Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein Deceiving Christians for Israel?

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein talks to a studio audience at LeSEA Broadcasting Network in South Bend in July. Eckstein will continue taping his new program, "Journey to Zion," Aug. 14-16.

August 3, 2006

Introduction

by Housewife4Palestine


I have had the misfortune to see Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein hawk his wares on my television numerous times. What makes it even more interesting is I very seldom turn on the equated noise box. But usually when I do, I am one of those nerve racking people that likes to channel surf; so for me to see these infomercials would that they are on quite a bit.

What first made me question these ad’s I guess would be at first woman’s intuition because the old saying if it looks to good to be true chances are it is not.

What the Jewish people call an aliyah, is not for true Jews in this case but for Zionist to flood Palestinian in an attempt to over throw not only Palestine but other Arab countries.

What makes Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein even worse, is he is using Christians to help achieve this goal with the false ideal they are Messianic Jews and this I will assure you is a nonexistent ploy.

It is becoming more of a fact that many of these Television Evangelical Preacher’s, that they like to call themselves or nothing short of hurting other Christians to out right murder and destruction in the world and the organizations associated with this Rabbi is to play up to these very same people.

Main thing people should be watchful and not dubbed by these people.

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Passionate pragmatist speaks out

Rabbi defends coalition of Jews and evangelicals

By CHRISTINE COX
Tribune Staff

WriterRabbi Yechiel Eckstein, whose television program raises money for Israel and Israeli causes, granted this brief interview when he was in South Bend in mid-July. At that time, he taped, and two weeks from now he again will be taping, his newest program, "Journey to Zion" at LeSEA Broadcasting Network. -- The editor

Do a Google search on Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein and you'll find:

Evangelical Christians mistaking him for one of them.

Jews accusing him of being a closet Christian.

Accounts of friendships with Ariel Sharon, Jerry Falwell, Pat Boone, Pat Robertson and Ralph Reed.

Reports of fellow orthodox rabbis boycotting his speeches.

Questions about his use of his ministry to front a political agenda.

Even if there's disagreement about what Eckstein's doing, no one can disagree that he's a pioneer.

Over the past 30 years, he's built a coalition of evangelical Christians dedicated to supporting Israel through their wallets. Last year, these Christians, who affectionately call him "The Rabbi," gave Eckstein's International Fellowship of Christians and Jews almost $70 million for, among other things, helping poor Jews with basic needs and helping others immigrate to Israel from hostile countries.

If a marriage between evangelicals and an orthodox rabbi seems unlikely, the method of courtship -- religious programming -- is often downright suspect to those skeptical of televangelism.

But Eckstein's success obviously proves his contention that viewers don't see religious programming as mere Tammy Faye fodder for "Saturday Night Live" skits anymore.

"I think that over the past few decades a lot of people have really gotten over" the images of televangelists, he says. Nowadays, television faith leaders are "very reasonable, and they're very sensible, and they're very decent."

Eckstein sought those same qualities in shopping for a studio in which to tape his newest program, "Journey to Zion." He chose South Bend's LeSEA Broadcasting Network because he wanted a Christian studio, and "I have a high regard" for LeSEA, he says.

"Journey to Zion" is a "series to teach Christians of the Jewish roots of their faith," he explains.

Eckstein maintains there's nothing awkward or suspect about "an alliance" between evangelical Christians and Jews. Instead, he calls it "pragmatic," especially because both groups are passionate about Israel.

"Take a look at what's going on now after decades and decades of dialogue with the liberal Protestants," he says in a July 13 interview in South Bend. "Here, Israel is in trouble, alone, and the liberal Protestants are calling for divestments from Israel, attacking Israel in all sorts of ways in statements. ... And who is supporting Israel? It's the LeSEAs. It's the evangelical Christians."

Indeed, 450,000 Christians compose his core in addition to 6,000 Jews. When he started his organization, the Chicago-based International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, in 1983, Jews were its stronghold. A series of successful infomercials aimed at Christians flipped that support to overwhelmingly Christian.

His success led former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon to name Eckstein his goodwill ambassador to the evangelical Christian world.

Eckstein, 55, acknowledges there are fellow Jews "who very much oppose my work.

