Nourish Your Biblical Roots with Yael Eckstein

Since last September, the people of Israel have been living out the biblical command to observe a sabbatical year as found in the Book of Leviticus. But what does that mean? For many in Israel, it has meant allowing fields to go unplowed, not planting a vegetable garden, or simply letting the ground rest. And while this biblical directive is focused on the land, there is a deeper spiritual lesson...

As kids, who didn’t count down the days until the end of school and the beginning of summer vacation? Even as adults, we sometimes count down the days to an important event — a milestone birthday, a wedding, or a special vacation. But if you think about it, in counting down the days, we can mistakenly relegate those days as obstacles to get through in order to reach the anticipated event, rather t...

As we pause this month to celebrate the women in our lives, host Yael Eckstein welcomes to the podcast two modern-day Women of Valor who have influenced and mentored her — Michele Bachmann, former member of the U.S. Congress and current Dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University, and Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America. Together, these powerhouse wome...

What does it really mean to love your neighbor as yourself? As Christians and Jews, we agree this is one of the most important commandments to follow, but what does that really look like? What does it mean to love our neighbors as ourselves? On today’s podcast, host Yael Eckstein shares two insights from Jewish teachings from the Bible that explain how we can obey this commandment on a daily basis...

For many Jews, Yom HaShoah , Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, is deeply personal. It’s a day to remember one of the darkest times in history that resulted in the horrific murder of six million Jewish souls. While it is a somber day when the entire nation pauses to remember the lives lost at the hands of the Nazis, it is also a time for us all to remember the lessons from the Holocaust. It is a...

Think you know the whole story of the Israelites’ redemption from Egypt and the splitting of the Red Sea? Think again! On today’s special Passover episode, podcast host Yael Eckstein shares Jewish teachings about what happened in the moments before the Red Sea split and the lesson it teaches us about overcoming obstacles, acting in faith, and seeing miracles in our own lives. For more information...

In today’s special Passover episode, host Yael Eckstein explains the unique and sometimes unusual traditions for the Passover seder that are actually meant to encourage questions. In fact, the telling of the Exodus story begins not with facts and explanations, but with questions. As Yael explains, this time-honored tradition of asking questions during Passover is an annual reminder that God wants...

April 28 is Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, when Israelis and Jews around the world honor the six million souls who perished at the hands of the Nazis with solemn ceremonies and a nationwide moment of silence. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, the Jewish people vowed, “Never forget.” Yet, as host Yael Eckstein and her special guest Elisha Wiesel discuss on today’s podcast, an alarming num...

If you are like many health-conscious people, you are concerned and mindful of what you put into your mouth. The question is, though, are you as concerned about what comes out of your mouth? In our world, gossip and slander are the norm — we hear and see it on the news, on social media, and even from those around us. If we truly understood the power of our words and how they can affect others — fo...

There’s a saying in the Jewish tradition that we don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are . Think about that. Whether we tend to focus on the negative or positive aspects of our life has everything to do with how we view our world. Often, if we want to change our situation, we need to start by changing our perspective. In today’s podcast, host Yael Eckstein explores an important spiritu...

If you have ever asked yourself “why do bad things happen to good people,” you’re not alone. It’s a question that has been asked since time began. And with the whole world watching the carnage and suffering of innocent people in Ukraine, this question certainly is pertinent right now. The truth is that sometimes life just doesn’t make any sense. We want answers, but our questions remain unanswered...

This month, Jews around the world celebrate one of the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar – Purim, which commemorates the events written about in the Book of Esther . During this celebration, people in Israel host big parties, share holiday treats with friends, and dress up in costumes and masks — a lot like Halloween. But unlike Halloween, people go door to door in order to give treats,...

Most of us would agree that humility is an important virtue. But being humble is also one of the most misunderstood character traits. Many of us think of a humble person as someone who is meek or quiet. Or someone who doesn’t think too highly of themselves. In today’s episode, host Yael Eckstein unpacks what it means to be humble by looking at Moses, who Scripture describes as “ more humble than a...

The entire world is witnessing unthinkable events that have not been experienced on European soil since World War II. Russia has invaded Ukraine. Bombs are falling on innocent Ukrainian citizens. Refugees are fleeing by the hundreds of thousands into neighboring countries. To discuss the current situation and The Fellowship’s response to this humanitarian crisis, host Yael Eckstein, President and...

Do you know what the best thing to do is when overwhelmed with an insurmountable task or a never-ending to-do list? Take a cue from the Bible and ask for help! It’s the most obvious thing to do, but for many of us, it’s also the most difficult thing to do. As we’ll learn from host Yael Eckstein in today’s episode, even Moses struggled to ask for help when he really needed it. But like Moses, we ne...

On this special edition of Nourish Your Biblical Roots, host Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews , takes us to the subzero temperatures and the treacherous winter weather in Ukraine and the former Soviet Union to share the heartbreaking stories of elderly Holocaust survivors who live in abject poverty. Without lifesaving aid from The Fellowship a...

What if the next time you faced a challenge, you tried looking up at the moon for encouragement? That might seem a bit strange. But in today’s episode, host Yael Eckstein tells us about the biblical holiday of Rosh Chodesh, the New Moon, that signals the start of each month, and what it can teach us about having faith. In Jewish tradition, the moon is a symbol of faith because it is literally a li...

What do you think you need to be happy? A better job? A new house? Do you have everything you need to be happy right now? The truth is that God already has given us everything we need, challenges and all, to be truly happy right now. But after the past several years enduring a tiring, difficult pandemic, happiness might not seem possible for many. On today’s podcast, host Yael Eckstein shares the...

If someone asked you, “What’s your special talent?”, what would you say? Unless we excel in some particular area, many of us might say we’re not talented at anything. But that couldn’t be further from the truth! As host Yael Eckstein shares with us today, God has invested in each one of us unique gifts and abilities. And He expects us to do something with the gifts He has given us. We all have som...

Join host Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, as she pays tribute to her beloved father and mentor, Fellowship Founder Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who passed away three years ago this month. Yael celebrates her father’s extraordinary life with a special guest —Beryl Eckstein, her father’s younger brother. In this very personal and emotional podcast,...

We all know that giving to people in need is an important thing to do, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy. When we’re short on time or money — or both — it’s hard to give those things away. But in today’s episode, host Yael Eckstein turns the concept of giving completely on its head. She explores verses in the Book of Exodus where God commands the Israelites to contribute to His purposes where w...

We live in a world that tells us that we have to be perfect. But what if God’s blessings are found in our imperfections? In today’s episode, host Yael Eckstein looks to Scripture to understand how to embrace our imperfections and use them as a springboard to holiness and greatest. As we’ll discover, every time we overcome our flaws and imperfections, we get closer to God — and rise higher than eve...

Christians and Jews may not agree on everything, but one thing that most of us agree on is that we are living in prophetic times described in the Bible. It started with the Book of Exodus, when God redeemed Israel from Egypt and promised to bring them home on “ eagles’ wings .” In today’s episode, host Yael Eckstein will explore how these verses prophesied about the times we are in right now – and...

Did you know you are a warrior in the fight for God in this world? There are so many voices that spread doubt in God. Some come from others, and sometimes we can even find ourselves doubting. In today’s episode, host Yael Eckstein will look at the biblical story of the battle against Amalek to show us the root of these doubts. Yael shares fascinating insights about how this battle started in ancie...

Join host Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews , as she welcomes to the podcast Dr. Alveda King, daughter of slain civil rights activist Rev. A.D. King, and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout her life, Dr. King has carried on the legacy of the King family, passing on to subsequent generations the message of love and dignity of each hum...