IFJC's Rabbi Eckstein
IFJC's Rabbi EcksteinHezki Ezra

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) marked the tenth anniversary of its establishment in Israel by organizing a special conference which took place in the Knesset earlier this week.  Israel has benefited from the political support of tens of millions of Evangelist Christians in the United States, whose pro-Zionist views are religion-based, but whose political clout based on Biblical sources supporting Jewish residence in Judea, Samaria and united Jerusalem is significant electorally..

The conference was attended by mayors and Knesset Members who together tried to come up with ways that the IFCJ can better help the weaker segments of society. Funding by the group, however, is not acceptable to prominent rabbis such as the late Chief RAbbi Avraham Elkana Shapria. There are many who feel that the funding carries with it a subliminal missionary goal and has known missionaries working with it, which Rabbi Eckstein denies. These rabbis welcomed the political support and understanding of the Christian community, but did not want to accept money from it.

“While we (the IFCJ) contribute tens of millions of dollars each year to help the weaker segments of society here, it’s clearly not enough,” said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, Founder and President of IFCJ. He added that the conference was meant to see how everybody – the government, businesses, non-profit organizations and the like – can come together to help the children, the poor, the elderly, the single mothers etc.

“There’s so many problems, so much to do and we are contributing our share but we need to all do more and to work together to find ways to do more to help the weaker segments of society,” said Rabbi Eckstein.

Rabbi Eckstein claims he founded IFCJ in order to promote the understanding between Jews and Christians and build broad support for Israel and other shared concerns.