In 1888, Moses E. Miller began offering interest-free loans to Cincinnati’s Jewish community, a Torah-inspired act of kindness. Five years later, with four friends, he incorporated the Gemilos Chesed Society as a non-profit organization “to afford temporary monetary assistance to deserving people without interest or other reward or recompense.”

On his yahrzeit in 1949, Miller’s children honored his memory with a monetary gift to perpetuate the Gemilos Chesed Society he founded, and in 1962, his family honored him again by renaming it the Moses E. Miller Hebrew Free Loan Society.

Through the generations, Miller’s family continued the mission. His son-in-law, Dr. Joseph Katz, ran the organization for years, followed by his children, Drs. Aaron and Elmer Katz.

When Elmer died in 2005, the program ceased operation. In 2019, a group of Moses Miller’s great-grandchildren decided it was time for this generation to renew the proud tradition Moses Miller started.

Today the Moses E. Miller Hebrew Free Loan Society is one of the few family-run Hebrew free loan organizations in the US.

Early Board Members

(Pictured left to right)

Elmer G. Katz, MD

Joseph Katz, MD

Aaron Katz, MD

Constitution and By-Laws

The original constitution and by-laws.

Honoring the Founder

In 1949, the children of Moses E. Miller honored his memory with a gift to perpetuate the Gemilos Chesed Society he founded.

“This thought honors friends and helps the Gemilos Chessed Society in its meritorious seeds to persons needing a helping hand.

This noble philanthropy was founded, organized, and sponsored by Moses. E. Miller to facilitate the financial and social rehabilitation of persons in temporary financial embarrassment.

Under its rules, all borrowers are permitted to repay their loans by easy installments without interest or any other expense.

Thus in the true spirit of our Holy Torah, such an Act of Beneficence (Gemilos Chessed] spares the dignity, self-respect, and honor to beneficiaries.

Our Holy Torah Teaches [Exodus 23 – 24] a loan to prevent a poor man from falling into destitution is one of the greatest acts of loving-kindness that can be done to a human being.”

Signers of the First Articles of Incorporation

Moses E. Miller

Moses Rosenbaum

Simon Tenenbaum

Scholom Schlact

Joseph Hirschman

Page from the Kneseth Israel Congregation 1957 Jubilee Yearbook

Moses E. Miller Timeline