Hanukkah, a season of God’s light and miracles, is probably one of the most well-known Jewish holidays, primarily because of its proximity to Christmas. But do you know what miracles are remembered and celebrated during this season? Join Yael Eckstein for a four-part podcast series on Hanukkah, exploring the many lessons of faith this holiday has for us. Today, Yael tells us the miraculous story of the Maccabees, and how their courage and faith in God were a huge turning point in history for the...
Dec 04, 2024•22 min
We all know that giving to those in need is important… but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. When we’re short on time or money—or both—it’s can be hard to give away what little we have. But on this podcast episode, host Yael Eckstein turns the concept of giving completely on its head. She explores verses in the Book of Exodus in which God commands the Israelites to contribute to His purposes. In this Bible passage, we’ll discover a hidden message in the original Hebrew that will change your perspecti...
Nov 27, 2024•23 min
What will your legacy be? Maybe it will be how successful you were in your career. Or maybe it will be how much you loved your family. In today’s episode, host Yael Eckstein turns to the Bible to show how we can leave behind a strong legacy of faith. When we prioritize doing good deeds and supporting the people in our lives in positive ways, we create a lasting impact that reaches far beyond our own lifetime. Every day is a chance to create a legacy of faith that will impact generations to come—...
Nov 20, 2024•23 min
So, you want to make a real difference in the world… but you don’t know where or how to begin. As we’ll learn on today’s podcast, we can make a difference in the lives of others by simply asking, “How are you doing?” In a world where so many people are hurting, we should never underestimate the power of greeting every person with genuine care. It can save a life—even our own! This week, host Yael Eckstein explores the Bible story of Joseph’s time in an Egyptian prison and how the simple act of g...
Nov 13, 2024•19 min
We are truly living in prophetic times as described in God’s Word, aren’t we? It began with the Book of Exodus, when God redeemed Israel from Egypt and promised to bring them home on “ eagles’ wings .” On today’s episode, host Yael Eckstein will explore how the Bible prophesied about the times we are in right now—and what this means for us in our personal and spiritual lives. As people of faith, we are called to be God’s partner in fulfilling biblical prophecy today, making this point in history...
Nov 06, 2024•21 min
“It has taken courage to birth these nations.” These words are an enduring theme in the life and work of Bishop E.W. Jackson—a pastor, an attorney, a U.S. Marine, and a Christian friend of Israel. A proud American who also stands for the Jewish state, Bishop Jackson sat down recently with Yael Eckstein to discuss his own experiences and his thoughts on the ongoing violence being experienced not just by the people of Israel, but by Jewish people around the world. Bishop Jackson’s own military ser...
Oct 30, 2024•26 min
As the High Holy Days come to a close, Jews around the world spend one last day in an intense celebration with God before resuming their normal routines. Simchat Torah, which means “Rejoicing in the Torah ,” is unlike any other observance we experience in synagogue. As host Yael Eckstein describes in today’s podcast, the entire congregation—from the youngest children to the oldest adults—takes out the Torah scroll and joins in a never-ending circle of dancing and singing. The celebration marks t...
Oct 23, 2024•20 min
Do you know the one holy day that the entire world will celebrate in Messianic times? According to the prophet Zechariah, it’s the Festival of Tabernacles, or as it’s called in Hebrew, Sukkot (Zechariah 4:16). Unity among all of God’s children is a major theme of this joyous biblical celebration that is part of the High Holy Days that Jews around the world have been observing. Host Yael Eckstein looks to the lessons of Sukkot on practical ways to bring us together. In a world that is increasingl...
Oct 16, 2024•23 min
“I’m sorry.” It’s been said that these are two of the hardest words to say. We’ve all found ourselves needing to apologize… and dreading it. And we’ve all been hurt by someone who wouldn’t apologize for what they did. In this special episode about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement , Yael Eckstein explores how those two words relate to the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Admitting our wrongdoings, committing to change, and moving forward is what Yom Kippur is all about. When we sincerely say, ...
Oct 09, 2024•20 min
How many of us think about repentance as we celebrate and usher in a New Year on January 1? When Jews usher in the Jewish New Year on Rosh Hashanah , the main focus is on repentance, or teshuvah, which means to “return” to God and to who we really are. The sound of the shofar, the ritual trumpet, signals this time to reflect on the past twelve months, fix any behavior that isn’t helpful, and return to God who is waiting with open arms. In this special Rosh Hashanah episode, host Yael Eckstein sh...
