman Alhadeff, Solomon Calvo
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