Thanks to a generous donor, iHeartNoahides.com will remain available on the web this year!

Goodness abounds!

Thanks friend!

Hello dear readers and random searching souls!

Unless a generous donor can sponsor us to maintain this site’s hosting and domain services (about $120 a year), iHeartNoahides will soon go offline and unavailable indefinitely.

I have backed up the entire site, and therefore could reupload it all at a future time…like when I’ve completed graduate school and paid off my loans (ugh)…but honestly, who knows when that will be.

Since my first post on July 24th 2008, iHeartNoahides has received over 10,000 visitors!  Many Google searches with the keyword “noahide” in them lead people to iHeartNoahides where they find lots of information and links.  This is so, even despite having ceased to add to the site in summer 2009.

If you are feeling generous, please contact me, Daniel, at NoahGear@gmail.com

Blessings,

Daniel

“I am full of love for G-d!
I know that my love and yearning has no name.
How can a feeling that surpasses everything:
all goodness, all essence, all existence, be given a name?”

(Orot HaKodesh 4:400)

أهل نوح

The People of Noah

I found this very touching.

*********

Righteous Gentile Gets Israel Burial
Jun/17/09

Oscar Schindler by his RG tree.

(IsraelNN.com) The ashes of a Polish man who hid and saved 12 Jewish escapees from the Warsaw Ghetto in an apartment he rented for them were buried in the Kiryat Shaul cemetery in Tel Aviv Tuesday along with those of his wife. Two of the people Jerzy Wunsche saved in 1943, Yosef Atlasowicz and Miriam Sherman, attended the funeral. Sherman, who was a baby at the time, was raised by Wunsche for three years after World War II ended before he handed her over to the Jewish Agency.

When Wunsche died a year ago his family discovered his will called for him to be buried under the tree planted in his honor at Yad Vashem. His wife Zofia’s wishes were to be buried beside her husban. When burial at the museum proved impossible, Atlasowicz and Yad Vashem arranged for the couple’s burial in the portion of the Kiryat Shaul cemetery reserved for righteous gentiles. “He was a very modest man,” said Wunsche’s son John. “He thought what he was doing was normal, and that everyone should have done it.”

Why do people refer to the phenomenon of Gentiles coming back to the G-d of Israel as “the Noahide movement.”  And why do I think we should stop using this word, movement?

Here are two reasons not to use the word movement, and two reasons to use a different word: community.  The Noahide community.

Reason #1 not to use “movement”

Random House Dictionary defines a movement as:

a diffusely organized or heterogeneous group of people or organizations tending toward or favoring a generalized common goal: the antislavery movement; the realistic movement in art, etc.

The word movement does not accurately portray what is going on here.

(bottle rocket flying into the night)

What we have are human beings seeking out the G-d of Israel in order to live a lifestyle in accordance with G-d’s Will and Wisdom, the Torah.  This is a lifelong journey for the individual, and an eternal journey for mankind.

Yet the word movement connotes what our Sages called “ahavah sh’teluya ba’davar” - a love that depends on something.

“Any love that depends on something, when that thing ceases, the love will cease. But if it does not depend on anything, it will endure forever…” (Avos 5:19)

A movement depends on attaining their goal.  The civil rights movement.  Boy did it move! They changed America.  And now where are the people marching in the streets?  Where are the speeches across America?  There are none (no major ones) because the goals were achieved - American law was changed forever.

Are the Noahides part of a movement, then?

I say no.  You are not riding a bottle rocket that will fizzle out and pop.  Heaven forbid!  You are builders, not rocketeers.

Reason #2 not to use “movement”

The word movement, in my opinion, is far too synonymous with “religion.”  As pointed out in the Noahide Nations Radio Show (I believe they did, forgive me if I’m wrong), and quoted from Rambam, it is forbidden for Gentiles to create new religions or create new religiously obligatory practices, such as moving the Sabbath from the seventh day of the week to the first day (Sunday), etc.

Hence, voluntarily wearing “Noahide tzitzit” may be okay and even praiseworthy according to the Rav Yoel Schwartz and the guidelines he gave for how to go about it.

The danger, however, is if, ch”v two generations from now Noahide descendants coming to believe that to be a Noahide one is obligated to wear “Noahide tzitzit.” Not only would that be false, it would be forbidden to hold such doctrine!

Although it is sometimes necessary to use the word “religion” or “theology” to describe what it is that guides your life, the word “movement” sounds like a “new hip religion” - as opposed to more appropriate use of these terms by the Oklahoma Bnai Noah Society:

Noachide theology is the same as the theology of Judaism. However, non-Jews are not required to accept all the details of this theology to the extent that Jews are. Observant Noachides are the Non-Jews in Judaism. Just as the Priests, Levites, women etc… have particular Laws given to them at Sinai, so do Noachides have particular Laws and together we all make one True Universal Religion, walking in the Ways of our Creator. [emphasis added -iHN]

We see the the word “movement” is not only inaccurate, but is also a potential stumbling block to the less learned person considering the Noahide community.

