David Nekrutman is an American-Israeli OrthodoxJewish theologian, writer, director, columnist, public speaker, and pro-Israel activist. He is a prominent figure and pioneer in the world of Jewish-Christian relations, and is the executive director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation, co-founder of the Day to Praise global interfaith initiative, and founder of the Blessing Bethlehem aid organization. In addition, Nekrutman is a columnist who has written for The Jerusalem Post, Charisma Magazine, and The Times of Israel.
Biography
Early life
David Nekrutman was born on 28 November 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, to Natalie and Allen Nekrutman. He is the younger brother of Joseph Nekrutman. Throughout his elementary and high-school years, Nekrutman attended a Yeshiva, where he adorned, in his words, "a black hat", which is significant of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish denomination.
In the early 2000s, prior to his work with CJCUC, Nekrutman served initially as Director of Political Affairs, and later on as Director of Christian Affairs, for the Consulate General of Israel in New York, a position he acquired after attending a Christian "Night to Celebrate Israel" event at a local community church in Brooklyn. Initially, it was Nekrutman's boss at the consulate, Alon Pinkas, who was intended to take part in the event, but an emergency situation in Israel at the time prevented him from going, and he asked Nekrutman to take his place. After placing a call to his rabbi, Gerald Meister, Nekrutman received the necessary dispensation to attend the event at the church. After attending the event, Nekrutman was later approached by Pinkas and his director of media affairs, Ido Aharoni, and informed that they are changing his portfolio from Director of Political Affairs to Director of Christian Affairs. After hesitation in regards to whether or not he wanted to accept the position, Nekrutman turned once again to Rabbi Meister, who told him that he had been entrusted with a sacred responsibility, and that he could go by way of two paths: "Covenant Theology", in which both Jewish and Christian communities believe they are covenanted; or by way of a "Kodak Moment", and get his picture taken in the paper. Meister told Nekrutman that he preferred he go by way of the first option. Nekrutman eventually accepted the position. While serving as Director of Christian Affairs, he was instrumental in the launching of The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, The Israel Experience, The Christian Jerusalem Day Banquet, and The Watchman on the Wall program with Reverend Robert Stearns of Eagles' Wings, resulting in millions of Christians praying for and supporting Israel and the Jewish people.
CJCUC
Since 2008, Nekrutman, under the auspice of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, heads The Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation, or CJCUC, an educational institution at which Christians who tour Israel can study the Hebrew Bible with Orthodox rabbis and learn about the Hebraic roots of Christianity. The center was established in Efrat in 2008 by Riskin, who has developed a reputation as "the most prominent rabbinic spokesperson to Christian Zionists". CJCUC partners with major Christian interfaith organizations such as Christians United for Israel and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. Its mission is rooted in Isaiah 1:18: "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord." In 2011, Nekrutman spoke to Korean Christians at a pro-Israel rally held in Seoul. Nekrutman was the first Orthodox Jew to speak at the Church of God in Christ conference and discuss the importance of visiting Israel. In April 2012, he was the main speaker at CUFI's first international event in Nairobi, where over 1,500 Africans attended to support Israel. In 2013, Nekrutman, was accepted into the Oral Roberts University online Graduate Theology program. In October 2013, Nekrutman published a controversial appeal for funds from Jews to support the purchase of a permanent site for the Christian-Arab church of Pastor Steven Khoury. In a September 2015 piece for The Times of Israel, Nekrutman appealed to the Israeli Ministry of Education in regards to budget cuts and equal funding for Christian schools in Israel, citing these budget cuts as "collateral damage" of internal political issues and stating that these issues "should never oppress minority populations". Later, together with The Pave the Way Foundation and the Galilee Center for Studies in Jewish-Christian Relations, CJCUC initiated an international campaign urging the Israeli Prime Minister and Education Ministry to Save Christian Education. Since Rabbi Shlomo Riskin's retirement as president of Ohr Torah Stone in 2018, Nekrutman has taken over as head of all CJCUC activities.
Day to Praise
In April 2015, Nekrutman along with CJCUC Chancellor and Founder, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, launched the Day to Praise global initiative. The initiative takes to form in an annual event on Yom Ha'atzmaut in which Christians world-wide are called on and invited by Rabbi Riskin to recite Hallel with the Jewish People in a celebration to praise God for the State of Israel.
Blessing Bethlehem
In the autumn of 2016, Nekrutman along with CJCUC associate director, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, founded Blessing Bethlehem, an initiative with the purpose of providing humanitarian aid to the persecuted and impoverished Christian Arabs of Bethlehem and the surrounding communities.
Personal life
From 2006 to 2013, Nekrutman worked in e-marketing for a major high-tech company in Israel.
