To those who say salary is okay
Posted by matthewts  |  November 19, 2009 11:34:43 AM

So you went to business school and that means you are so smart that you can cite the percentage of the funds raised to justify the Rabbis salary? Look at Feed the Children, for example, a more than billion dollar charity, and Larry Jones make a fourth as much...or Susan G. Komen, way bigger, way broader, way more known, and half as much money, and that might even be a little high in my eyes. No justification can be made for this 800k salary, it is shameful and ridiculous, plain and simple. I understand paying a large amount to a company ceo who can in effect make the company more money, but that doesn't apply here. A fair and reasonable wage is understandable, we're not talking wall street with charity, we're talking about people in need, not shareholders...this is just absurd...

Salary
Posted by TJW  |  November 19, 2009 5:56:30 AM

The Rabbi is running an organization that is solid. Also, read MarkFromNJ; he's spot on. To judge the Rabbi's salary based on your individual perception of what he should or shouldn't make is unethical and un-American. The work he does is compassionate, and I'm proud of the choice has has made to serve in this life. When you are doing your research do your math as well. I've never met the Rabbi, but we would all live in a better world if more people chose to live as he does; there are many far less generous with their time, their resources and their life. God bless the Rabbi a thousand times over.

Rabbi's qualifications
Posted by sarahm  |  November 5, 2009 5:52:02 AM

I agree with MarkfromNJ that Rabbi Eckstein is highly qualified. I am glad he reaches out to Christians and works to promote goodwill between Christians and Jews. He founded this organization. His salary is a very small percentage of the actual organization's earnings. He educates people about the history of Israel and Jewish holidays. He provides news about Israel on a regular basis. He has been honored by Jewish leaders for his charity work in Israel. He is a leader with lots of compassion, and hundreds of people have been able to move to Israel to avoid anti-semitism. I am proud to support this organization.

salary
Posted by Bill in Spfd MO  |  July 9, 2009 11:10:55 AM

this is a charity that I seriously thought about donating to, however thank heavens that I researched it and came to realize that an 800K salary is absolutly horendous and I could not possibly donate to a CEO like this. Thanks for those that took the time to comment.

Response to MarkFromNJ
Posted by Lone  |  May 28, 2009 6:25:49 AM

This is a charity, CHARITY. It only need come as close to a business as necessary to make it function efficiently. Your line of thought is faulty and what you learned only serves to highlight what is wrong in business, and western society at large, so far as salary and compensation are concerned. That anyone feels the right to a $800k salary, in the face of so many that lack and work equally as hard or more so as a CEO for nearly nothing, is immoral and unethical to begin with. That this charity is what it is only makes the matter that much darker. The Rabbi may very well put the majority of his income back into the charity itself or others but we dont know. Until then, this is WRONG and no amount of "they jump off the bridge, so we should too" logic changes that.

Rabbi Salery is way too high!
Posted by Snacko  |  May 13, 2009 6:32:59 AM

MarkFromNJ seems to think this is just the way business is. But to me this is a charity first and a business second. Whomever takes a job of this sort must first and foremost have a charitable heart. There are great examples of other charities leadership taking good/reasonable salaries and raising 4x MORE than this charity. Christian Childrends Fund raises over $230m and their leadership only takes a salary of 0.11% or $261,231! While this Rabbi is taking 0.55% of a much smaller amount. Anyhow, I believe the bible teachs that as a Christian we should support Gods chosen people. But I will have to look at other options..

response to Emma
Posted by pattimac  |  April 21, 2009 6:35:49 AM

I still contribute to wings on eagles through IFCJ but The Joshua Fund is also a good non profit charity benefitting Jews and the founder is Joel Rosenberg a Jew who is also a Christian. He's a NY Times best selling author of "Epicenter" and teh Last Jihad series. joshuafund.net

Re:IFCJ, salaries and other issues.
Posted by Emma  |  April 7, 2009 7:04:32 AM

I also was going to donate money until I looked at the salary, but does anyone here know if the Rabbi 'donates' any of 'his' to help out his people? Also, are there any other organizations like this one, that does what they do to help the Jewish people? If so can you list it here? Lastly, has anyone contacted Rabbi Eckstein 'directly' to voice their 'concerns' about the salary issue? Just a thought, as I will probably donate the $25 to help out anyway, and let God and Jesus take care of the rest of it. By the way, is he a 'Messianic Jew', as is Rabbi Randy Weiss of 'Cross Walk Ministries International, who does believe in Messiah Jesus? Thanks and God bless.

Ghastly salaries
Posted by slt  |  April 3, 2009 9:02:40 AM

I, too, was about to send money to this worthy seeming charity. If the leader of IFCJ can't or won't reduce his salary, I'm sorry but I will have to find some other way to get my donation to these deserving people. And it is not just the Rabbi-what are the rest of the administrators earning. A lot of other charities "make it work" with less going to administrative costs.

Double Talk
Posted by Debora  |  April 1, 2009 5:50:40 AM

"There's something very awkward and very strange and very wrong that Christians in America, ladies who are giving 10 percent of their meager Social Security, are giving sacrificially when you have a wealthy Jewish community even after the Madoff situation," Rabbi Eckstein told JTA - The Global News Service of the Jewish People. http://jta.org/news/article/2009/01/26/1002518/temporary-lifeline-thrown-to-jewish-schools-in-fsu

I am one of those American Christian ladies living on a fixed income. I too have a heart of love for the Jewish people and have been very moved by Rabbi Ecksteins television pleas for the plight of Jews living in the former Soviet Union.