"Jews are often uncomfortable about accepting outside help to take care of their own, he says. Also, Eckstein's camaraderie with right-wing politicians can be viewed as suspect among Jews, who are traditionally liberal (though Eckstein says that's changing and that Jews "love President Bush," an evangelical Christian, and his support of Israel.)

And the idea of evangelicals hoping to convert Jews is "a big issue," Eckstein concedes.

But, "It's just not true" that evangelicals have an agenda of converting Jews, he says.

"We did a study, a formal study, that found that the primary reason for (evangelicals') support is the shared values of freedom and democracy that Israel has," he says. "We found that the vast majority said it's because of the Genesis 12:3 theme" of God promising to bless those who bless Abraham's descendants.

"So they feel this compulsion, if you will, this urge to bless Israel and the Jewish people," Eckstein says.

And he and his programs encourage that compulsion.

"Isaiah 58," based on a Bible chapter about helping the hungry, aims to help poor, elderly Jews who fled to the former Soviet Union to escape Nazi persecution in World War II.

There's no arguing with the images of thin, ragged people weeping as they tell Eckstein about their grim lives as he presents them with bags of food. He hugs them, sometimes wiping his own tears.

If that basic message is compelling, other elements may turn off those not already won over to the methods of religious broadcasting to bring home a point: dramatic background music, cut-ins of marching Nazis and flashes of swastikas followed by similar footage of unidentified marching Middle Easterners.

But skepticism doesn't bother Eckstein, and he says he's seeing less of it.

"I remember when I invited Jerry Falwell to my synagogue 25 years ago to speak," he says. "I had my head handed to me by the Jewish community in Chicago."

Now, he says, the Jewish community has undergone a "whole transformation" in how they see evangelicals.

They are not "the embodiment of evil and fundamentalists that they expected." he says. "They're regular people; they're real people. I think also they've seen that they're for real in their support for Israel."

(Eckstein moved to Israel four years ago and lives there primarily, though he maintains a residence in Chicago.)

Criticism by other rabbis is also waning, Eckstein says. Last year he spoke to fellow members of the Orthodox Rabbinical Association of the United States and only two or three rabbis boycotted his speech, he says.

Looking back at his 30 years of work, Eckstein says, "I'd like to believe I've had a part at least in shaping and developing the evangelical attitudes towards Israel, Jews and Judaism and directing them towards good."

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Crusade for Christ

COL. GORDON "Jack" MOHR, AUS RET.

May 5, 2000

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
3098 W. Washington Street, Suite 800
Chicago, Illinois 60606

Rabbi Eckstein:

I do not want any more of your perverted Jewish material coming to my address. From now on, all of your material will be thrown away without being opened.

Not all Christians are "dumb goyim", as your letter shows you believe. Some of us KNOW the truth about the so-called HOLOCAUST, and how you Jews, going by your theory: "The gelts the thing!" Have literally stolen billions of dollars from "stupid Gentile sheep." under the false guise that you are still "God's Chosen people" When you have never qualified as such, but have always been those Christ spoke about in (Revelation 2:9; 3:9), "Those who say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan".

Now under the guise of helping "poor, downtrodden" Jews escape from persecution in Russia, you have the "chutzpah" to lie to the Christian world again, to get more financial help from those you hate and have determined to destroy.

You claim that in Russia, Communist leaders have openly accused the Jews of bringing about the extinction of the Russian people. This is true, as you well know, and over 60-million of them, mostly Christians, died under Jewish inspired Bolshevism. Most of these were Christians.

You are clever enough to know that the American people, for the most part, are unaware of what's taking place in Russia as the only news they get is from your Jewish controlled media. But even your clever people slip up once in a while, and truth leaks out. This was the case when William Safire, a Jewish correspondent of note from the New York Times, recently stated:

"Russian Jews have nothing to hide." He then went on in great detail explaining how the richest men in Russia are Jews, such as former Russian Foreign Minister Primakov, whose real name was Finklestein. The media mogul, Vladmir Gasinski, who controls a media empire greater then that of NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN is Jewish and one of the richest men on earth. Let these fellows help your people. Safire notes that today in Russia, "Jews are a greatly favored minority, just as they were during the halcyon days of Communism under Vladmir Lenin". This letter will go out to many Christian leaders and I will do my best to expose you for charlatan you

For God and Country,

Jack Mohr

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Zionism may mask conversion efforts

The Tribune/September 22, 1984
By Ed Taylor

Jews should be careful about entering into a close dialogue with fundamentalist and evangelical Christian groups that are trying to use support of Zionism as a cover for proselytizing activities, says a Phoenix Jewish leader.