Reason #1 for using “community”

Like I said, Noahides are building.  They are building a life they want to live, they are building homes to raise children with values from the Torah, they are building a future world of peace amongst all peoples.  These are not transient goals that fade with time.

The word “community” better describes the building that is going on, which is really the essence of avodas Hashem - service of G-d.  They are not actions that will fade away with the attainment of longterm or short term goals.  Rather, they are actions that will blossom over time.  A community grows.  A community blossoms.  A community branches out and forms other like-minded communities.

(a beautifully built, peaceful garden)

This is what I see happening…not a bottle rocket movement.

Reason #2 to use “community”

Although I quoted the OKBNS above, I think it important to clarify what they said in the last line:

…together we all make one True Universal Religion, walking in the Ways of our Creator.

Let us not make the terrible mistake of thinking that “walking together” means intermarriage between Bnei Yisrael and Bnei Noach, Heaven forbid.

Of course every Noahide knows that would be against the Torah.  But it’s important to make sure we don’t inadvertantly sew seeds that could later on lead to big problems of intermarriage, ch”v.  If we lead ourselves to such a mistake, everything will be for not.

However, if Noahides are a community of people, and Jews are another community of people, then we have two distinct entities that also share common goals, values, and purpose.  Separate communities.  Similar values.

In Conclusion

(Distinctly different communities, working toward shared goal.)

We see that the word “community” is much more empowering and visionary than the transient word “movement.”  Community connotes geographic base, and growth such as with school systems and social networks. Additionally, the word community better ensures that the Noahide path is not adultered into a new religion. And finally, the word community clarifies Bnei Noach as a distinct entity, separate from the Jewish communities with whom they cooperate toward the common goal of walking in the Ways of our Creator.

Addendum

Why has the word movement been used?  I have some thoughts.  Mostly I think it just happened.

Join them LIVE every Tuesday evening,

9pm EST, 8pm CST, 6pm PST at:

http://okbns.org/VY_Discussion.html

The weekly discussion group with Rabbi and Rebbetzin Dov Yitzchak is based on the “Service From the Heart; Renewing the Ancient Path of Biblical Prayer and Service” with approbation from Rabbis Yoel Schwartz and Yechiel Sitzman, Jerusalem. And “The Divine Code” by Rabbi Moshe Weiner, in the Noah Chat room. Tuesday nights at 9ET for two hours.

see above link for more details

iHeartNoahides polled our readers asking:

What is the single most important next step for Noahide communities?

The number one response was “Child & Youth education”

Having said that, iHN excitedly presents our exclusive interview with Kristine Cassady, Co-Founder, President, and Administrative Director of N.O.A.H. : Noahide Online Association of Homeschoolers.

All bold and italics and links were added by me, the editor of iHN.

It is my honest opinion that N.O.A.H. is laying the foundation for establishing real, non-web-based Noahide communities around the world.  Of course, it first begins online, as you will read in the interview.

Wishing you well, dear readers!
Happy Pesach.

- Daniel

p.s. my offer to hear your story and present it on iHN still stands.

*************
March 2009

Can you start by telling us about N.O.A.H.: Noahide Online Association of Homeschoolers?

N.O.A.H. is a subsidiary organization of Noahide Nations created to meet the needs of Noahide parents and children.

Although our name seems to limit our scope to homeschooling, our desire is to assist all Noahide families. It is a common opinion that parents who use public or private schooling options are not homeschooling their children; however, N.O.A.H. would like to challenge Noahide families to think differently.

We believe all Noahide parents are in fact homeschooling for a portion of their child’s education- the most important element of their education, actually, which is spiritual awareness and growth. After evaluating the need for Noahide specific material, a small group of three homeschooling mothers, including myself, came together under the Noahide Nations’ banner to devise a solution to the problem of limited resources for Noahide parents. The result was the foundation of N.O.A.H.: Noahide Online Association of Homeschoolers. www.NoahideHomescool.org

What services will N.O.A.H. offer?

The services we offer are closely tied to the goals we have set for the organization, which are multifaceted.

We feel there is a great need for Noahide specific Torah-centered material, so we have devoted part of our organization strictly to curriculum development for Torah related topics- emphasizing the Noahide perspective, including Parsha lessons and the feasts and festivals.

To maintain the highest standards possible, all of N.O.A.H.’s curriculum will be written from an observant orthodox viewpoint, but geared toward a Noahide audience. We believe rabbinical oversight is an important element and will have rabbinical approval of our curriculum material prior it becoming available to members.

We also believe strongly in the need for establishing meaningful relationships within the global Noahide community and will offer community building services like separate online forums for parents, teens, and elementary aged students, featured articles written by fellow Noahides on relevant education or parenting topics, and a service we are really excited about- our individualized notification to members of other member families within their region. This notification process will allow families to build (form) small groups of support and begin the process of the true community building we all know is needed. A core ingredient of attaining our organization’s goals is our Education Department which is responsible for creating the curricula, classes, and resources for N.O.A.H.’s members, and lead by Elisa Jay.

