Yael Eckstein

Yael Eckstein (June 1, 1984) is an Israeli-American social service professional, interfaith activist, and published writer. She is the president and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (also referred to as IFCJ or The Fellowship). Prior to serving in her current role, Eckstein was Global Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, and Director of Program Development and Ministry Outreach at the Fellowship.
Eckstein is regarded as one of the most influential Jewish women leaders in the world. She has been featured and contributed her views to several leading publications and magazines including the Jerusalem Post, Townhall.com, and The Times of Israel.
==Early life and education==
Eckstein was born on June 1, 1984, in Evanston, Illinois, and is the daughter of the late Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein. Yael Eckstein studied at Torat Chesed Seminary in Israel, Queens College in New York, and Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She has degrees in Biblical Studies, Sociology and Jewish Studies.
==Career==
Eckstein is the president and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (also referred to as IFCJ or The Fellowship). She acts as a bridge between Christians and Jews worldwide and the State of Israel. She is responsible for overseeing all the programs at IFCJ including providing medical, food, and financial aid to Israelis, the elderly, and Holocaust survivors. She also acts as an international spokesperson for the Fellowship. Prior to her current role, she served as the Global EVP, Senior VP, and Director of Program Development and Ministry Outreach at the Fellowship.
After moving to Israel in 2005, she began to see the inner workings of The Fellowship thanks to her father, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein. After 15 years of working under his leadership, where her first job at The Fellowship was stamping envelopes, Rabbi Eckstein began preparing her for a leadership role and helped her understand the organization. In 2006, she started writing to Fellowship donors about her experiences during the Second Lebanon War, which resonated with donors in a powerful way.
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein founded the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) in 1983. His daughter, Yael Eckstein, succeeded him as president of The Fellowship.
The Fellowship has emphasized three major focus areas under Eckstein’s leadership:
The Aliyah program assists Jews in making aliyah (immigrating to Israel) from over 30 countries across the globe, including France, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Mexico, Brazil and Peru, and other countries, and helps them with their resettlement needs, such as career guidance, help with finding child care, and financial support while starting their life in Israel. 
The Poverty programs provide food, winter assistance, clothing, and other basic needs to Jewish people in need in the former Soviet Union and Israel. And populations served includes families, the elderly, orphans, lone soldiers, and the needy. 
The Security programs provide greater security to Israelis vulnerable to rocket attack through delivering bomb shelters, reinforcing trauma centers and hospitals, and purchasing security equipment, and through a commitment to the Israel Defense Forces. The security programs also provide enhanced protection to Jewish communities around the world, such as helping to secure synagogues, Jewish day schools, and community centers.
In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic Eckstein raised approximately $20 million in emergency funding for individuals and elderly in Israel.
In 2021, The Fellowship raised more than $200 million and helped more than 2 million people by supplying basic needs and assistance to 1 million people, providing security to more than 800,000 people encountering threats of terrorism and anti-Semitism, and helping more than 5,000 Jews return home to Israel.
In 2022, Yael Eckstein led The Fellowship to establish a $4 million emergency fund for Ukraine.
Eckstein has contributed to The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, Townhall.com, and other publications, and she's the author of three books: Holy Land Reflections: A Collection of Inspirational Insights from Israel, Spiritual Cooking with Yael, and Generation to Generation: Passing on a Faith Legacy to Our Children.
Eckstein’s views on the Jewish-Christian ties and Jewish faith can be heard on Holy Land Moments and Israel Today, two radio ministry programmes run by the Fellowship. In 2021, Eckstein debuted her monthly podcast, “Nourish Your Biblical Roots”, through which she welcomes Jewish and Christain leaders to discuss Israel’s global relevance and Jewish-Christian ties.
==Awards and recognition==
* Named as “One of Israel’s 100 Most Influential Women” by Makor Rishen (2014)
* Featured on the cover page of Nashim (women) magazine (2015)
* Cited as the “Jewish 100”, the world’s leading Jewish interfaith activist by the Algemeiner (2019)
* Recognized as “50 Most Influential Jews” by the Jerusalem Post for two consecutive years (2020 & 2021)
* Cited on the list of “50 of our Favourite Jewish Women right now” by Future of Jewish (2022)
* In 2022, The Globee® Awards named Yael Eckstein a winner in the 10th Annual 2022 CEO World Awards
==Bibliography==
* Holy Land Reflections: A Collection of Inspirational Insights from Israel (2012)
* Spiritual Cooking with Yael (2014)
* Generation to Generation: Passing on a Faith Legacy to Our Children (2020)
==Personal life==
Eckstein currently lives in central Israel with her husband and four children.
==References==
==External links==
* Fellowship Website
* Personal website
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Category:1984 births
Category:Christian and Jewish interfaith dialogue
Category:Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni
Category:Jewish American writers
Category:Queens College, City University of New York alumni