Rabbi Jamie’s Corner December 2022 Hanukkah, the “Festival of Lights,” begins tonight. We celebrate by lighting the festive hannukiah (Hanukkah menorah) that warms our homes and brings light to the darkness at a time when it is pitch black by 6pm. Bringing light...
When Gabriana Marks and her mother Jude Marks came to Hebrew Free Loan for help last summer, they were at a low point. Over ten years ago, Jude was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer and then suffered a stroke, so her daughter Gabriana left her job and moved...
Margot Nijsure started her company, Montclair Elder Services, just a few months into the pandemic. It was both the hardest and the best time to start a business, according to Margot. Older adults and those who love them needed help navigating elder care in a...
Join our conversation with Manny Kagan, President of Pacific Bay Financial Corp. The company is a long-time member of our Business Circle and a dedicated supporter of Hebrew Free Loan. In business since 1985, Pacific Bay Financial works with banks and borrowers to...
A lot of people dream about living in a beautiful, hand-crafted tiny house: a cozy, picture-perfect little space that’s both affordable and eco-friendly. Anya Ismail made that dream come true five years ago, and sometimes she still can’t quite believe her good...
Rabbi Jamie’s Corner October 2022 I am driving down Highway 101 towards King City. It’s mid-day, it’s hot, there are workers in the fields, heads covered by t-shirts tied into protective sun-gear. Makeshift structures dot the landscape providing shade. I am...
Meet Bob and Adele Bloch, who received an interest-free Covid Relief loan that helped their business stay afloat during the early months of the pandemic. Bob and Adele had already retired from their first careers — Bob had been a banker with the Community Bank of San...
Join our conversation with Dr. Ben Bernstein, a renowned performance psychologist who helps people address the issues that get in the way of optimal achievement. Dr. B’s system, developed over 40 years of clinical practice, teaching and research, aims to help...
Kayla Dolberg is only 23, but she has some advice for those who may be going through a rough time. She encourages people not to be stubborn about accepting help and to consider listening to suggestions from others — including their parents. Kayla grew up in Marin...
Leon Basin immigrated from Kharkov, Ukraine as a child. His wife, Marina Nekhendzy-Basin, immigrated from Saint Petersburg, Russia. Leon was nine years old when he arrived in the Bay Area, and Marina was two. Both watched their parents start over from nothing, which...
