Nourish Your Biblical Roots with Yael Eckstein

Shortly before Israel was plunged into two years of war by the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023, Yael had the privilege to sit down with former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Much like Yael taking up the mantle of her abba, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, Lapid followed in his own father’s footsteps, as a writer and a politician. Also a prolific writer, he wrote the posthumous memoir of his fat...

Have you ever wondered why it seems God is always testing us? If you have, then this episode is for you. Just like when we were kids in school, life is full of tests—and most people still want to avoid them! Today, Yael Eckstein looks at Abraham’s tests in the Book of Genesis to discover the purpose of life’s tests—to turn us into the best versions of ourselves that we can be. Then, gain a whole n...

Before the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023, and the two years of war that they plunged the nation of Israel into, Yael had the welcoming of inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the podcast. This week, as Israel and those who stand for her look to a peaceful and renewed future, we’d like to share Yael and PM Netanyahu’s wide-ranging conversation about Israel, and the friend...

As the High Holy Days come to a close, Jews around the world spend one last day in an intense celebration with God before resuming their normal routines. Simchat Torah, a day whose name means “Rejoicing in the Torah ,” is unlike any other observance we experience in synagogue. As Yael Eckstein describes in this podcast, the entire congregation—from the youngest children to the oldest adults—takes...

Do you know the one holy day that the entire world will celebrate in messianic times? According to the biblical prophet Zechariah, it’s the Festival of Tabernacles, or as it’s called in Hebrew, Sukkot (Zechariah 4:16). Unity among all of God’s children is a major theme of this joyous biblical celebration. And this week, Yael looks to the lessons of Sukkot to find practical ways that bring us toget...

Have you ever found yourself needing to apologize to someone… and dreading it? Or have you been hurt by someone who refused to apologize for something they did to you? Saying “I’m sorry” can be one of the hardest things to do. On this podcast episode about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement , Yael Eckstein explores how those two words—“I’m sorry”—relate to the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Adm...

In the Holy City of Jerusalem—and in synagogues around the world, the sounds of the shofar have been heard for the past month. For thousands of years, his biblical trumpet has been calling people to reflect, repent, and return to God. On this podcast, Yael Eckstein continues her exploration of the Jewish High Holy Days by focusing on one of the main rituals of this holiest season: the sounding of...

As people usher in a New Year on January 1 with parties and celebrations, how many are thinking about repentance? It’s probably not very many. But when Jewish New Year is welcomed on Rosh Hashanah , the main focus is on repentance, or teshuvah, which means to “return” to God. The sound of the shofar— the biblical trumpet made from a ram’s horn—calls us to reflect on the past twelve months, to fix...

Sometimes in life, our faith might seem strong, but our fears seem even stronger. Maybe you’ve tried to cling to faith over the past year, but still look to the future with trepidation. Here’s the thing—it’s not easy to stand confidently in faith and in peace when life seems scary and uncertain. So what do we do? How do we strengthen our faith? Today, Yael Eckstein turns to the Bible and Jewish te...

Every year, Jewish people begin a special spiritual journey that’s been taken by God’s children for millennia. On this podcast, Yael Eckstein shares how this can be a journey for us all—Christians and Jews alike. Preparing for the High Holy Days is a time when we can connect with God and with ourselves. As this holy season approaches, Yael will look at: how the sound of the shofar awakens the soul...

You’ve probably heard lots of one-month promises. One month to lose weight. One month to learn a language. One month to straighten up your house or straighten up your finances or straighten up your life! But did you know that The Chosen People have clung to a very special one-month promise for thousands of years? During the Hebrew month of Elul, which we’re in right now, there’s an ancient biblica...

Have you ever made a choice just to please or impress someone else? If we’re honest, we’ve all done that at one time or another. But what would our lives look like if other peoples’ opinions truly didn’t matter to us? Would our priorities be different? Would we spend our time differently? Would we make different choices? On today’s podcast, Yael Eckstein explores the wise advice that Moses gave th...

