Most likely you landed on this page because you a have seen the commercials for the organization called the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews or IFCJ and you are wondering – “is the IFCJ a scam?”
Are The International Fellowship of Christians & Jews a Scam?
- The IFCJ’s refusal to work with or support Jews who believe in Jesus should give any Christian pause before giving any money to the IFCJ. After reviewing the sourced information presented below — please consider supporting any of the ministries listed on this website. Why would any Christian who has a heart for the Jewish people, knowingly send money to be used against other Jews who believe in Jesus?
If you have a heart for Israel & the Jewish People— then support ANY of these excellent Jewish Ministries. They help the Jewish people with their physical needs and ALSO share the Good News of Jesus Christ!
Know This Before Giving to the IFCJ:
- The name of this organization International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is intentionally MISLEADING—as the IFCJ REFUSES to share the Good News of the Jewish Messiah (Jesus Christ) with anyone at ALL!
- Yael Eckstein (and previously her father Rabbi Eckstein) refuse to have anything to do with Jews who actually believe in Jesus! (Read more below)
- The IFCJ has no written Statement of Faith.
What Others Are Saying:
- MinistryWatch.com wrote a scathing article about the amount of money IFCJ spends on wages and promotion of their organization —
“Over 40¢ of EVERY $1 raised goes to fundraising and compensation”!
- Haaretz.com reported —
“George Mamo, CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, is accused of harassing two female employees… Sexual Harassment Suit filed…”
- Haaretz.com reported —
On the $60,000,000.00 seven-story global headquarters that the IFCJ was building in Jerusalem. After the Rabbi’s death in 2019, his daughter Yael put a stop to it — but $14,000,000.00 had already been spent on the failed project! Were donors told they were funding a lavish new headquarters instead of the helping those in need?
- Charisma Magazine wrote —
“…As the head of a nonprofit that is almost entirely supported by donations, what makes Yechiel Eckstein’s compensation noteworthy is its proportion to his organization’s overall income compared to other ministries. While the salary and benefit package of the head of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (ICFJ) is at least five times higher than any other leader of an Israel-related ministry, clocking in at $1.2 million, Eckstein’s compensation is more than double what the president of World Vision—a ministry with a budget 10 times larger—earns…”
- CharityWatch.org reported —
The Founder’s salary was in the Top 25 Compensation Packages (Worldwide) of all of the non-profits that Charity Watch followed in 2016.
- The IFCJ Website prior to being removed —
“… Until now,” Eckstein said, “evangelicals have realized that if they want to have relations with the Jewish community and Israel they have to put messianic groups aside because they know people like myself aren’t going to work with them …”
“… Eckstein, who advises Israeli Prime Minister Sharon, said he would strongly urge Sharon and other Israeli leaders to shun evangelical leaders who support messianic attempts to proselytize Jews — even though evangelicals have poured tens of millions of dollars into Israel and have been steadfast visitors to the Jewish state …” - What Christians Should Know About Jews and Judaism —
by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein“… By sprinkling their Christian lives of faith with Jewish customs and rituals taken out of their proper, historic context, they pervert Jewish symbols and make a mockery of the Jewish faith … A Jew who accepts Jesus as Lord or Messiah effectively ceases to be a Jew. He is viewed almost treasonously as having abandoned his faith, given up his Jewish heritage, and severed all links with the Jewish peoplehood … More than constituting an imposing threat to Jewish life and survival, Hebrew Christians are the source of much of the Jewish distrust of Evangelicals and the discord in their relations …” What Christians Should Know About Jews and Judaism, ©1984 Word Publishing, pp. 294-299.
- MinistryWatch.com —
“… Evangelicals believe that genuine Christian witness is carried out in a spirit of love, for it is performed out of the desire to help people obtain the greatest good possible to man: the gift of eternal life. Rabbi Eckstein and IFCJ do not support, in fact they implicitly oppose, this mission.“
“For this reason, many evangelicals find it difficult to support IFCJ, especially given the fact that there are Christian ministries (some of which are operated by Messianic Jews), which provide similar services for the Jewish people.”
- The New York Times —
“… You’ve seen him on TV. He was a rabbi, and he became a born-again Christian!” And here he was, sitting next to a reporter as he was being introduced as a born-again Christian. “This has never happened to me before,” he [Eckstein] muttered, rising. “I’ve got to do something …”
“… He began with damage control. “I’m a Jewish rabbi,” he informed the congregation. “An Orthodox Jewish rabbi. I believe in a Messiah, but I am an Orthodox Jewish rabbi.” …”
- GreatNonprofits (Compelling Public Reviews) —
Review by johnny65“After recently finishing an in-depth look into the IFCJ charity, I feel I MUST share my findings. ESPECIALLY with other Christians who are giving to this charity not knowing where their money goes, or who it helps.
