Where God’s Presence Dwells | International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

Where God’s Presence Dwells | International Fellowship of Christians and Jews: Where God’s Presence Dwells Yael Eckstein  |  November 7, 2021 He has founded his city on the holy mountain. The LORD loves the gates of Zion     more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. — Psalm 87:1–2 In honor of my father, Fellowship Founder Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, of blessed memory, and his lifework helping Christians understand the Jewish roots of their faith, I offer you one of his devotional teachings from the beloved Psalms. One of the first stops for many newcomers to Jerusalem is the Western Wall. Standing in the Old City, it is considered one of the holiest sites in all of Judaism. It is the only wall still standing from the Second Temple, and Jews all over the world direct their hearts and prayers toward this remnant of their biblical heritage. For many Jews, the Western Wall, known as the Kotel in Hebrew, represents not only their yearning to return home to Israel, but their right to return there. Even during the many years of the Jews’ exile from their biblical homeland, the Western Wall remained our most visible “mark” on the city. The Jewish claim to Jerusalem was never forgotten because our ancestors’ handiwork of the lone remaining wall of the Temple stands