How Firm a Foundation: A Gift of Jewish Wisdom

by Yechiel Eckstein

How do the Jews observe the Sabbath? Can you explain Passover and Yom Kippur to me? My children have been invited to a friend's bar mitzvah--what is this? Do Jews and Christians have anything in common?

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein answers these questions with his rich presentation of Jewish beliefs and practices, festivals and holy days, and the Jewish life cycle, including rites of passage, worship practices and dietary laws. Eckstein skillfully frames Jewish beliefs and practices in their historical context and offers the reader an understanding of the contemporary experience of the the Holocaust, the birth of Israel, and the diversification of the Jewish experience.

Genres: Religion

270 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 1997

About the author

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, has devoted more than 35 years to building bridges of understanding between Christians and Jews and broad support for the State of Israel. He is recognized as the world’s leading Jewish authority on evangelical Christians.

Rabbi Eckstein received Orthodox Rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University in New York. He holds master’s degrees from Yeshiva University and Columbia University, where he also completed studies for his doctorate. Rabbi Eckstein has served on the faculties of Columbia University, Chicago Theological Seminary, and Northern Baptist Seminary. He currently serves on the executive committee of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Agency for Israel.