$20,283 raised by 51 donors
100% complete
$20,000 Goal
“You are performing the exalted duty of brotherhood, not by giving alms or stimulating pauperism, but by acts of justice which leave no sting of shame or of humiliation but arouse a sense of manhood both on the part of him who is aided and of him who lends a helping hand.”
– Louis Marshall, early 20th century prominent American Jewish leader
For 90 years, the Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association (DHFLA) has provided life-changing no interest loans to the Greater North Texas Jewish community. These zero interest loans have not only provided hope and peace-of-mind through the relief of immediate financial strains but have given North Texas Jews an opportunity to meet their challenges and invest in their futures with dignity.
Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association is founded on a centuries-old model of community support rooted in Jewish tradition that continues to be relevant today and is an important communal funding resource.
Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association provides borrowers an affordable and dignified way to navigate financial obstacles and invest in their future economic stability. Today, we provide no interest financial assistance to pay core living expenses, underwrite educational costs, support small businesses, cover medical treatments and more.
DHFLA has earned the 2025 Platinum Transparency seal, the highest mark awarded to a charity by Candid, a nonprofit database and ratings agency.
A 2024 study on Jewish poverty in the United States commissioned by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and conducted by researchers at Tulane University found that two-thirds of the respondents were experiencing acute “situational vulnerability” after “unexpected life events, such as job loss, health crises or family dissolution,” rather than “generational vulnerability” — families passing down financial struggles from one generation to the next.
In April 2025, in a program held at the Spertus Institute, the researcher who conducted this study stated that given the current economic volatility, continued inflation and the contraction of the economy they expect the number of Jews experiencing acute financial vulnerability to increase 50% and to impact a greater number of Jews beyond the Ultra-Orthodox and Russian communities, which historically have experienced the highest rates of financial stress.
We know that situational financial vulnerability comes from the struggle of many full-time working people to afford the basics. They live paycheck to paycheck and are unable to accumulate savings for emergencies. When emergencies strike, people without savings often turn to payday loans or credit cards. These “solutions” come with interest rates from 25% to 400% and what started out as a modest, temporary financial setback turns into a cycle of unmanageable debt.
For centuries, Jewish free loans have provided dignified, accessible relief from these short-term financial challenges and helped borrowers invest in a long-term economic future for themselves and their families.
In the Greater North Texas region, DHFLA has been addressing the situational economic stress of members our Jewish community every day for nine decades. For 90 years, our no interest loans have helped members of our Jewish community navigate the acute financial strain caused by unexpected life events, job loss, health crises, the death of a family member, family dissolution and more.
Our loans have also provided “ladders” that borrowers use to invest in opportunities to increase their long-term earning power by earning a college degree or starting a small business. Last year, DHFLA disbursed more than $518,000 in loans.
In addition to being a distinctively Jewish form of community support, interest-free lending is cost-effective. Loans are funded entirely through donations which continually recycle to others through loan repayments, creating many times the original value of the gift and supporting more members of the Jewish community.
By supporting the mission of the Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association you help to ensure that we can help more Jewish community members navigate financial bumps in the road and invest in opportunities to improve their long-term economic future.
The Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association (DHFLA) provides interest-free loans to members of the Greater North Texas Jewish community to assist with general needs, healthcare costs, higher education expenses, fertility treatments and adoption, special needs, Jewish experiences, small business needs and emergencies.
25-30 individuals/families in our Jewish community seek to escape domestic abuse each year. These are the known cases. There are likely more who have not yet found the courage and strength to seek support in leaving their situation.
JFS and agencies such as Genesis Women's Shelter & Support can provide many services (shelter referrals, counseling, medical and food services, etc.) and through Hannah’s House, some transitional housing specifically for Jewish women and children.
But, many shelters are full, and Hannah’s House does not always have space. Agencies working with domestic abuse survivors cannot provide financial assistance to help survivors pay for transitional housing, transportation or legal expenses.
DHFLA has stepped in to fill the need with their new Domestic Abuse Survivors Loan. If you know of someone in our Jewish community who may need this type of assistance, please refer them to DHFLA. All inquiries are confidential.
DHFLA actively works to evolve its loan types in response to societal and economic trends impacting the financial health of our Jewish community and address unmet needs in our Jewish community. It does so while remaining true to its mission.
A snapshot of who the Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association helps: 100% of its borrowers are Jewish. 58% of borrowers are women. 14% of loan recipients are Orthodox. Over 40% of its zero interest loans enable Jewish students to pursue a college or graduate degree. Close to 30% of their loans help Jewish community members cover unexpected home repairs, purchase a used car or paydown high-interest credit card debt. 10% of its loans have helped Jewish couples become parents or grow their families through fertility treatments.
The Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association (DHFLA) is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable equal opportunity laws and regulations. With the exception of those positions in which religion is, in the opinion of DHFLA, an essential factor, DHFLA provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and veteran status. This policy relates to all phases of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, employment, placement, promotion, demotion, transfer, termination, compensation, the use of facilities, and participation in DHFLA sponsored events.
DHFLA acts as a bridge between the tradition of our heritage and the present, as well as being an organization dedicated to Jewish identity and survival. In keeping with these ideas, the purpose of DHFLA is to make it possible for the Jewish family and individual to carry out its functions to the best of its ability.
DHFLA provides the Jewish family and its members access to a Jewish loan organization where they can get financial help when needed. DHFLA offers potential borrowers an opportunity to discuss their financial concerns in a climate that accepts and honors their heritage and special needs.
Organization name
Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association
Causes
Economic/Financial Security/Poverty
Operating Budget
$100,000 - $249,999
Counties Served
Hunt, Wise, Somervell, Rockwall, Parker, Palo Pinto, Navarro, Montague, Kaufman, Johnson, Hood, Grayson, Fannin, Erath, Ellis, Denton, Dallas, Cooke, Collin
BIPOC Leadership
Neither/None
Address
5402 Arapaho Road