Have you ever wondered why it seems God is always testing us? If you have, then this episode is for you.

Just like when we were kids in school, life is full of tests—and most people still want to avoid them! Today, Yael Eckstein looks at Abraham’s tests in the Book of Genesis to discover the purpose of life’s tests—to turn us into the best versions of ourselves that we can be. Then, gain a whole new understanding of the reason why we are tested in life, illustrated by Yael’s own experiences.

Instead of running away from God’s tests, let’s try and look forward to them!

Test your knowledge of the father of our faith who was tested by God by taking our quiz on Abraham.

Before the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023, and the two years of war that they plunged the nation of Israel into, Yael had the welcoming of inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the podcast.

This week, as Israel and those who stand for her look to a peaceful and renewed future, we’d like to share Yael and PM Netanyahu’s wide-ranging conversation about Israel, and the friendships between Jews and Christians, as well as the United States and the Jewish State.

As PM Netanyahu reflects, the story of Israel is a parable for all humanity. If the Jewish people can come back from the Holocaust and reconstitute their ancient homeland after 3,500 years and rebuild that nation into a leading world power, then “there’s hope for all humanity, for all people.”

Three words—from his own father, a renowned historian—have influenced the Prime Minister throughout his resilient career: “History, history, history. My father told me if you don’t understand how you got here, you are not going to understand how to go forward. And in Israel, history begins with three words: Bible, Bible, Bible. There’s no meaning to the Jewish people without the Bible; there’s no meaning to our future without our past.”

When it comes to the history of modern Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu says, “In the course of the birth of Israel, the rise of modern Israel, we have not had better friends than our Christian friends around the world. It’s a tremendous partnership, which I deeply, deeply value.”

For anyone who loves Israel, you won’t want to miss this insightful and inspiring conversation!

As the High Holy Days come to a close, Jews around the world spend one last day in an intense celebration with God before resuming their normal routines.

Simchat Torah, a day whose name means “Rejoicing in the Torah,” is unlike any other observance we experience in synagogue.

As Yael Eckstein describes in this podcast, the entire congregation—from the youngest children to the oldest adults—takes out the Torah scroll and joins in a never-ending circle of dancing and singing. The celebration marks the completion of reading through the Torah, from Genesis to Deuteronomy, before the reading cycle begins again.

But the lesson of Simchat Torah lasts all year long, Yael teaches. This joyful day is a reminder that the way to stay close to God and transform inspiration into action throughout the year is through His Word. Listen now!

Visit our Learning Center to learn more about Simchat Torah.

Do you know the one holy day that the entire world will celebrate in messianic times?

According to the biblical prophet Zechariah, it’s the Festival of Tabernacles, or as it’s called in Hebrew, Sukkot (Zechariah 4:16).

Unity among all of God’s children is a major theme of this joyous biblical celebration. And this week, Yael looks to the lessons of Sukkot to find practical ways that bring us together.

In our world that often feels increasingly divided, Sukkot’s spirit of unity can bring goodness, pleasantness, and blessings to all of our lives.

Learn more about Sukkot by visiting our Learn Center.

And listen to more of Yael’s Bible teachings on her daily podcast, The Chosen People.

Have you ever found yourself needing to apologize to someone… and dreading it? Or have you been hurt by someone who refused to apologize for something they did to you?

Saying “I’m sorry” can be one of the hardest things to do.

On this podcast episode about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, Yael Eckstein explores how those two words—“I’m sorry”—relate to the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Admitting our wrongdoings, committing to change, and moving forward is what this biblical holy day is all about.

When we say, “I’m sorry”—and when we mean it—God has mercy and He forgives. And those two little words have the power to heal relationships and change the world for the better.

Learn more about the High Holy Days by visiting our Learn Center.

And listen to more of Yael’s Bible teachings on her daily podcast, The Chosen People.

In the Holy City of Jerusalem—and in synagogues around the world, the sounds of the shofar have been heard for the past month. For thousands of years, his biblical trumpet has been calling people to reflect, repent, and return to God.

On this podcast, Yael Eckstein continues her exploration of the Jewish High Holy Days by focusing on one of the main rituals of this holiest season: the sounding of the shofar.

Yael explores why the Jewish people use a shofar to prepare themselves for the new year, and how its many sounds are a call to self-reflection and self-improvement, to repentance, and to return to God.

Join Yael as she explains the symbolism and messages of the shofar, and how its sounds through each of our lives, all year round.

Learn more about the High Holy Days by visiting our Learn Center.

And listen to more of Yael’s Bible teachings on her daily podcast, The Chosen People.

As people usher in a New Year on January 1 with parties and celebrations, how many are thinking about repentance? It’s probably not very many.

But when Jewish New Year is welcomed on Rosh Hashanah, the main focus is on repentance, or teshuvah, which means to “return” to God. The sound of the shofar—the biblical trumpet made from a ram’s horn—calls us to reflect on the past twelve months, to fix anything in our lives that hasn’t been helpful, and to return to God—who is waiting for us with open arms.

In this special Rosh Hashanah episode, Yael Eckstein takes a biblical look at repentance, its significance for all of us as people of faith, and how returning to God will nourish our souls and transform us into the people we are meant to be. Listen Now!

And listen to more of Yael’s Bible teachings on her daily podcast, The Chosen People.

Sometimes in life, our faith might seem strong, but our fears seem even stronger.

Maybe you’ve tried to cling to faith over the past year, but still look to the future with trepidation. Here’s the thing—it’s not easy to stand confidently in faith and in peace when life seems scary and uncertain. So what do we do? How do we strengthen our faith?

Today, Yael Eckstein turns to the Bible and Jewish teachings for answers! Knowing that we should put all our trust in God and actually having faith that God is looking out for us are two very different things.

When we lean on God, we can stay standing through anything. Listen now!

And listen to more of Yael’s Bible teachings on her daily podcast, The Chosen People.