International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Announces Completion of the Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein Elderly Community Center

December 27, 2023

JERUSALEM – Last week, the city of Netanya, Israel, completed the Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein Elderly Community Center, named in honor of the late Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, of blessed memory, founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship), Israel’s largest philanthropic organization.

The Center will provide a variety of services for the city’s elderly population and was developed with an investment of nearly $1.4 million from local government and aid organizations and The Fellowship. The project aligns with Rabbi Eckstein’s vision of providing purpose, meaning, and inspiration to people in need at all points in life, as the Center will host social activities and serve as a resource facility to assist seniors in enjoying independent and productive lives. The space features a variety of spaces for lectures, entertainment and cultural events, exercise, and many other activities.  

Miriam Feirberg-Ikar, Mayor of Netanya, hailed the Center as the first of its kind, and a critical addition to the city’s support network for seniors. “It fills me with great joy that we were able to achieve another dream for our city by establishing this center for the aged population. We know that as people age, they feel increasingly lonely and struggle with lack of purpose, while also facing financial insecurity. We take pride in doing everything we can to help this special population.”

Fellowship President and CEO Yael Eckstein sees the Center as a fulfillment of her father’s vision: “It is with great emotion and excitement that we commemorate the opening of this important center. My father, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, was blessed to have lived in Netanya, and this facility will allow all of us to express the love and commitment to its people that I know he felt.

“His life was all about bringing hope, happiness, and dignity to others, so this Center is very much a physical manifestation of that incredible vision which has come to mean so much to so many people all over this country.”

Annually, The Fellowship provides more than $28.7 million to care for poor elderly in Israel.