Pat Boone—A Lifetime of Rejoicing
Today, legendary singer, songwriter, and friend of Israel, Pat Boone, joins me to talk about Pat’s life and work—and his role in helping launch The Fellowship onto the national stage.
Join us as Pat discuss his important bond with my father, Fellowship Founder Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, of blessed memory—a friendship that dates back to the early 1990s. After the Iron Curtain fell, my abba approached Pat and asked him to co-host a program, appealing for Christians to help fund the freeing and transporting of Russian Jews to Israel. Pat didn’t hesitate, and the Christian community immediately responded with an outpouring of donations and support. It’s a partnership and friendship that has only grown over the years!
Join me and Pat Boone as we discuss this lasting friendship and Pat’s love for Israel and The Fellowship.
Episode Notes:
In 1992, when Fellowship Founder and Orthodox Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, of blessed memory, approached Pat Boone and asked if he would co-host a TV program, appealing to Christians to help Russian Jews begin a new life in their biblical homeland, Israel, Pat didn’t hesitate.
“The idea of asking Christians to support the program of bringing aged Jews from behind the Iron Curtain to dwell in the Promised Land while they still could, just resonated with me, as it did with Pat Robertson and so many Christians leaders,” Pat recalled. “When he [Rabbi Eckstein] asked if I would co-host that first special, of course, I immediately said I would.”
That program, While the Doors Are Still Open, aired on national television in February 1992 and paved the way for The Fellowship to become one of the leading organizations helping persecuted Jews in the former Soviet Union make aliyah (immigrate) to their biblical homeland, Israel. Since that time, The Fellowship—through its “On Wings of Eagles” ministry and Fellowship Freedom Flights—has brought more than 770,000 Jews from over fifty countries home to Israel.
For Pat, whose legendary career as a singer, songwriter, and international performer has transcended the decades, it was a natural extension of his lifelong love for Israel and the Jewish people. Growing up the oldest of four children, Pat said his family regularly read the Bible together. “I grew up listening to the stories of Moses, David, and Gideon. We considered that all a part of our history, and so I grew up believing that I was always a part of the Jewish nation,” he said.
In fact, Pat’s love for Israel resulted in him writing lyrics to the haunting melody of Ernest Gold’s orchestral theme to the 1960 film, Exodus, in what has become Israel’s second national anthem, The Exodus Song. “It was Christmas Eve, and I was trying to get an idea for lyrics to this song,” he said. And after the 40th time of putting the needle on the record, the words just came to him: “This land is mine. God gave this land to me.”
As Pat jotted the words down on the back of a Christmas card, he realized that this was the whole message of the Exodus, both past and present. In 25 minutes, Pat had composed the entire song, and today, he said, the Christmas card with the lyrics on it is on display on the wall of the Righteous Gentiles in Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust museum and memorial in Jerusalem.
“This is truly one of the milestones of my life,” Pat told Yael Eckstein, Fellowship President and CEO, during their conversation, celebrating The Fellowship’s 40th Anniversary year.
“I have always considered myself an adopted Jew. That’s why I’m so supportive of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews because we serve the same God. We are kinsmen, and we have to take care of our family,” Pat told Yael. “I’m just part of that family.”
