Yechiel Eckstein
Encyclopedia
Yechiel Z. Eckstein is a rabbi
and the founder and current president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
, which is headquartered
in Chicago
and Jerusalem.
Eckstein holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Israel, having become an Israeli citizen in 2002.
Eckstein is the author of six texts:
Recognized as the world’s leading Jewish authority on evangelical Christians, he has written columns and been featured in such publications as 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 been a guest on TV and radio programs nationwide, including CNBC’s “Hardball” and PBS’ “Now with Bill Moyers.”
Eckstein, an Israeli Hasidic singer, has recorded six CDs. He has been a member of Kol Salonika, The Y'DID Singers and The Rabbis' Sons
. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, he performed for Israeli troops on the Syrian front and in hospitals.
In May 2010, Israel's Minister of Welfare and Social Services Isaac Herzog presented Rabbi Eckstein with the government of Israel's first-ever Award for Special Contribution to the Welfare of the People of Israel. Herzog described the contributions of Eckstein and The Fellowship saying, “Rabbi Eckstein’s contribution to the wellbeing of needy Israelis goes above and beyond… Rabbi Eckstein completes the biblical decree ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” NEWSWEEK magazine named Eckstein to its list of the Top 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America (June 2010). In July 2010, Rabbi Eckstein was honored by Hadassah with its first Man of Distinction award.
Eckstein has also received the Economic Forum’s prestigious Jerusalem Prize, the Community Service Leadership Award from Yeshiva College, and more than 20 other awards from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Chamah, Colel Chabad, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Israel’s Union of Local Authorities, and other organizations. In 2002, he was inducted into the JDC Warburg Society.
In Israel, Eckstein has served as an unofficial advisor to former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
and was appointed Goodwill Ambassador of the State of Israel, with special emphasis on Israel’s relationships with evangelical communities in Latin America. He also chaired the City of Jerusalem’s Public Commission for Strengthening Worldwide Ties to Jerusalem.
He currently serves on the executive boards of directors of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
and the Jewish Agency for Israel
.
in New York. He also holds master's degree
s from Yeshiva and Columbia University
, where he also completed studies for his doctorate.
Eckstein served on faculty at Columbia University, the Chicago Theological Seminary
and the Northern Baptist Seminary.
in 1991.
A July 24, 2005, New York Times magazine article by Zev Chafets notes: “Some of Eckstein’s fellow Orthodox rabbis would like to exile him for consorting with Christians,” adding, “Even those who applaud Eckstein’s philanthropies are sometimes skeptical about what he calls his ‘ministry.’ For Jews, who are used to seeing themselves as victims of bigotry, the saga of Yechiel Eckstein raises uncomfortable questions about who loves – and who hates – whom.”
For decades, according to the Times article, Orthodox critics have accused Eckstein of being a closet Christian; in addition, The Jewish Observer, the house magazine of the ultra-Orthodox organization Agudath Israel of America, called Eckstein’s work “a curse.” The Times article also states, “Many of the Jews who once derided Eckstein for depending on the kindness of strangers now want to be his best friends.”
According to the Times article, Abraham Foxman, Anti-Defamation League national director, remains one of Eckstein’s most prominent critics, accusing the rabbi of “selling the dignity of the Jewish people” by pandering to Christians. Eckstein has no apologies for his support from Christians, insisting he does more than fund-raising. “It’s a ministry,” he told the Times reporter.
“I’m a non-evangelical defender of evangelicals,” Eckstein is quoted as saying. “Jews have such a cynical, negative view of these people. There are all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories out there about how evangelicals only support Israel to bring on Armageddon or because they want to convert Jews to Christianity. That’s just not true.”
A Feb. 24, 2009, article by John W. Kennedy in Christianity Today notes, “Good works have permitted Eckstein to reach detente with leaders of Jewish organizations who now realize that even though they have theological differences with evangelicals, the two groups share many values.”
The Christianity Today article quotes Rabbi A. James Rudin, senior interreligious advisor for the American Jewish Community, as saying, “Rabbi Eckstein is well respected within the American Jewish mainstream. Until he came along, evangelicals and Jews were like ships passing in the night.”
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and the founder and current president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
The International Fellowship of Christians & Jews , founded by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein in 1983 under its original name of the Holyland Fellowship of Christians and Jews, is a worldwide organization whose stated goal is "to promote understanding and cooperation between Jews and Christians and to...
, which is headquartered
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Jerusalem.
Biography
Eckstein is the son of Rabbi Dr. Sy and Belle Eckstein of Florida. He is married to Joelle, lives in Jerusalem, and has three daughters and four grandchildren.Eckstein holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Israel, having become an Israeli citizen in 2002.
Eckstein is the author of six texts:
- What You Should Know About Jews and Judaism, ISBN 0-8499-0356-4 (May 1984)
- Understanding Evangelicals: A Guide for the Jewish Community (1992)
- Ask the Rabbi (1990)
- Five Questions Most Frequently Asked About Jews and Judaism (1990)
- How Firm a Foundation: A Gift of Jewish Wisdom For Christians and Jews, ISBN 1-55725-189-4 (Oct 1997)
- The Journey Home, ISBN 0-9708188-0-7 (May 2001)
Recognized as the world’s leading Jewish authority on evangelical Christians, he has written columns and been featured in such publications as 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 been a guest on TV and radio programs nationwide, including CNBC’s “Hardball” and PBS’ “Now with Bill Moyers.”