Then I went to "200 Largest U.S. Charities - Forbes.com" This article indicates Rabbi Ecksteins 2007 year end compensation was "(4) $823,753 (4)= Top pay, which includes benefits, one-time payments and deferred compensation, is based on latest available information." http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/14/charities08_International-Fellowship-of-Christians-and-Jews_CH0212.html

Stunned and deeply saddened I began to wonder about "giving sacrificially" to IFCJ while Rabbi Eckstein accepts such generous compensation and is part of the "wealthy Jewish community".

Rabbi's Salary
Posted by MarkFromNJ  |  February 3, 2009 10:02:28 AM

You folks clearly are unfamiliar about what it takes to attract leaders to run a large organization. You will not get anyone competent to run a 80 million dollar charity for much less than the Rabbi's salary. His job is equivalent to running a Fortune 500 corporation in terms or responsibility. He deserves every penny. In corporate life he would make MUCH more due to stock (read on).

What you SHOULD be looking at is the ratio of "administrative expenses" to total revenue, since that is what really matters - how much money the management takes off the top to run the organization. That and the fundraising efficiency. That is what determines how much gets into the hands of the needy, i.e. "Program Expenses". In this case the Rabbi's salary is about ONE HALF OF ONE PERCENT of revenue. The guy running the other interfaith charity I looked at takes $107K as salary. Sounds good, right? But they only raise 3 million dollars so he is taking THREE AND A HALF PERCENT, or SEVEN TIMES the Rabbi's salary as a percentage of revenue.

This is business 101 stuff -- bigger business, bigger salary. If the Rabbi was in fact running that 80 million dollar Fortune 500 company, not only would he be making maybe $300-500K in salary, but he would be getting MILLIONS (as in many millions) in stock options EVERY YEAR. Non-profits can not compensate their leaders with stock options so they have to compensate their leaders in cash.

As I said before, the salary is very reasonable for the job and its responsibilities. You should not remove your support for this charity based on the salary.

By the way, while I do donate to IFCJ, I have no affiliation with the organization or its leadership. I just went to business school...

Where is your heart ?
Posted by all4JESUS  |  November 19, 2008 6:53:13 AM

That is the question I would ask the good Rabbi. Jesus told us be careful where your treasures are for there will your heart be also ! I don't think anyone is questioning the Rabbi's work for the persecuted Jews,but how can he accept such an excessive salary while his very people suffer greatly ??? I too have given as generously as my fixed income allows because of my love for the Jewish people,but there are many other good charities doing the same work I have found thanks to Charity Navigator and many that are also bringing the Good news of JESUS CHRIST Our LORD to those Jewish who don't yet know and understand HE is their MESSIAH ! I will and cannot donate to this ministry until change occurs !!!! I am praying for Rabbi Eckstein !

rabbi salary not too high
Posted by gammyp6  |  October 7, 2008 6:36:14 AM

I have been donating for years to IFCJ What this organization does for Israel and her scattered remnants is beyond reproach. Rabbi Eckstein more than deserves his salary.

Salary
Posted by Rga  |  October 7, 2008 6:35:22 AM

I was ready to give money to this organization until I also noticed the hefty $500k+ salary of the Rabbi. The ethics of the board in giving this salary and the rabbi in taking it, severely disappoint me.

Thank God for Rabbi Eckstein
Posted by idlewilder  |  October 2, 2008 5:33:14 AM

I personally think you couldn't pay me enough for what this Rabbi has to deal with. He deserves for more riches. God bless his soul. Maybe he is not a Christian; however, he is the next best thing.He is trying to bring peace to the world! He is not against Christians!

High Salary
Posted by NiemandZuHause  |  May 9, 2008 11:25:52 AM

I too have been giving regularly because of my love for the Jewish people. But when I learned of the large salary the Rabbi gets, I stopped my support and directed it somewhere else. His salary is making me question the integrity and the motive of the Rabbi. With so many people in such dire need, how can any reasonable, god-fearing person justify taking so high a (0.6%) percentage of our donations? I hope the good rabbi reads this.

Thanks to charity navigator, we can now be better stewards of what has been given to us to manage.

Rich Rabbi...
Posted by naomi  |  May 7, 2008 8:26:34 AM

I received some nice address labels in the mail today and thought this seemed like a good cause to donate to... I decided to first check out Charity Navigator and was stunned to see that Rabbi Eckstein has such a handsome salary! Here I was trying to figure out how much I could spare to help these people in need and I find that my wage is one-fourteenth that of the CEO of this charity. Some of that could/should certainly be put back into the program expenses.

Donations
Posted by dvtash@qwest.ne  |  April 23, 2008 1:18:06 PM

Although I like this charity & the reason for its existence, I look at the CEO salary of all charities before I donate. This CEO is taking too much, so I will not donate.

Rabbi Eckstein earnings
Posted by grannyc  |  March 3, 2008 6:42:31 AM

I have been donating for several years to this cause, and had I realized that the CEO was taking this much monies out of the contributions, I would not have been donating. Please Rabbi, share some of your large salary with the people that we who donate are trying to help.