Harold Marcus is the new board president of the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia, and while he brings more than 40 years of experience in communal leadership and development to the table, that’s not what makes him perfect for this job.
Marcus isn’t just the new leader of the organization. He is a former borrower of the Hebrew Free Loan Society, which gives out loans with no fees or interest.
When Marcus was in his late 20s, his then-young son suffered from debilitating asthma that kept him in the emergency room 50 to 75 times a year.
“That was our life,” he said.
One night, in freezing cold December, Marcus took his son to the hospital, with the two being discharged at 2 a.m. On the way back home, his car broke down. Marcus panicked, as he needed the car not just to get to work but to take his son to the emergency room at a moment’s notice. Someone told him about the Hebrew Free Loan Society.
“They bent over backwards. They actually went beyond the maximum loan amount that they normally gave and gave me an extra year to pay it off because I told them I had $100 a month and that’s it,” he said. “They treated me with such respect and dignity that I vowed when I paid off the loan, if I could ever be of service to the organization, I would.”
Marcus is making good on that promise now, taking over the reins of an organization that currently has more than a million dollars of loans in circulation.
He is taking over for Amy Krulik, whose tenure saw the organization expand its locations, move to electronic banking, create loan-funding programs for domestic violence victims and families going through IVF and much more. Krulik said that Marcus is the right person to replace her.
“He is the consummate connector. People always joke around that I know every single Jew in Philadelphia, and that is absolutely not true — I know many people. I think between Harold and I, everybody better watch out, because we do know everybody,” she joked.
“Harold’s secret power is his ability to make connections between people, to remember those connections and to figure out ways to give people an outlet to take the things that are important to them and to amplify that work.”
Krulik said that Marcus will provide more energy to an organization that already has a lot of it.
“He gets so excited with people about the things that they’re excited about,” she said.
Krulik brought a similar skillset to the position. Marcus said that “outgoing” doesn’t just describe her nature as former president; it describes her personality, too.
“She’s a force to be reckoned with,” he said.
Marcus added that the proof is in the organization’s finances. While maintaining its signature 99% repayment rate, the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia has been able to increase its distributed loans by 30% each year for the past three years. Each fundraising campaign has exceeded its goals.
In his new role, Marcus hopes to make the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia more of a well-known operation in the community. He said that, in his hometown of Pittsburgh, most Jews are well aware of the services they offer, while in Philadelphia, he often tells people about his work just to find that they have no idea what the organization is or does.
“It’s shocked me how many pillars of our community have never heard of Hebrew Free Loan,” he said.
In his past role as vice president of marketing and development, he worked to further this goal, and he hopes to continue to do so now that he is president of the board.
As the organization has increased its volume of loans, it has had to, at times, reduce the amount that it can loan to people. It hopes to garner more donations to expand its reach while maintaining a high maximum loan amount.
He added that Krulik did a good job of helping infuse the organization with more youth and women on the board, which is something that he aims to continue.
Marcus’ new role is a volunteer position, and he said he thinks that actually offers him more freedom than a paid position.
While the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia offers loans, it doesn’t give handouts. Nearly every loan it distributes is paid back. The idea behind the organization is simple: Everyone needs a little help sometimes.
In Marcus’ case, that loan helped the family repair their car and keep their son healthy. Now, decades later, the younger Marcus hasn’t gone to the hospital with an asthma attack in nearly 15 years, his father said.
“It becomes manageable, and it even comes to a point where it’s just an afterthought in your life, so it’s not a primary concern,” he said. “He’s doing really well.”
As the new president, Marcus hopes he can help other families through the storm to a point where things are manageable for them, too.
“Harold and his enthusiasm are very infectious, and people love to be in his company. They love to be part of his efforts that are important to Harold, and I think that those are the things that are going to make him exceptionally successful,” Krulik said.