Oct 02, 2024•20 min
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people…” These biblical words, from Joel 2:15-16, are used by Pastor Lou Engle to describe an upcoming gathering of people of faith, of A Million Women , of one million Esthers, who are called to gather on the Mall in Washington, D.C., on the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement. This week, Yael Eckstein sits down with Lou Engle to discuss this monumental event, in which the Jewish peopl...
Sep 25, 2024•22 min
Did you know that God has an alarm clock for our souls? Beginning a month before the start of the High Holy Days, the sounds of the shofar, the biblically mandated trumpet, can be heard throughout synagogues across the world, calling people to reflect, repent and return to God. On this podcast, Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, continues exploring the significance and meaning of the Jewish High Holy Days, focusing on one of the primary ritua...
Sep 18, 2024•25 min
Every year, Jewish people in Israel and around the world take a special spiritual journey. And on today’s podcast, host Yael Eckstein shares how preparing for the upcoming High Holy Days can teach us all—Christians and Jews, alike—about connecting with God and ourselves. In coming weeks, Yael will explore how the sounds of the shofar awaken the soul; how Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, teaches us about the gift of repentance; and how Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, teaches us the power of ...
Sep 11, 2024•17 min
Have you ever noticed how many “30 Day Challenges” our society gives us? Challenges to lose weight, to learn a language, to straighten up your house, or even straighten up your finances! The world loves to give us month-long challenges. But did you know the Jewish people have been doing a 30-Day Challenge for thousands of years? That’s right! The Hebrew month of Elul began last night at sunset. And so did an ancient biblical Jewish practice—one Jesus likely participated in. During Elul, the Jewi...
Sep 04, 2024•17 min
The Bible isn’t just stories of epic happenings and holy miracles. It’s not all Noah filling the ark or David defeating Goliath, mighty armies falling at the hands of God’s people or great heroes rising from humble beginnings. God’s Word is full of meaning—even in the places we might not expect. And this week’s podcast is one of those places. Host Yael Eckstein takes a look at a passage in Scripture (Leviticus 2:4-7) that gives us a biblical history lesson—about the sacrifices and offerings that...
Aug 28, 2024•25 min
“How does a nation come to Jerusalem?” That’s a question that comes up during Yael Eckstein’s latest conversation—with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. A Nobel Peace Prize nominee and the co-architect of 2020’s groundbreaking Abraham Accords, Friedman freely shares about his work in the ambassadorship. And aside from his time in the embassy, the ambassador has also enjoyed a long and respected legal career and a second career as an author. His new book, One Jewish State — its for...
Aug 21, 2024•45 min
“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16) These words from the Bible—spoken from the Gentile Ruth to her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi—were quoted in a Christian publication in 1932. As anti-Semitism rose in Germany—soon to spread across Europe, along with the Second World War—even then, Christians were standing up for their Jewish brothers and sisters. In this particular article, taken from the published archives of th...
Aug 14, 2024•28 min
What is the one thing we must teach our children if we want them to never give up on their values and beliefs? We must teach them hope. On today’s podcast, host Yael Eckstein shares how perpetual hope in God’s promises has sustained the Jewish people through enslavement and exile, through pogroms and persecution, and even through the Holocaust. Each year, on the Jewish observance of Tisha B’Av, this foundational principle of hope is celebrated as the Jewish people mourn the many tragedies that h...
Aug 07, 2024•23 min
If you’ve ever felt like giving up, today’s episode is especially for you. In less than two weeks, Jews around the world will observe the darkest day on the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av. On this day, Jewish people weep for something that happened more than 2,000 years ago—the destruction of both the First and Second Temples that once stood in Jerusalem. But, while this is a day of deep sorrow, host Yael Eckstein explains it’s also one of great hope—a hope that ha...
Jul 31, 2024•25 min
“My heart is broken for the Jewish people, and I want to help in any way that I can.” These words, from an elderly farmer in America, longing to help the people of Israel—God’s people—in their time of need inspired Rabbi Daniel Korobkin when he heard them recently. As the rabbi tells Yael Eckstein in this podcast conversation, “it shook so many of us so deeply… it was moving to see this kind of care.” This friendship and shared faith—this fellowship— between Christians and Jews is what drew Rabb...