I was targeted for a $5000.00 donation to their charity. So, upon that request, I did my homework. And that’s what I’ll briefly share with you here. But before I get into the details, let me say now before I lose any readers, I will NOT be giving a dime to this organization.
For starters, (this is likely very important to Christians) Rabbi Eckstein (now deceased) was not a (Christian) Messianic Jew. The entire time he lectured using a Bible, and even speaking in Christian churches, he was a staunch NON believer in Jesus, and being vocal in other groups, that he would not allow any discussions of salvation through Jesus take place. Christians, just let that sink in for a minute. All those things he said, and all that he falsely convinced, that he was a a Christian Jew, or that he had any belief in the Bible, that was all misleading to get your money. In fact, it goes further than even that!! This Jewish charity, even gives money to groups that STOP Christians from telling Jews about Jesus, and also money to work against the Messianic Jewish movement. You see, this Rabbi didn’t want our Jesus at all, he just wanted our money, and with smooth talking he got 1.5 billion dollars since the 80’s. And that’s right, not one cent of that 1.5 billion dollars, went to promote salvation or anything about Jesus. Remember that.
It that’s unimportant to you, here’s some more info I dug up. Rabbi Eckstein’s salary exceeded $1.2 Million dollars a year!!! You read that right. 1.2 million….. All other staff members he paid a relatively meager $200,000 per year each.
As of the Rabbis death, his daughter has taken over the reins. He trained her for over a year before he died, teaching her the ropes of the business. She eagerly continues asking Christians for money to support Israel and the Jewish people. Rabbi Eckstein and now his daughter, his salary was 500% higher than any other comparably sized charity. Yep, 5 times higher. All I can think of is struggling. Christians sending their money to this man, while he was pocketing all that, and doing work that is contrary to Christian beliefs.
Evangelical Christians have become the cash cow for the Jewish charities. If you care about the Jewish people getting the Gospel, and salvation, don’t give your money to any charity like this that wants nothing to do with you, except for getting your wallet. All while demanding you better NEVER try to tell them about Jesus.
There are good Jewish charities out there. Jews for Jesus is an example. But DO YOUR RESEARCH!! I was able to find all the terrible information about IFCJ quite easily through Christian charity watchdog groups. There are numerous other charities in support for Israel and the Jewish people that rated very highly. So again, do your research.
All I could think of is had I sent them the $5,000.00 they kept asking for, some of that money would have been used to STOP the words of Jesus salvation getting to Israel and its people. And that’s the last thing any Christian should be supporting.”
Executive Salaries
Rabbi Eckstein’s Salary for 2012
$1,203,690.00!
Rabbi Eckstein’s Salary for 2014
$1,129,242.00!
Rabbi Eckstein’s Salary for 2018
$875,239.00!
Up, Up and Away! — Following in her father’s footsteps, The Rabbi’s Daughter Yael Eckstein is on par to surpass what was her father’s outrageous salary — Increasing over 330% since 2012!
$206,491.00to $292,248.00to $324,500.00to $496,500.00to $625,980.00to $696,072.00
Other Organizations operated by IFCJ—
- Isaiah 58
- On Wings of Eagles
- Stand for Israel
- Guardians of Israel
- IFCJ
- The Fellowship
Why would the International Fellowship of Christians & Jews be interested in teaching the Jewish Roots of Christianity — yet REFUSE to have anything to do with Messianic Jews—Jews who believe in Jesus?
What other concerns do I have with the IFCJ?
- Most of the money the IFCJ receives, has been given by well-meaning Christians—over $1,800,000,000.00 to date.
- I fell victim to the IFCJ’s emotional advertising because of a misunderstanding of my role as a Christian in supporting both the Jewish people and Israel. We are to support them both physically and spiritually. However, by NOT sharing the Gospel with the Jewish people, we miss the most important message that Jesus gave His followers. Take the Gospel Message and go to the Jewish people FIRST and then to all of the other nations. Now that we are in the ‘Last Days’, the Bible speaks about how Jesus will not return until the Jewish people return to Him. We are beginning to see more and more Jewish people come to know Jesus (Yeshua) as their Jewish Messiah! It is happening in the United States, Israel and around the world.
What did Jesus warn us to be careful of?
Matthew 7:15 —
- Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
Matthew 7:21-23 —
- Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matthew 10:32-33 —
- Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
I hope you now see how important your giving is to ministries who will work with and also support Jews who Believe Jesus Christ as their Lord.
- The Lord honors us when we try to please him, even if we are misinformed and give to ministries that operate in opposition to Him. He looks at our hearts.
- How much MORE will He be pleased if we give to ministries that are both helpful to the Jewish people and are sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ!
- I would also ask that you pray for Yael Eckstein, asking the Lord to reveal His Son, Jesus, the Jewish Messiah—to her.
- If you choose to give to any of the ministries listed on website, you will help spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, to the Jew first and then to the Gentile.
