HFLA NEWS

By Debbie Cohen | September 2026

As our community prepares to enter the season of reflection, renewal, and responsibility that accompanies the High Holy Days, Hebrew Free Loan of Austin (HFLA) is preparing for a milestone of its own.

This November, Austin will welcome approximately 100 Jewish free loan professionals and volunteer leaders from across North America and beyond for the International Association of Jewish Free Loans (IAJFL) Conference. At the same time, HFLA will celebrate its 15th Anniversary, marking a moment to reflect not only on how far our organization has come, but on what our community can accomplish when we invest in one another.

The timing feels especially fitting.

Long before modern philanthropy existed, the Torah established a model for helping others that preserved dignity and promoted independence. Jewish law prohibits charging interest to fellow Jews, creating the foundation for centuries of Hebrew Free Loan societies around the world. The values of tzedakah, gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), and Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh — all of Israel is responsible for one another — remain at the heart of HFLA’s work today.

As we enter the High Holy Days, these values feel particularly resonant. A free loan is more than financial assistance. It is an expression of trust in another person’s future and an investment in their ability to move forward with dignity.

Founded in 2011 by Dr. Michael Rotman (z”l) and Tracy Solomon, HFLA began with a simple but powerful vision: bringing interest-free lending to the Austin Jewish community in a meaningful and sustainable way.

Fifteen years later, that vision continues to grow.

As one recent borrower, Eli, shared:

“As soon as the money came in it was a huge load off my chest and I could breathe freely for the first time in months.”

That sense of relief — and the dignity that comes from receiving support without interest, judgment, or stigma — remains central to HFLA’s mission.

This November’s conference theme, “Meeting Borrowers Where They Are,” reflects exactly that philosophy.

More than 50 Jewish free loan agencies operate throughout the world, primarily in the United States and Canada, and representatives from more than 20 organizations will gather in Austin for this year’s conference. Together they will explore emerging borrower needs, innovative lending programs, fundraising strategies, technology, operations, and the future of Jewish communal support.

For Austin, however, the conference represents something more.

This will be the first time the IAJFL Conference has ever been held in Texas. It will reunite colleagues from Houston and Dallas whom many attendees have not seen in years, set a new record for participation from San Antonio, and introduce more than a dozen local Austin board members to the collaborative spirit that defines these gatherings.

Perhaps most remarkably, HFLA is the smallest agency ever to host the international conference.

Among organizations that vary dramatically in lending volume, staffing models, and organizational size, HFLA operates with only part-time staff. Hosting an international conference of this scale speaks volumes about the strength of our volunteers, our board leadership, and the reputation Austin has earned among peer organizations across North America.

The conference will also provide an opportunity to celebrate the community that made this possible.

2011 Board Members, Staff, and Their Families
at the 10th Anniversary Celebration

This conference is not simply an HFLA event.

It is Austin’s opportunity to show what our Jewish community is made of.

As HFLA enters its next chapter, we are excited to be reaching a point where growing demand requires us to expand beyond our longtime one-person staffing model. Earlier this summer, we welcomed Allison Lash as our new Operations Coordinator, an important step toward ensuring that HFLA can continue meeting the needs of our community for years to come.

Fifteen years ago, HFLA began with a handful of committed families and a belief that our community could take care of its own.

Today, as we prepare to welcome the international Jewish free loan community to Austin during this season of reflection and renewal, we are reminded that some of Judaism’s oldest ideas remain among its most powerful: helping others move forward, preserving dignity, and ensuring that no one has to face life’s challenges alone.

2026 Board Members and Staff

By Debbie Cohen | September 2026

As our community prepares to enter the season of reflection, renewal, and responsibility that accompanies the High Holy Days, Hebrew Free Loan of Austin (HFLA) is preparing for a milestone of its own.

This November, Austin will welcome approximately 100 Jewish free loan professionals and volunteer leaders from across North America and beyond for the International Association of Jewish Free Loans (IAJFL) Conference. At the same time, HFLA will celebrate its 15th Anniversary, marking a moment to reflect not only on how far our organization has come, but on what our community can accomplish when we invest in one another.

The timing feels especially fitting.

Long before modern philanthropy existed, the Torah established a model for helping others that preserved dignity and promoted independence. Jewish law prohibits charging interest to fellow Jews, creating the foundation for centuries of Hebrew Free Loan societies around the world. The values of tzedakah, gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), and Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh — all of Israel is responsible for one another — remain at the heart of HFLA’s work today.

