In the News

A reflection from Noah P. Barilaro

Tu BiShvat, the New Year of the Trees, invites us to reflect not only on the trees that grow from the soil, but on the roots we rely on when life feels heavy. It reminds us that growth does not always come in easy seasons—and that strength is often forged through endurance.

Jewish Free Loan is that strength.

There are moments in life when financial burdens pile up so high they feel as though they might break us. When you feel lost, overwhelmed, or unsure of how you’ll make it through the next season, Jewish Free Loan steps in—not with judgment, not with fine print, but with compassion, dignity, and faith in your potential.

The Torah teaches:
“If your brother becomes impoverished and his means falter beside you, you shall strengthen him.”
(Leviticus 25:35)

Not after he falls—but before. Jewish Free Loan lives this commandment by offering support at the moment it is needed most.

To me, Jewish Free Loan represents an evergreen tree.

Unlike other trees that wither in harsh weather, the evergreen tree endures. Through fire, rain, snow, and storm, it stands tall—rooted deeply, unwavering in its strength. For 75 years, Jewish Free Loan has been that evergreen tree for our community. Through economic downturns, personal emergencies, and moments of uncertainty, it has remained steady, offering support so that others may rise.

As it is written:
“A righteous person is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in its season, whose leaf does not wither.”
(Psalms 1:3)

Just as a evergreen tree stays green through every season, Jewish Free Loan reminds us that there are always greener pastures on the other side of hardship.

The Torah commands us:
“You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your poor and to your needy.”
(Deuteronomy 15:11)

Jewish Free Loan opens its hand without suffocating interest rates, without predatory conditions, and without stripping away dignity. It helps individuals start businesses, consolidate debt, and rebuild stability—allowing people to breathe again.

Our sages teach that the highest form of tzedakah is helping someone stand on their own feet:
“The greatest level of charity is to strengthen a person before they fall.”
(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor 10:7)

This is exactly what Jewish Free Loan does—quietly, consistently, and faithfully.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us of the power of kindness:
“If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall rise in the darkness.”
(Isaiah 58:10)

Each loan becomes a seed planted.
Each donation becomes an evergreen tree of kindness.
Each act of generosity grows into a Tree of Life—bearing fruit for generations to come.

The Torah tells us:
“Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.”
(Proverbs 3:17)

Jewish Free Loan is a foundation of hope. It reminds us that we are never completely alone and never completely lost. It allows dreams to become realities, burdens to be lightened, and futures to be rebuilt—rooted in compassion, faith, and community.

On Tu BiShvat, as we celebrate trees and renewal, we honor the evergreen tree that never stops standing tall. We honor Jewish Free Loan—a living fulfillment of Torah values, a shelter in every storm, and a reminder that when we give with open hands, we help others grow—and in doing so, we grow ourselves.

ABOUT NOAH: My name is Noah P. Barilaro. I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona about a year and a half ago. I currently serve as a religious school teacher at Congregation Beth Israel and as a preschool teacher at BASIS Ed. I am a recent convert to Judaism and am deeply involved in Jewish communal life. I participate in ATID AZ, the Minkoff Center for Jewish Genetics, and Congregation Beth Israel’s choir, and I am also involved with Jewish Free Loan as a committee member and writer. My goal is to spread chesed and fill buckets wherever I am planted.