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Laws also pertain to the person who borrows clothing, equipment, or other items from a gemach. Goods that are damaged must be replaced or reimbursed. Although a Jew should lend to those in need, he is not obligated to continue to lend to someone who consistently loses things or returns them damaged.
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family offers loans of $ 750 with repayment of $ 150 per month. A wedding gemach offers a $ 3000 loan with repayment of $ 100 per month. The Israel Free Loan
Association (IFLA) is the largest interest free loan association in the world, with loans from NIS 20,000 for individuals up to NIS 90,000 for
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The size of the loan will depend on the lender's resources. A home-based gemach might offer loans of $ 100 and up, while a wedding gemach may extend a loan of several thousand dollars. Typically, gemachs also offer favorable repayment terms, enabling borrowers to repay the loan over a long period of
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communities. The traditional gemach concept — that of a money-lending fund — extends loans on a short- or long-term basis for any need, including emergency loans, medical expenses, wedding expenses, etc. However, many people have expanded the concept of gemachs to include free loans of
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By the turn of the 20th century there were approximately 500 gemachs in the United States. One reason for their prevalence was that banks did not want to make loans to low-income Jewish borrowers. But with repayment rates exceeding 99 percent, banks eventually realized that Jewish borrowers were
172:; food for the needy; food for hospital visitors; moving boxes; used clothes; English and American stamps; Dead Sea mud; sewing patterns; hosting guests; hosting guests near hospitals; transporting invalids; wedding needs; wedding dresses; health food and vitamins;
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Gemachs may be operated both on a communal basis (such as by treasurers of community funds) and an internal basis (such as by businesses, organizations, schools and families). The ideal of contributing to or forming one's own gemach was popularized by Rabbi
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who offer free advice by telephone. Southfield, MI (Detroit) has a gemach for baby items such as strollers, high chairs, and packnplays. Chicago was the first city to create a gemach of educational materials and resources for teachers in Jewish education.
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While poor families and individuals in debt are frequent users of gemachs, borrowers need not be poor. Money gemachs also cater to students, workers, or any individual in need of a loan. Internal money gemachs are common fixtures in
120:, the oldest gemach in America, was established in 1892 when 11 men pooled their savings to establish it. They initially raised $ 95, which they loaned out in increments of $ 5 and $ 10. The society is still in existence today.
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The gemach concept has expanded to include free loans of household items, clothing, books, equipment, services and advice. Following is a sampling of gemach services found in the
Jerusalem telephone directory of 2002:
180:; mattresses; partitions; computers; water urns; folding beds; microwaves; haircutting equipment; inhalers; sewing machines; tablecloths; cameras; blankets; projectors; fridges and freezers; toys; glasses; candles;
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Gemachs that provide other services, such as clothing, books and equipment, fall under the general
Biblical commandment to do kindness, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18).
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sparked a resurgence of gemachim in some cities. Milwaukee, which had a gemach at the turn of the century, is in the process of creating a new free-loan society.
176:; telephone cards; cell phones; form letters; burners; tools; banquet dishes; tables and chairs; playpens; fans; loudspeakers; baby paraphernalia; suitcases;
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235:.) Should the borrower fail to repay on time, the gemach owner can turn to these co-signers and demand repayment, a claim that will be upheld in a
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116:. Most gemachim were founded between 1880 and 1914 in communities where Jews settled, although some were established as late as 1940. The
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22:25) as well as the
Biblical injunction, "You shall not give him your money for interest, nor may you give him your food for increase" (
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Gemachs, known as Jewish or Hebrew Free Loan
Societies in English-speaking countries, were among the first institutions established by
81:(the Chofetz Chaim), who addressed many halachic questions about the practice and lauded its spiritual benefits in his landmark book,
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To ensure repayment of a money loan, gemachs will typically ask the borrower to provide two guarantors as
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472:"You searched for gemachim • Detroit Jewish Directory - Southfield, Oak Park, West Bloomfield"
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small businesses (www.freeloan.org.il) and serves
Israeli citizens anywhere in Israel.
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loans, gemach loans are interest-free, and are often set up with easy repayment terms.
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Money gemachs fulfill the
Biblical imperative, "You shall lend money to my people" (
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hot plates; Shabbat candlesticks; furniture; vacuum cleaners; work tools and more.
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Gemachs are best known for lending money on a short- or long-term basis.
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household items, clothing, books, equipment, services and advice.
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Detroit Jewish
Directory - Southfield, Oak Park, West Bloomfield
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528:"Lending a Helping Hand" by American Jewish Historical Society
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time, in keeping with the imperative of "doing kindness." One
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telephone directory currently includes gemach listings for a
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desirable customers, and began loaning to them in the 1940s.
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of lending money and the Torah prohibition against charging
381:"Society Makes No-Interest Loans to New York's Immigrants"
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Jewish immigrants to the United States from
Eastern Europe
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Low chairs and other necessities for mourning; food for
518:"A Lover of Kindness in Our Times" by Yonasan Rosenblum
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free-loan fund that subscribes to both the positive
413:"Free Loan Association plans to open in Milwaukee"
265:Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia
270:International Association of Hebrew Free Loans
523:"Something Borrowed" by Jessica George Firger
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61:on a personal loan to a fellow Jew. Unlike
501:"Jewish Life Digital Edition June 2015"
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446:"Retirement in Israel: Is It For You?"
327:"Interest-free, steeped in tradition"
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444:Samsonowitz, M. (19 December 2001).
325:Holmes, Kristen E. (12 March 2009).
260:Hebrew Free Loan Society of New York
129:global financial crisis of 2008–2009
118:Hebrew Free Loan Society of New York
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14:
302:. Torah.org. 2007. Archived from
448:. Dei'ah VeDibur. Archived from
160:, and workplaces, among others.
300:"The Halachos Of Lending Money"
555:Jewish community organizations
1:
411:Waldman, Amy (22 June 2009).
241:(Jewish rabbinical court).
46:, "acts of kindness") is a
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418:Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle
332:The Philadelphia Inquirer
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361:. Jewish Free Loan. 2011
68:Gemachs operate in most
560:Free goods and services
550:Jewish law and rituals
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192:; books; cribs; film;
38:, an abbreviation for
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85:("Loving Kindness").
16:Jewish lending method
533:2012-03-01 at the
425:on 7 February 2011
386:The New York Times
359:"Jewish Free Loan"
79:Yisrael Meir Kagan
229:this is known as
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484:. Retrieved
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391:. Retrieved
389:. 1 May 1983
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40:גמילות חסדים
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255:613 mitzvot
202:Neve Yaakov
55:commandment
544:Categories
486:2017-05-02
286:References
223:co-signers
158:synagogues
30:, plural,
275:Yad Sarah
217:Repayment
210:guitarist
145:Jerusalem
99:Leviticus
42:,
34:,
531:Archived
456:14 April
429:14 April
393:14 April
365:14 April
343:14 April
310:14 April
249:See also
238:beit din
178:mezuzahs
154:yeshivas
101:25:37).
59:interest
36:gemachim
232:areivut
227:halakha
206:plumber
194:Shabbat
183:segulot
174:tallits
170:simchas
208:and a
95:Exodus
70:Jewish
48:Jewish
24:Hebrew
20:Gemach
565:Loans
280:Sukuk
52:Torah
32:גמחים
458:2011
431:2011
395:2011
367:2011
345:2011
312:2011
200:The
127:The
63:bank
28:גמ"ח
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403:^
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