Facts About the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
July 12, 2024
Leadership:
President and CEO, Yael Eckstein
Founder:
Founded in 1983 by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein (1951-2019)
Mission:
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is the leading nonprofit building bridges between Christians and Jews, blessing Israel and the Jewish people around the world with humanitarian care and lifesaving aid.
Our Impact:
The Fellowship’s Christian supporters remain committed to the safety and security of the state of Israel and the Jewish people. Since our founding, we have raised $3.5 billion to support Israel and Jewish people in need, with more than $232 million donated annually in recent years.
In 2023 alone, The Fellowship helped more than 2 million people by providing basic needs and support to more than 1 million people, providing security to 1 million people worldwide, and helping more than 4,000 Jews return to Israel from 35 countries.
Since our founding more than 40 years ago, The Fellowship has:
- Helped more than 770,000 Jews make aliyah from 50 countries
- Provided basic needs and assistance to those in need in more than 20 countries
- Provided nearly 3,000 bomb shelters in Israel
- Supported 28 Israeli hospitals with medical equipment and fortifications
- Bolstered security for Jewish communities in 60 countries
Offices:
The Fellowship has offices in Chicago, Jerusalem, Toronto, and Seoul.
Our Work:
The Fellowship has been a leader in Jewish-Christian relations, building greater understanding and cooperation between members of these two great faiths. Today, our work is based on four pillars:
- Alleviating Poverty
- Providing Security
- Facilitating aliyah (immigration to Israel)
- Supporting fellowship between Christians and Jews
We have helped hundreds of thousands of Jews escape poverty and anti-Semitism and return to their biblical homeland, funded humanitarian assistance that has touched the lives of millions of Jewish people, provided life-giving aid to Israel’s victims of war and terror, and much more. Today, The Fellowship is known as the largest provider of humanitarian aid in Israel.
Our Programs:
Alleviating Poverty
The Fellowship eases the suffering of Israelis, as well as needy Jews in the former Soviet Union – including elderly, Holocaust survivors, families, and children – by supporting programs that provide food, housing, medical care, clothing, and other essentials on a day-to-day basis.
Providing Security
Terrorism and the threat of war are daily facts of life in Israel. The Fellowship supports security projects throughout Israel including hospitals, fortified buildings in communities vulnerable to rocket attacks, emergency equipment for first responders, thousands of bomb shelters, immediate aid to victims of terror, and “command centers” in border communities to be used in the event of escalation of conflict between Israel and her neighbors.
Facilitating Aliyah (immigration to Israel)
For decades, The Fellowship has assisted needy Jews in making aliyah (immigrating to Israel) from all over the world — the former Soviet Union, Latin America, Europe, and elsewhere — to escape anti-Semitism and extreme poverty, and to realize the dream of living in their biblical homeland. When they arrive in Israel after making aliyah, we provide them with klitah (resettlement) assistance in the form of Hebrew language classes, job training, financial aid, and more. Since its founding, The Fellowship has helped more than 760,000 Jews come to Israel and become full, productive citizens.
Supporting Fellowship
The Fellowship builds bridges of understanding between Christians and Jews through educational resources that teach Christians about the Jewish roots of their faith and help them apply biblical principles to everyday life.
Crisis Response
In times of crisis, whether in Israel, the former Soviet Union, or elsewhere in the world – The Fellowship is there, on the ground, providing immediate assistance to the vulnerable Jewish communities we serve. The Fellowship efficiently and effectively delivers aid to people when they need it most through our extensive network of staff, partners, and volunteers.