2011 Founding HFLA Board of Directors

As we enter the High Holy Days, these values feel particularly resonant. A free loan is more than financial assistance. It is an expression of trust in another person’s future and an investment in their ability to move forward with dignity.

Founded in 2011 by Dr. Michael Rotman (z”l) and Tracy Solomon, HFLA began with a simple but powerful vision: bringing interest-free lending to the Austin Jewish community in a meaningful and sustainable way.

Fifteen years later, that vision continues to grow.

In the third quarter of 2026, HFLA reached an exciting milestone: more than $2 million in lending and more than 350 loans issued since opening our doors. Perhaps even more remarkable is the pace of that growth. It took 12 years for HFLA to lend its first million dollars and just three years to lend the second million — a clear reflection of both the growing need within our community and the increasing role HFLA plays in meeting it.

Behind those numbers are hundreds of stories.

Over the years, HFLA has issued 25 loans to help entrepreneurs build small businesses, 25 loans to help students pursue the next steps in their education, and 10 loans to help growing families welcome the children they have dreamed of bringing into the world.

Twenty-six loans have helped community members manage medical expenses, while more than 90 loans have provided relief from the burden of rapidly rising interest rates through debt consolidation. Additional loans have supported legal expenses, mental health care, housing repairs, transportation needs, and countless unexpected moments when life simply became more expensive than planned.

2018 HFLA Board of Directors

As one recent borrower, Eli, shared:

“As soon as the money came in it was a huge load off my chest and I could breathe freely for the first time in months.”

That sense of relief — and the dignity that comes from receiving support without interest, judgment, or stigma — remains central to HFLA’s mission.

This November’s conference theme, “Meeting Borrowers Where They Are,” reflects exactly that philosophy.

More than 50 Jewish free loan agencies operate throughout the world, primarily in the United States and Canada, and representatives from more than 20 organizations will gather in Austin for this year’s conference. Together they will explore emerging borrower needs, innovative lending programs, fundraising strategies, technology, operations, and the future of Jewish communal support.

For Austin, however, the conference represents something more.

This will be the first time the IAJFL Conference has ever been held in Texas. It will reunite colleagues from Houston and Dallas whom many attendees have not seen in years, set a new record for participation from San Antonio, and introduce more than a dozen local Austin board members to the collaborative spirit that defines these gatherings.

2011 Board Members, Staff, and Their Families at the 10th Anniversary Celebration

Perhaps most remarkably, HFLA is the smallest agency ever to host the international conference.

Among organizations that vary dramatically in lending volume, staffing models, and organizational size, HFLA operates with only part-time staff. Hosting an international conference of this scale speaks volumes about the strength of our volunteers, our board leadership, and the reputation Austin has earned among peer organizations across North America.

The conference will also provide an opportunity to celebrate the community that made this possible.

Our Sunday evening welcome event will double as HFLA’s 15th Anniversary celebration, bringing together past board members, founders, and community leaders to recognize the individuals who built HFLA into what it is today. Guests will enjoy Austin Kosher smoked barbecue, live Texas swing music, and the opportunity to celebrate both our history and our future.

Just as importantly, the conference itself has become a community-wide effort.

From Gail’s Catering and Congregation Agudas Achim Catering to products from Israeli-owned businesses including Shuk, Lady Babka, and Latika, local organizations and businesses have come together to help showcase Jewish Austin at its very best. Swag bag contributions from CYJ, Shalom Austin, Dell Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Services, and Jewish-owned Nebula Snacks chocolate will help tell the story of our community to visitors from across North America.

2014 Board Members 13th Anniversary B’nai Mitzvah Celebration

This conference is not simply an HFLA event.

It is Austin’s opportunity to show what our Jewish community is made of.

As HFLA enters its next chapter, we are excited to be reaching a point where growing demand requires us to expand beyond our longtime one-person staffing model. Earlier this summer, we welcomed Allison Lash as our new Operations Coordinator, an important step toward ensuring that HFLA can continue meeting the needs of our community for years to come.

Fifteen years ago, HFLA began with a handful of committed families and a belief that our community could take care of its own.

Today, as we prepare to welcome the international Jewish free loan community to Austin during this season of reflection and renewal, we are reminded that some of Judaism’s oldest ideas remain among its most powerful: helping others move forward, preserving dignity, and ensuring that no one has to face life’s challenges alone.

2026 Board Members and Staff