Yechiel Eckstein

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Yechiel Eckstein (born 1951) is a rabbi and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) an Israel advocacy organisation Eckstein founded in 1983. Due to the scale and ambition of the IFCJ's operations Eckstein has been described as the 'shadow welfare minister' in the Israeli media.[1] Eckstein was ordained at the Yeshiva University of New York and holds master's degrees from Yeshiva University and Columbia University. He serves on the executive committees of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.[2] Prior to the founding of the IFCJ Eckstein served as the national co-director of interreligious affairs for the Anti-Defamation League.[2]In 1995, Rabbi Eckstein founded the Center for Jewish and Christian Values in Washington, D.C.:

[the Center] aimed at bringing Christians and Jews together to build a more civil, moral society. The Center, which closed in 1999, included among its leadership such prominent political figures as Senators Joseph Lieberman, Dan Coates, and Sam Brownback.[2]

Eckstein formerly served as an advisor to Ariel Sharon and, in 2005, was appointed Goodwill Ambassador of the State of Israel. According to the website of the IFCJ this appointment was with particular emphasis on improving Israel's ties with evangelical christian organisations in Latin America.[2]

He has authored a number of books: What You Should Know About Jews and Judaism, Understanding Evangelicals: A Guide for the Jewish Community, Ask the Rabbi, Five Questions Most Frequently Asked About Jews and Judaism, How Firm a Foundation: A Gift of Jewish Wisdom For Christians and Jews, and The Journey Home. He has also been published in a wide range of print media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, U.S. News and World Report, The Jerusalem Post, The Forward, and People magazine. He has also appeared on American television programmes such as CNBC’s 'Hardball' and PBS’ 'Now with Bill Moyers.'[2]

Eckstein also contributed to a book on televangelist Billy Graham entitled 'Christian Soup for the Christian Soul: Billy Graham & Me: 101 Inspiring Personal Stories from Presidents, Pastors, Performers and Other People Who Know Him Well'.[3]

In 2010, The IFCJ launched a radio show named Holy Land Moments:

a daily radio broadcast featuring Rabbi Eckstein’s insights into Jewish belief and faith, Israel, and the Jewish roots of Christianity. The show airs in more than 150 stations in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, Guam, and Africa, and in 2011 was picked up by the largest Christian radio network in Australia. A Spanish-language radio program, Preguntele al Rabino (Ask the Rabbi), continues to air in nearly every Spanish-speaking country in Latin America, as well as in other Spanish-speaking countries throughout the world.[2]

Reportedly the show has some some 15 million weekly listeners in Africa and English speaking countries. The Spanish language version has around 10 million listeners in Latin America.[4]

In 2010 Eckstein was the recipient of the first Award for Special Contribution to the Welfare of the People of Israel. The award was presented to Eckstein by Israeli Minister of Welfare and Social Services Isaac Herzog. In 2011 Eckstein was appointed as chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Committee on Aliyah and Rescue.[2]

Eckstein was the recipient of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee's Raoul Wallenberg award in May 2014 for his 'profound contribution to the Jewish people'. [5]

Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum

Eckstein is the founder of the Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum an organisation that encourages Israeli Christians to join the IDF. In September 2014 it was reported that the Forum's distribution of food vouchers in Arab-Israeli neighbourhoods had angered those communities. [6]

Views

Eckstein views the promotion of evangelical Christianity worldwide as a means to promote international support for Israel:

It's growing and it's becoming normative and more acceptable and the same phenomenon is going on in the Far East - Indonesia, Singapore, China... where you have a rise in Evangelicalism, you have the potential for steering them to become supporters of Israel and the Jewish people... we have barely touched the tip of the iceberg in rallying Christian support for Israel and in building friendships and relationships.[7]

He also commented that Israel and the Jewish diaspora 'have not realized the potential of having a strategic alliance with Evangelical Pentecostal Christians around the world, and that should be the goal that [we] should grasp and make a reality.'[7]

Eckstein has described poverty within Israel as 'a significant threat to society' and has commented that Israel 'must act quickly to rehabilitate the weaker classes'.[8]

In an opinion piece for The Jewish Post Isi Leibler claimed that Eckstein had suggested that diaspora Jews might adopt a new religious category 'for those who consider themselves Jewish but accept Christian doctrines regarding Jesus.'[9]

In 2006 Eckstein criticised Jewish leaders for opposing the developing alliance between evangelical Christians and the state of Israel:

You don't need to accept their vision of America. But you don't need to make them the enemy... It is the height of irresponsibility for Ameri-can Jewish leaders to jeopardize the critical support for Israel and the fight against radical Islam and growing anti-Semitism that evangelicals bring to the table.[10]

Eckstein is strongly opposed to Iran and has claimed that Iran poses an existential threat to Israel and more generally:

Our civilization depends on the united front that can be forged between jews and christians... we see the president of Iran, calling for wiping out the state of Israel, saying that the holicaust (sic) never occurred, and developing the missiles to bring about that god forbid... I believe not only is Israel existentially threatened, but all western civilizations.[11]

He claimed in January 2006 that missiles paraded by the Iranian army in Tehran beared the legends 'Kill the Jews' and 'Kill the Crusaders'.[12]

In February 2006 Eckstein welcomed the opening of new Israeli tourism offices in Rio de Janeiro and Atlanta. He congratulated the Israeli tourism ministry for doing so as part of efforts to increase tourism among evangelical Christians.[13]

Affiliations

Notes

  1. ↑ Sam Sokol, 'A new year for the IFCJ', Jerusalem Post, 24 September 2014
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 IFCJ Website Rabbi Yechiel Z. Eckstein. Accessed 4 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Staff, 'Oklahomans share role Graham plays in their lives', The Daily Oklahoman, 23 March 2013
  4. ↑ Staff, 'Rabbi Yechiel Z. Eckstein honored with Jerusalem Post Award, Jerusalem Post, 8 April 2014
  5. ↑ Sam Sokol, 'JDC honors Yechiel Eckstein. Founder of interfaith fellowship has done 'so much for world's vulnerable Jews, Jerusalem Post, 21 May 2014
  6. ↑ Staff, 'New Year Blues', Mideast Mirror, 26 September 2015
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sam Sokol, 'Gathering Evangelical support for Israel', Jerusalem Post, 11 December 2014
  8. ↑ Lidar Grave-Lazi, 'Survey finds poverty conditions growing worse. IFCJ report shows 95% of poor pessimistic about future', Jerusalem Post, 27 November 2014
  9. ↑ Isi Leibler, 'An end to Jewish life in the Diaspora?', Jerusalem Post, 4 November 2013
  10. ↑ Hilary Leila Krieger, 'Hoenlein: Sentence given to Franklin 'disturbing, Jerusalem Post, 23 January 2006
  11. ↑ Yechiel Eckstein, 'SHOW: Five Thirty 5:30 PM ABC', Global Broadcast Database - English, 29 January 2006
  12. ↑ Colleen Slevin, 'Orthodox rabbi meets with evangelicals in Colorado Springs', Associated Press International, 30 January 2006
  13. ↑ Hilary Leila Krieger, 'S. America gets Israel tourism office', Associated Press International, 28 February 2006
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