Jul 24, 2024•25 min
“I’m amazed to see all the love.” That’s what Ohad Roth of the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA) said when he visited the U.S. this year. That’s what he said about the love he and his fellow Israelis felt from their Christian friends in America. Friends like The Fellowship’s faithful supporters. Roth, the JDA’s Director of Tourism, and Anat Landa, the Director of International Conferences for the organization, were gracious enough to take a few minutes from their very busy schedule to sit do...
Jul 17, 2024•6 min
“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.” (Psalm 77:11) When he sat down to speak with The Fellowship, this is the psalm that Pastor Tony Suarez mentioned in his discussion of Israel—and the responsibility that people of faith, both Christian and Jewish, have to “learn the Scripture” and tell “the history of the Jewish people.” We all, as people of faith, must remember what God has done, and is doing. And His people, Israel, are certainly evidence o...
Jul 10, 2024•17 min
Have you ever noticed that the irony of our times is that we have more time-saving technology, but less time to spend on the things that really matter to us? In this episode, host Yael Eckstein talks about how the ancient observance of the Sabbath—a time to relax, rethink, and reset—is exactly what we all need to combat the challenges of today’s modern world. Yael takes a closer look at the Israelites’ enslavement in Egypt, how tired and hopeless they felt, and the lessons that we can learn toda...
Jul 03, 2024•25 min
“One generation commends your works to another.” (Psalm 145:4) Early in his podcast conversation with Yael Eckstein, Pastor Dumisani Washington quotes these words of King David when speaking of the lessons of faith his parents passed down to him. And it is this continued generational legacy—to younger generations and to other people of faith—that Pastor Washington and Yael focus on in this inspiring discussion. Pastor Washington joins Fellowship President and CEO Yael Eckstein to discuss how the...
Jun 26, 2024•38 min
For Christian music fans of many generations, Petra means rock. From the band’s early years in Ft. Wayne—“playing in parks and prisons and coffee houses” to decades of international success on the biggest stages, Petra not only changed with the evolving musical landscape, they defined Christian music. And for all of those years—culminating in last year’s 50th anniversary world tour—Petra was led, on guitar and as the band’s main songwriter and visionary, by Bob Hartman. So it was with true excit...
Jun 19, 2024•8 min
As kids, who didn’t count down the days until the end of school and the beginning of summer vacation? Even as adults, we sometimes count down the days to an important event—a milestone birthday, a wedding, or a special vacation. But if you think about it, in counting down the days, we can mistakenly relegate those days as obstacles to get through in order to reach the anticipated event, rather than as the priceless gift that each day is. On Shavuot , today’s podcast shares Bible verses that dire...
Jun 12, 2024•20 min
Today, Jews in Israel celebrate Jerusalem Day— Yom Yerushalayim —commemorating the miraculous reunification of God’s Holy City after the Six-Day War of 1967. But as podcast host Yael Eckstein explains, we ALL—Christians and Jews—should celebrate Jerusalem Day! Not only is Jerusalem God’s designated place where His Temple once stood and will someday stand again, but as we read in Psalm 137:5, “If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.” God does not want us to forget His eter...
Jun 05, 2024•24 min
“I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.” (Deuteronomy 11:14) This is the Bible verse that this week’s podcast guest quotes when speaking of a very special spot in the Holy Land of Israel. Neot Kedumim , Hebrew for “pleasant pastures,” is a biblical nature reserve in Israel—open for all to come experience firsthand the nature and culture of the Bible. Efrat Meir-Groman is Tourism Director at Neot Ked...
May 29, 2024•12 min
Born in America. Raised in the Holy Land. A devoted Jewish father and husband. An IDF veteran. A veteran of Israel’s politics—having served as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Israel, as well as Bureau Chief and Foreign Policy Advisor. And now the author of a book about Israel that directly looks at the events that helped lead up to the ongoing war with Hamas. This is Ari Harow. Besides all of these accomplishments and experiences, Ari is also part of our Fellowship family—literally. Fell...
May 22, 2024•39 min
“These are God’s chosen people and He’s got a message that He wants to give the rest of the world through them.” This is what Ambassador Sam Brownback, a true friend of Israel, told Fellowship Board Chair Bishop Paul Lanier during a recent conversation on matters of faith and how Christians can stand for the Jewish state and its people. But despite the Jewish people’s calling as God’s people, Brownback points out that “evil has come after them in almost every country they’ve been in.” And it is ...
May 15, 2024•15 min
