The posek hador, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, has stated that Yidden should not take money from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (Keren Hayedidut) headed by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.
Groups that take money from the fund are violating the Torah’s issur of avodah zarah, Rav Elyashiv maintains. There are those who even aid future missionary activities and grant them legitimacy. “We regret to say that we have learned that several mosdos, organizations and tzedakos have made mistakes of this nature,” he is reported as saying.
Other rabbonim who have issed similar p’sakim include Rav Nissim Karelitz, Rav Shmuel Auerbach, Chacham Ovadiah Yosef, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu and others.
The IFCJ was founded in 1983 by Rabbi Eckstein to “promote understanding between Jews and Christians and build broad support for Israel and other shared concerns,” according to the organizations website. It has headquarters in Chicago and Yerushalayim and is supervised by an independent board of directors and is led by its founder and president, Rabbi Eckstein, who is a world expert on Christian-Jewish relations and was also appointed by the State of Israel as its Goodwill Ambassador to Christian Communities.
In 2007, Rabbi Eckstein received an overall salary and benefits of $823,000, according to a tax return filed in the United States.
Over the years, The Fellowship has raised close to half a billion dollars for Jewish immigration, resettlement, humanitarian and social welfare projects in Israel.
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}
Please post a video of Rav Elyshiv saying this. Unfortunately too many people have “put words in his mouth.”
Ich Farshtei Nisht. The Poskei Hador HaRav Eliashiv and Harav Wosner, clearly said on numerous occasions that due to their advanced age B”H, they can no longer Paskin Shalos. However, lately, every week all kinds of interesting and controversial Shalos are said to be answered by these Gaonim. People having met with them and then relaying their own messages in the name of these Gaonim. It doesnt make sense.
Why was it necessary to mention how much salary and benefits R’ Eckstein made last year?
There are those who debate if this religion is avodah zara.
#2 – based on what your saying, i’m sure a site like matzav would have made a major post about it, seeing as they didn’t, wouldn’t you assume whoever told you they don’t paskin shalos, is well wrong?
#3 – it’s a nice insentive to know you almost made 1 – million dollars no?
#4 – clearly, this posek says it is a’z, so there’s not much reason to mention the other side.
Dear No. 5. Of course not. The normal people that hear brabim what our gedolei hador say, do not come to Matzav. By the way, you may not have noticed, that while Matzav is a wonderful site, it is not a Shailos and Tshvas forum for Talmidei Chachomim. The weird and even weirder Shalos somehow wind up in these columns. Something no one can vouch for.
Like for instance, the Shanda of the elevator Psak From the Gadol Hador Rav Eliashiv. Something later admitted by the writers of the letter that it was a “mistake”/
What do you mean a mistake. How do you mistakenly put on someones signature on something he never wrote. It was a deliberate distortion of the truth. It was admitted by them as such.
hey 6,what are you babbling about?
remember, you said “they can no longer Paskin Shalos”
it’s clearly wrong. enough. finished with.
as for your whole “jews are perfect” rant,
they aren’t. and they make mistakes.
you can’t accept that? to bad. becuase jews aren’t perfect.