Sometimes you read a book that is so good, so profound, and that meets a need that is so great in our current culture you want to shout the message from a mountaintop. Yael Eckstein’s book Generation to Generation: Passing on a Legacy of Faith to Our Children is just that type of book. Much needed and chocked filled with wisdom.
Admittedly, I’m a statistics kind of girl. I have been following the heartrending trajectory of Christian children walking away from faith in Jesus Christ in record numbers with broken hearts. As a mother of six children, now all adults, I have seen the statistics played out in the lives of my children’s friends. Of my six children, they have only 3 friends who are currently following the ways of Christ. That is probably 3 out of 30 close playmates they grew up with. Our whole family has grieved this fact and honestly has struggled to figure it out.
The Jewish people have preserved and maintained their faith for over two thousand years. They have consistently passed it on from parent to child and on again to grandchildren and great-grandchildren. All this, despite being exiled from their land and suffering persecution, pogroms, and even the Holocaust! How have they done this? It is truly an amazing feat! Every parent wanting to raise committed children of faith should be wondering how to unlock the keys to how the Jewish people have successfully passed on the legacy of faith through the home and family.
We must come to terms with two facts in order to address this crisis. The first is how we view the Bible. It is literally God’s Word to us, his adopted children. It is sufficient to address any and all issues we may encounter. We must stop searching for wisdom on how to raise our children from the culture and trust God’s Word. Secondly, we must humbly admit that we need help to understand the Jewish traditions and principles of the Bible.
Our Savior is Jewish and therefore we need to make time to study, learn, and pray for wisdom to understand the Jewish culture and language. The Jewish Bible (The Old Testament) is not irrelevant to the Christian’s life. The Holy Bible is a complete book, the story of God’s steadfast love, and His redemption of a rebellious people. I know this can seem overwhelming, but don’t worry, Yael Eckstein’s book Generation to Generation will make things clear!
Generation To Generation
One of the greatest gifts we can pass on to our children and our grandchildren is the legacy of faith. In Judaism, this is known as l’dor v’dor, “from generation to generation,” and expresses how faith is passed down from one generation to the next through the holy observances and traditions that happen within the life of the family.
In this beautifully written book, you will learn the lessons of faith instilled in Yael by her parents that helped her to have faith following the sudden death of her father, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, and gave her the hope and courage she needed to follow in his footsteps as President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. “Generation to Generation” unlocks these holy observances and traditions and reveals the key values each one reinforces. These are the values that Yael Eckstein and her husband are now passing on to their four children, and that will allow you to pass on a strong and living faith to your children and grandchildren.
Generation to Generation is meant to be read together as a family. Yael has done all the work for you, there are thought-provoking discussion questions and poignant Scripture memory verses at the back of each chapter. This will take an intentional time commitment, and if you are not already having family devotions/worship this book is a great way to start a new family tradition, even better than most as this one has eternal value.
In the words of Billy Graham, “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” For the record, I agree. Why not make a start today by reading and doing what Generation to Generation suggests? I think it could be the beginning of children returning to a lasting devout faith.
What could be better than this? Well, a chance to win your very own copy of Generation to Generation: Passing on a Legacy of Faith To our Children! Click HERE to enter this wonderful giveaway!
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Your Turn…
How are you teaching your children to become dedicated disciples of Christ?
Blessings,