Eckstein, an Israeli Hasidic singer, has recorded six CDs. He has been a member of Kol Salonika, The Y'DID Singers and The Rabbis' Sons
The Rabbis' Sons
The Rabbis' Sons is a Jewish music group that released most of its albums between 1967 and 1974. It consisted of Rabbis Baruch Chait , Label Sharfman , Itzy Weinberger , Michael Zheutlin and other artists...
. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, he performed for Israeli troops on the Syrian front and in hospitals.
In May 2010, Israel's Minister of Welfare and Social Services Isaac Herzog presented Rabbi Eckstein with the government of Israel's first-ever Award for Special Contribution to the Welfare of the People of Israel. Herzog described the contributions of Eckstein and The Fellowship saying, “Rabbi Eckstein’s contribution to the wellbeing of needy Israelis goes above and beyond… Rabbi Eckstein completes the biblical decree ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” NEWSWEEK magazine named Eckstein to its list of the Top 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America (June 2010). In July 2010, Rabbi Eckstein was honored by Hadassah with its first Man of Distinction award.
Eckstein has also received the Economic Forum’s prestigious Jerusalem Prize, the Community Service Leadership Award from Yeshiva College, and more than 20 other awards from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Chamah, Colel Chabad, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Israel’s Union of Local Authorities, and other organizations. In 2002, he was inducted into the JDC Warburg Society.
In Israel, Eckstein has served as an unofficial advisor to former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
and was appointed Goodwill Ambassador of the State of Israel, with special emphasis on Israel’s relationships with evangelical communities in Latin America. He also chaired the City of Jerusalem’s Public Commission for Strengthening Worldwide Ties to Jerusalem.
He currently serves on the executive boards of directors of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is a worldwide Jewish relief organization headquartered in New York. It was established in 1914 and is active in more than 70 countries....
and the Jewish Agency for Israel
Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel , also known as the Sochnut or JAFI, served as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into the state of Israel.-History:...
.
Education
Eckstein received Orthodox Rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva UniversityYeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
in New York. He also holds master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s from Yeshiva and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where he also completed studies for his doctorate.
Eckstein served on faculty at Columbia University, the Chicago Theological Seminary
Chicago Theological Seminary
The Chicago Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ. It prepares women and men for leadership in the church and society through Master of Divinity , Master of Arts in Religious Studies , Master of Sacred Theology , Doctor of Ministry , and Doctor of Philosophy programs...
and the Northern Baptist Seminary.
IFCJ
After serving as national co-director of interreligious affairs for the Anti-Defamation League, Eckstein founded the Holyland Fellowship of Christians and Jews in 1983 to help Christians and Jews work together on projects promoting the safety and security of Jews in Israel and around the world. The organization was renamed the International Fellowship of Christians and JewsInternational Fellowship of Christians and Jews
The International Fellowship of Christians & Jews , founded by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein in 1983 under its original name of the Holyland Fellowship of Christians and Jews, is a worldwide organization whose stated goal is "to promote understanding and cooperation between Jews and Christians and to...
in 1991.
Criticism
IFCJ has been the subject of criticism.A July 24, 2005, New York Times magazine article by Zev Chafets notes: “Some of Eckstein’s fellow Orthodox rabbis would like to exile him for consorting with Christians,” adding, “Even those who applaud Eckstein’s philanthropies are sometimes skeptical about what he calls his ‘ministry.’ For Jews, who are used to seeing themselves as victims of bigotry, the saga of Yechiel Eckstein raises uncomfortable questions about who loves – and who hates – whom.”
For decades, according to the Times article, Orthodox critics have accused Eckstein of being a closet Christian; in addition, The Jewish Observer, the house magazine of the ultra-Orthodox organization Agudath Israel of America, called Eckstein’s work “a curse.” The Times article also states, “Many of the Jews who once derided Eckstein for depending on the kindness of strangers now want to be his best friends.”
According to the Times article, Abraham Foxman, Anti-Defamation League national director, remains one of Eckstein’s most prominent critics, accusing the rabbi of “selling the dignity of the Jewish people” by pandering to Christians. Eckstein has no apologies for his support from Christians, insisting he does more than fund-raising. “It’s a ministry,” he told the Times reporter.
“I’m a non-evangelical defender of evangelicals,” Eckstein is quoted as saying. “Jews have such a cynical, negative view of these people. There are all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories out there about how evangelicals only support Israel to bring on Armageddon or because they want to convert Jews to Christianity. That’s just not true.”
A Feb. 24, 2009, article by John W. Kennedy in Christianity Today notes, “Good works have permitted Eckstein to reach detente with leaders of Jewish organizations who now realize that even though they have theological differences with evangelicals, the two groups share many values.”
The Christianity Today article quotes Rabbi A. James Rudin, senior interreligious advisor for the American Jewish Community, as saying, “Rabbi Eckstein is well respected within the American Jewish mainstream. Until he came along, evangelicals and Jews were like ships passing in the night.”