By Gabby Smith (Brown University), summer intern

The past two years have been hard on our communities. There has been loss and loneliness, as well as increasing financial hardship. But I see now as a period of hope, a time of renewal in which we can refocus and recenter on what is really important in life: connection, collaboration, and dream-building. These three words, to me, represent what Jewish Free Loan Chicago aims to bring back into the world.

A tradition from the ancient world that is just as simple yet impactful now as it was then, Jewish free lending brings Jewish values to our streets, homes, and neighborhoods, and shares these values with the greater community. The act of making zero-interest loans as a manifestation of the Jewish values of justice, caring for the stranger, and approaching humanity with loving-kindness. Now more than ever, there are plenty of opportunities to put these practices into motion — more people who have dreams of continuing their education, lifting themselves out of debt, or growing their families through adoption or fertility treatments. Interest-free loans provide people with that tangible hope while connecting people with each other and building community.

“The act of making zero-interest loans as a manifestation of the Jewish values of justice, caring for the stranger, and approaching humanity with loving-kindness.”

Growing up in New York City, I was always immersed in a thriving, vibrant Jewish community, and my upbringing instilled in me a passion for social justice and tikkun olam, or healing the world. I have also bore witness to the deep inequalities that persist in a city that I love deeply, a city that has given me so much to be thankful for.

“Interest-free loans provide people with that tangible hope while connecting people with each other and building community.”

As a college student studying sociology, I have learned about the myriad ways in which our neighborhoods and communities have been carefully carved out and intentionally invested or disinvested in depending on the people who live in them. Some neighborhoods continue to be full of resources and opportunity, mostly in the form of capital, while some continue to be systematically deprived of it.

I feel fortunate to be working for an organization that has the ability to fight inequity at a local, interpersonal level. I have always been drawn to hearing and telling individuals’ stories about their hopes and visions for the future. I love that, through working with JFLC, I will get to play a role (however big or small) in those stories. I’m excited to be involved in a project that combines so many of my passions into one: spreading joy, introducing others to Jewish values and practices, and helping people achieve their goals.