JULY 15 • 2021 | 9
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www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184
Hebrew Free Loan Detroit
6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 • Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48301
@HFLDetroit
Roger Siegel became part of Hebrew Free Loan
because he was a nice guy.
“I was practicing law in my own office, when I
was invited out to lunch by Stan Bershad, who was an
HFL Board member,” Roger said. “Stan casually began
asking me questions about how I handled debtors in my
practice, but the questions sounded less like a consultation
and more like a job interview. Then our third lunch guest
arrived, staggering in with a large, open cardboard box
full of files, and I knew this box was coming back with me.”
Roger said he had no prior experience with HFL, but he
began working on the agency’s collections immediately,
at first from his own office, and then part-time from HFL.
“What I really wanted to do was to manage the
receivables before they even became collection items,”
Roger said. “I spent time working with our borrowers
to keep their accounts current, and we kept a lot of
people from getting a black mark on their credit when
times were tough. HFL’s 98.5 % repayment rate is due
mostly to the feeling that the community supports the
borrowers, and that effort is part of it.”
Roger learned about HFL as he worked, watching
loan funds and needs change through the years.
“It really moves me that HFL is always ready to help
people through their life journeys,” Roger said. “That’s
possible because HFL changes to meet local needs.”
Roger officially retired from HFL in June 2019, but
he gladly passed the torch to his daughter, Margery,
whom he says is just the right fit – an attorney with a
great outlook on the people behind the accounts. “It’s
a proud Dad moment to know she’ll carry on,” he said.
“I truly love Hebrew Free Loan, this has been the
best experience of my life,” Roger said. “It’s remarkable
how things can change with one simple phone call -
just because Stan invited me to lunch.”
Community donations help Hebrew Free Loan give
interest-free loans to local Jews for a variety of personal,
health, educational and small business needs.
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