Joelle Eckstein Turns Her Pain Into Purpose. The Eckstein Fund Remains a Beacon of Hope in Loving Memory of a Husband and Beloved Rabbi, Yechiel Eckstein
PALM BEACH, Fla., July 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Joelle Eckstein faithfully worked alongside her late husband, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, for 15 years as he built an organization that raises $100 million a year to help Jewish widows and orphans. He dedicated his life to building bridges between Christians and Jews.
In February 2019, she lost everything she held dear. In a tragic moment, her husband and her purpose were both gone. Their life was intertwined not only in a beautiful marriage but in a unified charitable and spiritual mission. She led a vital arm of his organization, a crisis hotline giving Israelis in need a place to call for help. In a moment, she was alone, left behind. The organization that had been their mutual love no longer wanted her help.
Depressed, Joelle struggled to get out of bed every day, reliving the horrific moment of finding her husband's lifeless body. Joelle Eckstein turned that unbearable pain into a new purpose to launch her organization, The Eckstein Fund, "Keren Eckstein," in memory of her late husband, with a single focus of relaunching the hotline that was getting an average of 350 calls a day.
*9779 was the number people called to get help until the sudden shutdown and termination of 25 employees working at the project. Fortunately, within a year, Joelle was able to reacquire the *9779 number and rebuild the network of over 500 social service partners who assist those calling in need. Today, the phones are answered by two staff members and Joelle, who speaks five languages (Hebrew, French, Spanish, English, and Catalan).
The hotline can help many of the working poor in Israel who live from paycheck to paycheck. One unfortunate event, like the loss of a job, an eviction notice, or a medical emergency, can push them into debt or homelessness. Immigrants and the elderly make up the majority of the callers. They typically have no idea where to turn or how to access the assistance available to them.
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein would often say, "Kol Israel Arevim Zeh Bazeh," meaning "All people of Israel are responsible for one another," is the heart of the new organization created in his honor. You can join The Eckstein Fund in making a life-saving difference for Israelis in need.
Media Contact: Karyn Turk, American Creative Group, LLC.
Phone: 561-877-1920
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SOURCE The Eckstein Fund
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