Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein’s Commentary


Doctor and solider helping a mother and her child.

A Country with a Big Heart

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  January 29, 2019
While the world so often focuses on Israel's faults — be they real or imagined — the true heritage of the Jewish state and her people is one of peace, freedom, and helping those in need.
Rabbi Eckstein looking down while touching a metal and wooden fence on a trail.

We Remember, We Act

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  January 23, 2019
As we remember the terrible legacy of the Holocaust, we act to create a legacy of hope that provides Holocaust survivors in Israel and the former Soviet Union with a measure of peace and comfort in their twilight years.
Photo of Martin Luther King from behind giving his famous I Have A Dream speech

Creating a Just World

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  January 17, 2019
As the U.S. observes Martin Luther King Day, let us remember that, as Jews and Christians, we must reject hatred, speak out against injustice, and be united by the shared tenets of our faiths.
Rabbi Eckstein looking ahead at a large body of water with mountains behind it.

Wise Ears and Understanding Hearts

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  January 9, 2019
In the noisy and politically charged world we find ourselves in today, let us remember that works of man rise and fall, but that true freedom is found in trusting in God. Only then will we truly understand what it means to "live in safety and be at ease."
Sunrise over the land and buildings of Israel.

New Every Morning

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  January 2, 2019
A new year is a time of both uncertainty and promise. My friends, let us focus today on that promise, on the blessings that will come our way and the good we can do for others ...
Rabbi Eckstein with a Bible in hand while Jerusalem is in the background.

Finding Our Way in the Wilderness

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  December 12, 2018
As I reflect on this extraordinary year — one of challenges and opportunities, of conflict and reconciliation, of tragedy and blessed miracles — I want to thank you for supporting The Fellowship's work, done in partnership with the God we serve, that continues to be a source of hope for so many.
Low lit image of a soldier on a tank.

No Weapon Forged Against You Will Prevail

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  December 5, 2018
This week has reminded us of the painful fact that Israel faces enemies on all sides. But the IDF's current campaign, Operation Northern Shield, reminds me of the eternal biblical promise: Israel and the men and women who fight to defend her have on their side the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Four candles lit during Hanukkah while people behind the candles are dancing.

Lighting Candles in the Darkness

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  November 28, 2018
Hanukkah is an inspiring story of God's protection and provision, which Jewish people commemorate by lighting menorahs. And as I light the candles this Hanukkah I will give thanks for your support of...
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein stands on a hillside praying with his hands stretched toward the sky

Give Thanks to Him and Praise His Name

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  November 20, 2018
When we cultivate thankfulness by cultivating gratitude toward God, the One Who made us and sustains us, that gratitude — for the smallest blessings, as well as the largest — will follow us throughout our lives.
A bus hit by a rocket parked next to two emergency vehicles.

We Do Not Stand Alone

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  November 12, 2018
Today Israel faced the familiar, unwelcomed news: Rockets fired from Gaza. Code red sirens sounding — some as far away as the Dead Sea and Hebron. Classes canceled. Multiple Israelis injured. As Hamas terrorists unleash their latest attack on Israel, while threatening to fire rockets on Jerusalem, I am encouraged by your faithful support and prayers for Israel and her people.
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein stands on a hillside praying with his hands stretched toward the sky

Praying for the Saturday and Sunday People

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  November 7, 2018
The attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue that killed 11 Jews and another that killed seven Christians in Egypt this week remind us of the importance of The Fellowship's work providing protection, security, and aid to Christians and Jews alike around the world.
Rabbi Eckstein kneeling near a memorial with flowers and praying.

Hope in the Face of Unspeakable Evil

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein  |  October 30, 2018
I write from a deeply broken heart, grieving over the horrific massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. But my message to you today is not only a message of heartbreak – it is a message of hope.