Today, legendary singer, songwriter, and friend of Israel, Pat Boone, joins me to talk about Pat’s life and work—and his role in helping launch The Fellowship onto the national stage. Join us as Pat discuss his important bond with my father, Fellowship Founder Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, of blessed memory—a friendship that dates back to the early 1990s. After the Iron Curtain fell, my abba approached...

You’ve probably heard of the term “baseless hate,” which is hatred without any justifiable cause. But there’s another term you might not have heard of: “baseless love.” Baseless hate can ruin friendships and cause deep divisions in society. But baseless love can do the opposite. It can bring strangers together. And it can bring hope and healing to the world! Are you wondering if love can really so...

If we want our children to never give up on their values and beliefs, we’ve got to teach them hope. Yael Eckstein shares how hope in God’s promises has sustained the Jewish people through enslavement and exile, through pogroms and persecution, and even through the Holocaust. Each year, this foundational principle of hope is on display as the Jewish people mourn the many tragedies that have befalle...

These days, it seems like so many people are so angry. From social media to the nightly news, you’ve probably felt your buttons being pushed at some point. The truth is, we all get angry. But as we’ll learn in this episode, holding on to our anger comes at a great cost. This week, Yael explores ancient biblical teachings about what holding onto anger can do to us. And more importantly, what we can...

How often do you really take the time to enjoy the blessings in your life? It’s easy to focus on what we don’t have or compare our life to others. But if we’re not careful, we might miss out on what’s right in front of us! In this episode, Yael Eckstein turns to the Bible to unpack the powerful message that God knows how unique we are, and because of this, He gives us exactly what we need in life....

“We care. We stand with you. We’re on your side.” That’s the message of love and support that Cheryl Chumley shared with the people of Israel when she sat down for a conversation with Yael Eckstein. From a mid-war visit to the Holy Land—as a journalist, as an American, and as a Christian—to the bold and blunt voice she uses to defend the Jewish state when so many others in the media are loudly ant...

When was the last time you witnessed one of God’s miracles? The Red Sea isn’t parting in front of us like in Bible days and, if you listen to the news today, it can be difficult to see God’s hand at work in our world. But why do we assume miracles are ancient history that only happened during Bible times? Yael Eckstein explains that while some of the miracles of the Bible happened in front of ever...

What does it really mean to be wealthy? In today’s episode, Yael Eckstein explores the biblical story of Korah, a man so wealthy that he got a false sense of importance and began a rebellion against Moses—and against God Himself. Do you know what happened next? Let’s just say it didn’t end well for Korah. While most of us know that money is finite, and not eternal, it’s easy to lose sight of this...

“Your book is our book. Your heroes are our heroes. Your values are our values.” After years of helping grow the unprecedented Christian support we see for Israel and the Jewish people we see today, that is the answer that Rev. Dr. Johnnie Moore has long heard for why this special relationship has happened—and is still growing. The special friendship between Christians and Jews is certainly needed...

While The Fellowship does much of its lifesaving work in the Holy Land of Israel, we help God’s children whenever and wherever they find themselves in need. For more than three decades—and especially since the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine began in 2022—much of that work has been done in the former Soviet Union (FSU). Bishop Paul Lanier has made many trips to visit Fellowship-supported projects i...

“He who saves one life saves the world entire.” These words from the Talmud have inspired generations of people of faith. And they have certainly influenced the life of this week’s podcast guest, Allied Voices for Israel Founder, Daniel Koren . An Israeli and a Canadian. A former journalist and a current shaper of the next generation. Daniel is of the Bukharian Jewish community—“a minority within...

As a kid, did you count down the days until school ended and summer began? I know I did! And even as grownups, we count down the days to important events—a milestone birthday, a wedding, an anniversary, or a graduation. But when we count down the days, we can disregard them as mere obstacles to get through in order to reach the big event, rather than as the priceless gift that each day is. As we p...

This month, Jews in Israel celebrate Jerusalem Day— Yom Yerushalayim —commemorating the miraculous reunification of God’s Holy City after the Six-Day War of 1967. But as Yael Eckstein explains, we ALL—Christians and Jews—should celebrate Jerusalem! Not only is it God’s designated place where His Holy Temple once stood—and will someday stand again—but as the psalmist says, “If I forget you, Jerusal...