Ogen’s story began in 1990 with the vision of one man, Professor Eliezer Jaffe, founder of the Hebrew University’s School of Social Work and co-founder of its Center for the Study of Philanthropy. Prof. Jaffe was a cornerstone of the evolving nonprofit sector in Israel, establishing the foundations and providing profound knowledge in the field.   During the period of mass Russian and Ethiopian Jewish immigration in the late 1980s, Jaffe visited an immigrant absorption center in Jerusalem. Moved by the great need he observed there, he was inspired to establish a free loan fund, building on the century-old models of free loans in the US. “I brought my children along,” he related. “Busloads of Ethiopian Jewish immigrants, straight off the airplane, had just arrived at the center. I explained to my children that they were witnessing history in the making – the ingathering of the exiles. After we got home I thought to myself – I have to get involved.” Eliezer consulted with friends and colleagues to determine how best to help the immigrants. “We went back to Maimonides’ Eight Degrees of Tzedakah,” said Eliezer. “The highest level of charity is to give a loan or job that will help the poor man become self-sufficient and thereby maintain his dignity.” The Jerusalem Post published an article by Professor Jaffe, laying out his plan. Friends in Israel and several others who lived abroad and read the article were impressed; $20,000 was raised. With these first donations, the Israel Free Loan Association (IFLA) was born. “We started with a table in the middle of a room, with volunteers on one side and loan applicants on the other,” said Eliezer. Before Professor Jaffe passed away in 2017, he had already set in motion the next stages in IFLA’s growth. In 2018 IFLA was rebranded as Ogen, the Hebrew word for “Anchor,” reflecting the organization’s long-standing goal to support marginalized families, non-profits, and businesses whose dreams for a better life had felt hopeless, given the reality of Israel’s economic structure. Professor Eliezer David Jaffe z’’l was a giant in the world of Israeli social work and philanthropy, dedicating his life to the welfare and dignity of the most vulnerable members of Israeli society.