Richard Ross, a member of the national Committee for Cult and Missionary Activities of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, specifically questioned the work of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein of Chicago, who has written several books on Jewish-Gentile relations and engages in conversations with such leaders of the fundamentalist right as the Rev. Jerry Falwell.

Eckstein spoke this week in Tempe during a visit sponsored be the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix.

In an interview with The Tribune, Ross said he is deeply skeptical of the motives of Christian fundamentalists, who he believes are manipulating the Jewish community for their own ends.

"They are involved in Zionism for purely self-interpretation of the Book of Revelation," Ross said. "They see Israel as playing a pivotal position in the end of the world as we know it. This should be of concern to Jews, because such fundamentalists support a violent, volatile situation in the Middle East Peaceful reconciliation between Arabs and Jews would contradict their dark prophesies."

According to the fundamentalists interpretation of the Book of Revelation, the second coming of Christ is predicted upon the establishment of the state of Israel and the rebuilding of the ancient temple by the Jews on the Temple Mount on Jerusalem, he said.

As a result, many American-based fundamentalists and evangelical organizations are promoting the rebuilding of the temple and are even raising funds for the project, he said.

However, the site is occupied be the Dome of the Rock, a holy place in the Moslem religion, and any effort to tear it down and rebuild a Jewish temple on the site would create a furor in the Middle East, he said.

"We should recognize the fact that our goals and their goals for Israel and the Middle East differ sharply," Ross said, "There are few people in Israel who are foolish enough to think that abrogation of the Moslem holy site for the purpose of the reconstruction of the temple is a good idea. It is a volatile issue fraught with serious issues. That is why we must scrutinize the goals of the fundamentalists and evangelicals carefully."

Ross believes that fundamentalist Christians are using their support of Zionist goals to further the process of converting Jews to their beliefs.

"The Jewish community is highly concerned with the anti-Semitic implications of singling out Jews for special conversionary consideration," he said. "There is something that becomes an obvious contradiction when one embraces Zionism an thus makes overtures of friendship to the Jewish community and simultaneously is involved in proselytizing."

Ross cited Falwell and Pat Robertson, head of the Christian Broadcasting Network, as tow fundamentalists who are trying to convert Jews under the cover of supporting Zionism.

He said the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the North Phoenix Corporate Ministry are organizations that promote "positive reconciliation" between Jews and Gentiles.

"They do not involve themselves in conversionary efforts," he said. "They are based on mutual acceptance, respect and tolerance. Without that premise, what can be the positive results of Rabbi Eckstein's dialogue?"

In domestic issues, the social positions of fundamentalist Christians and the Jewish community also are sharply different, Ross said.

"Their agenda includes prayer in public school and equal access for religious groups at high school campuses, which are code words for proselytizing. The majority of the Jewish community will not endorse their social agenda or their theological positions."

The insistence of fundamentalist leaders on blurring the separation between church and state and using political forums to advance their religious priorities are viewed negatively by most Jews, Ross said.

Ross believes that Jewish resistance to fundamentalist proselytizing has been weakened by their support for Zionism.

"There are many Jews who are afraid to react to proselytizing in lieu of losing fundamentalist support for Israel," he said. "Such Jews should broaden their perspectives. The Jewish community will have to respond to all forms of proselytizing and its anti-Semitic implications."
Also of concern to Ross are groups such as Jews for Jesus that attempt to transform the Jewish identity.

"I would liken this to a group calling itself Baptists for Buddha or Mormons for Muhammad," he said. "Likewise Jews for Jesus is referentially incoherent. One can't embrace two different systems simultaneously."

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Links:

Ministry Watch

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein Biography