Eckstein made aliyah in 2005 with her husband, who is Israeli. After the initial move, Eckstein lived with her father, during which time she saw the workings of the IFJC.[7] After 15 years of working under her father's guidance, where Yael's first job at IFCJ was stamping envelopes, her father began preparing her for succession as CEO.[8] In 2006, she started writing to Fellowship donors about her experiences during the Second Lebanon War.[9]
As of 2019, she regularly blogs and writes op-eds for The Times of Israel[10] and The Jerusalem Post.[11] She has also spoken at international events, including a on religious persecution in the Middle East in Washington, D.C.[12] She also shares her perspective on Judaism, life in the Holy Land, and her work with the IFCJ on the group's radio program, Holy Land Moments, and, as of 2021, hosts the Nourish Your Biblical Roots and Conversations with Yael podcasts.[13] Yael lives in Israel with her husband and four children.[1]
The Fellowship
Eckstein previously held the positions of global executive vice president, senior vice president, and director of program development and ministry outreach.[citation needed]
In 2016, Yechiel Eckstein publicly blessed Yael as the one he envisioned running IFCJ. In 2017, the Fellowship's board—excluding her father, according to Yael—designated her as president-elect.[7]
In 2019, after her father's death at 67, she became president and CEO of The Fellowship, the Chicago-based nonprofit with an office in Israel.[1] She oversees all Fellowship programs as its President and CEO and is the organization's international spokesperson.[13]
In 2023, leaked files from the reputation management firm Eliminalia showed that the firm had been engaged to target stories about Eckstein and her father, specifically trying to remove content reporting their combined $4 million annual compensation in 2019, which an IFCJ spokesperson said was due to a death benefit paid out to the elder Eckstein's widow,[14] and that Eliminalia had used what the ''Washington Post'' characterized as "bogus copyright complaints" in its attempts to do so.[15]
Awards
In 2014, Yael Eckstein was named "One of Israel's 100 Most Influential Women" by Makor Rishon.[16] In 2015, she was featured on the cover of Nashim (Women) magazine. In 2019, she was recognized by the Algemeiner Journal as one of the "Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life".[17] In both 2020 and 2021, Eckstein was named one of The Jerusalem Post's "50 Most Influential Jews".[18][19][20] In 2023, Eckstein received the Humanitarian Award from The Jerusalem Post.[21]
