JFL Gratitude Gathering & Annual Meeting 2021 Archive

Welcome

Welcome to our Annual Meeting webpage! This year, in the continued interest of public health and safety, JFL’s Annual Meeting took place on Wednesday, May 12th as a private virtual event.

However, we would be remiss not to share some updates and thank the community for your continued support throughout this past year and always. Please enjoy this recording from JFL’s Gratitude Gathering which took place on Sunday, May 23rd, 2021.

This event took place as a way for JFL to thank the community for enabling us to help transform lives through interest-free lending.

2021 President’s Award Recipient:
Tina Sheinbein

Special Acknowledgement:
Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix
Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix

2020-2021 Overview

Throughout the 2020-2021 fiscal year, JFL continued to aid those affected by the ramifications of the COVID-19 Pandemic, while also offering our traditional loan programs.

By the Numbers:

Other Highlights:

JFL donated 20 gift cards directly to borrowers, 40 grocery gifts cards to Ezras Cholim to support High Holiday meals for families in need and 40 additional grocery gift cards to BJE and JFCS to support Passover food boxes for low income families.

JFL is extremely grateful to the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix and the Gerald Rosenbluth Family Fund for their individual grants totaling $127,500 to help support interest-free lending to those affected by the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

JFL was recertified as a Qualifying Charitable Organization for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit.

Over the past year, JFL has continued to increase remote work capabilities, web and social media presence (including fully electronic applications and virtual loan interviews) and is now beginning to resume in-office activities while following recommended safety protocols.

The JFL Marketing department presented at 5 different Religious/Day Schools to teach teens in the community about our services and impact.

Special thanks to the following schools for welcoming JFL into their virtual classrooms this year:
- Hebrew High Phoenix
- Ma’ayan- Congregation Beth Israel
- Phoenix Hebrew Academy
- Temple Chai Religious School
- Temple Kol Ami Religious School
  
  (If you would like JFL to visit your school or organization, please contact Jessielyn Hirschl, Marketing & Communications Manager, at [email protected].)

A Word From Our Borrowers

“Jewish Free Loan helped me during a time when I needed financial support to take care of myself and my children after having been unexpectedly unemployed for several months due to COVID-19. It has been scary and stressful and the team at JFL has been extremely kind and empathetic. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Community-Wide Disaster Relief Loan Borrower

“The pandemic has been a particularly stressful time for me as a student. Jewish Free Loan has significantly lessened my financial stress and has allowed me to focus on my academics.”
Student Loan Borrower

If you are moved by our impact, please consider making a donation to help transform lives through interest-free lending.

A Message From the Outgoing President

This month marks the end of my term as JFL’s Board President. Looking back on the past two years, I am incredibly proud of our organization’s accomplishments thanks to the leadership of our passionate and driven staff, our engaged and dynamic board, and the loyalty and unwavering support of our many donors. But what I am most proud of, and humbled by, are the countless acts of G’milut Chasadim that I have witnessed over the past 14 months.

When we celebrated our 70th anniversary in March 2020 with the Mishpatim Masquerade. We could not have anticipated the challenging year that lay ahead due to Covid-19. Our team of professional and lay leaders responded to the pandemic by making rapid adjustments to our operating model, including transitioning to virtual interviews, to ensure uninterrupted and safe support for our borrowers, guarantors, and interviewers. Our staff worked tirelessly to respond to the pandemic-induced wave of loan requests. Our board members and staff stayed deeply engaged throughout the pandemic to help steward the organization through a time of great need and adjustment. And we received a steady stream of support from our donors, who ordinarily make everything we do possible and, during this unprecedented year, did even more to support JFL and its borrowers. The Mishpatim Masquerade could not have been better timed, as the funds it raised were rapidly deployed to provide economic crisis loans to the members of our community impacted by Covid-19.

If there is anything I’ve learned from the last 14 months, it is the power of community and the power of caring. The legacy these two powers leave behind is a fiscally healthy and forward-thinking JFL that is well positioned to continue supporting the constantly growing and evolving needs of our community for years to come. I take great comfort in knowing that the presidency will be transitioned to the very thoughtful and capable hands of David Senkfor, our incoming president, to whom I wish all the very best.

Thank you,
Ora Zutler
Outgoing President 2019-2021 (fiscal year)

2021-2022 Incoming Board of Directors

President: David Senkfor
Executive Vice President: Laura Drachler
Vice President: Rebecca Hoffman Azulay
Treasurer: Carole Zeichick
Secretary: Joel Superfon
Past President: Ora Zutler

Board of Directors:
Madelaine Berg
Peter Caspari
Sheila Curwin
Debby Finkel
Debra Friednash
Amanda Garcia
Richard Kleiner
Simon Kreisberger
Joan Lipson
Julee Landau Shahon
Jeff Stanlis
Daniel W. Tenn
Stacie Wittenberg

A Message From the Incoming President

To say that the last year was unbelievable, would be an understatement. However, Jewish Free Loan of Greater Phoenix stepped up and was able to fulfill and excel in its basic mission. That is, to provide interest-free loans to persons in need of financial assistance.

As we embark on a new fiscal year with a new leadership team, I am pleased to inform you that we are up to the task of handling any challenge that may affect the Jewish community in greater Phoenix. We have continued to add programs, board members and office staff to provide the funding for people in whatever situation they may find themselves in.

I am proud to be selected to lead this group and as I have stated many times (to whoever will listen) this board and office staff know exactly what direction the cart is going, and everyone contributes accordingly to serve our borrowers. Hopefully, we can continue to work to extend our reach and help as many people as possible who simply ask us for our understanding and assistance.

Thank You,
David Senkfor
Incoming President 2021-2022 (fiscal year)

Donor List

Thank you to the individuals, families and funds that support the work of JFL.

Please click here to see JFL’s 2020-2021 Donor Recognition List*

*Please note this list was compiled as of April 15, 2021. We apologize if any names were inadvertently omitted or misspelled. If you find an error or would like to be listed differently in the future, please contact Ellen Friedman Sacks, JFL’s Executive Director, at (602) 230-7983.