A Borrower's Buddy

Hebrew Free Loan Association honors Myron Schijinan's 75 years of service.

offices on Clairmount, near
12th Street, and put a gun
Staff Writer .
to his head. No one was
hurt, and the robbers were
hen Myron
eventually caught.
Schiffman began
Schiffman worked for
working for the
the HFLA through the
Hebrew Free
years, and he was officially
Loan in 1923, officials were
put on the board as an
suspicious. On a Sunday morn-
honorary life member in
ing, he recalled, he was awak-
1976. He practiced law
ened by HFL Director David S.
until he was 80. His wife
Zeman and brought to the
died 10 years ago. He has a
office in the Kirby Center with
son, daughter, four grand-
no explanation.
children and one great-
The office safe, usually well-
grandchild.
stocked with gold, silver and
Julie Abrams, his daugh-
jewelry, had been blown open.
ter, said she never went
Nothing was left but the bro-
with him to work, but still
ken concrete and Detroit police
remembers him leaving for
looking for clues.
the HFLA every Sunday
Schiffman, then a part-time
morning. "We knew that
worker, knew he was being
was his commitment to the
observed and was careful not to
part of being a Jew," she
touch anything. The police
said. "We all said, 'This is
shadowed him for weeks before
where Daddy goes on
deciding he hadn't enriched
Sunday morning.'"
himself at the expense of what
She says he was quiet,
was then little more than a
Above: Myron Schiff-man accepts a plaque from Hebrew Free Loan Association Executive Director Ruth
never raising his voice. "He
pawnshop for the Jewish corn-
Marcus. Below: Schiffman, with Julian Zemon, was similarly honored 40 years earlier.
is the most honest, honor-
muniry.
able,
dependable, disci-
During the Depression, the HFLA
ily to Detroit. He was the youngest of
It was a curious start to what
plined
person
I
know,"
she said. "He
made loans even when the banks
turned out to be a mutually enriching
three brothers and his father died
has impeccable character, he has been
closed.
"We
made
cash
loans,
not
when he was very young, leaving his
75-year relationship between
fortunate enough to have known suc-
exceeding $25, which at that time did
Schiffman and the association, which
mother to support the family. He
cess and good health and love. He had
a lot of good," Schiffman said.
knew he wanted to be a lawyer when
over the years became, in effect, a
so much within himself that he didn't
Mostly the operation ran smoothly,
community bank of last resort. It has
he was 13, and he remembers ped-
need people the way that most do.
but there was a Sunday in 1935 when
dling popcorn at a Yiddish theater on
helped thousands of local Jews get
HFLAs Marcus said that
a gang from Hamtramck entered the
through hard times.
Hastings Street.
Schiffman is a throwback to a more
In 1923, Schiffman was still in law
Two weeks ago, the association
stoic time. "He is 96 years old, and
school when he started as "the wave
board honored Schiffman for his ser-
we can't expect him to have the view- -/
of the future," Marcus said. He was
vice as an investigator, a loan officer
points that we have where we involve
hired to change the loan association
and a board member, dedicating a
our children in our business lives. He
from a pawn organization into one
plaque to him that will hang in the
got up in the morning and went to
with a basis in promissory notes.
lobby of the HFLA offices in
work, and came home. That was one
"Our borrowers were the shop-
Southfield.
life, and being home with the family
keepers, peddlers, and the folks who
Schiffman, 96, was too frail to
and going to shul was a separate life.
sold door-to-door and alley-to-alley,
attend the meeting, so Ruth Marcus,
"In our culture today, people show
Schiffman said. "A good deal of the
executive director, came to his nurs-
everything, but he showed nothing
business by the early Jewish entrepre-
ing home room in Novi last week to
because that was the culture. He had
neur was conducted in the alley,
give him a copy of the plaque.
great depth of feeling, but not a show
where they found in the throwaways
In an interview at the nursing
of emotions," Marcus said, noting a
home, Schiffman recalled that he was
the things that they could rescue,
slight shift in his feelings. "It is so
3 years old when his grandfather, a
refurbish and resell."
unlike him to be touchy-feely, huggy-
HFLA was a two-person operation
goldsmith in Odessa, moved the fam-
kissy, and yet he is now. When I was
back then, and even when he went
Harry Kirsbaum can be reached at
sitting with him the other day, he
into private law practice he continued
(248) 354-6060, ext. 244, or by email
held my hand the whole time." 1-1
to serve HFLA as a loan investigator.
at hkirsbaum@thejewishnews.com

HARRY KI RS BAUM

"

7/9
1999

12 Detroit Jewish News