Will you only focus on the spiritual education of children or branch out?

Our primary goal, at first, is to fill the very real “hole” in resources available to Noahide parents regarding Noahide spiritual growth, understanding, and lifestyle. We hope to achieve this by the on-line classes and original Noahide Torah curriculums I mentioned earlier; as-well-as offering printable activity sheets for each of the 7 Laws, Torah lesson plans, creating original children’s books, and forming a Noahide appropriate book list. We are putting a lot into N.O.A.H. and are really excited to see where it could go.

So, all of that to say, once we have produced enough material to get parents going on the spiritual front, we will venture out into the academic fields. Our Educational Director (and Vice-President), Elisa Jay, has already started to create an ancient world history curriculum that incorporates the Torah timeline and corresponding Jewish calendar dates. She also has plans for a high school level science program that will introduce Torah science and how it applies to all the different disciplines within the currently accepted scientific arenas.  It will be a process and take time to develop these resources.

Some of our other future academic goals include writing Noahide specific guides for the Humanities, such as literature, art, and music, and establishing a high school level course in political science and psychology from the Noahide viewpoint.

I just want to reiterate to your audience that all material created by N.O.A.H. will have orthodox rabbinical approval prior to becoming accessible to members.

How will people access all of these amazing resources?

As our title implies, our organization is based solely in cyberspace and all of our resources will be available at our website: www.NoahideHomeschool.org.

Our website is divided into three separate spaces; one is the Home site mainly for parents/ adults to access family related material and support.

The second section is our Student Zone which is dedicated to students age 13- 18 years old.  Age appropriate Torah-centered educational material, printable documents, and a link to the teen community are all found in the Student Zone.

Our third area, the PlayScape, is set-up for students ages 5- 12 years old to use along with their parents, preferably.  Again, it will have age appropriate Torah-centered educational material, activity pages, and a link to the N.O.A.H. community forum for them to connect with other Noahide students.

Now, the public will have access to the Home site, but both of our student spaces are password protected and we have created a social network for our community forum site which allows parents to monitor where the students are while giving the students a place of their own to get to know fellow Noahide youth, you can visit the N.O.A.H. Community at www.NoahideHomeschool.ning.com.

So, membership to N.O.A.H.: Noahide Online Association of Homeschoolers will allow people full access to all of your services?

Yes and there is an additional benefit…it is all free to the public!

What can you tell anyone interested in helping N.O.A.H?

We are currently seeking illustrators, experienced curriculum developers, professional educators, or others with a passion for Torah and children.

I would also like to mention to our Jewish friends, please let the Gentiles in your community know about us and the work we are doing to bring Torah truth to the Gentiles in our communities.  As we know, there is a lot of confusion out there and well-meaning people are wondering around without proper direction and basing their faith on misinformation.  Noahides need all the help we can get to spread the truth of Torah-centered living–so if a gentile comes to you for direction–please let them know about us.

You may contact me at KristineCassady@NoahideNations.com if you wish to volunteer your time or talents to our organization.  I’d love to hear from you.

The below history was compiled by Rabbi Bindman in his book “The Seven Colors Of The Rainbow.”  I have not yet read this book, but found the following excerpt very interesting.

The Noahide and Jewish readers should take to heart that Noahides have had a G-d-centered relationship with the Jews for millenia.  This is not a “new” phenomena.

In my opinion, this perspective is far more empowering to Bnei Noach than pretending that the Noahide-Jew relationship is a novel concept.  Rather, you are part of a great chain of people who similarly strove for G-d against all odds.

What is novel, is that humanity is steadily approaching the redemption.

-iHN

*******

Mesopotamia, origin of seventy nations

Following the flood, humanity was still one united body, living in one place, the area now known as Mesopotamia or Iraq, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow through a fertile plain. Here the people had settled and given birth to children. Their state of security was so great that they began to consider themselves the masters of all creation, ready to challenge G-d Himself for supremacy. They saw their own unity as the key to this, and they did not commit the sins of banditry and sexual infidelity (bestiality) for which the previous generation had been condemned. They were kind and loving to one another, but they grew arrogant as a group and decided to build a high tower, the Tower of Babel, from which to gain an access to heaven.

(Natural History Museum - London. w/permission)

This was a form of idolatry (violation of the Covenant of Noah), and their punishment from the heavenly court was that their languages should be confused. They would no longer understand each other as before. This was the origin of separate languages as we now have them; seventy basic tongues were established, from which all of today’s languages descended. This was also the number of the actual nations of the non-Jewish world before they were subdivided and intermingled. Read the rest of this entry »

A great deal of conflict would be resolved in human relationships if both sides understood the proper context for the other sides words or behaviors.

There is a site, I won’t mention it’s name or link to it, that is rabidly anti-semitic.  It pulls out quotes from the Talmud and Mishnah to “prove” how Jews hate gentiles and aim take over the world.  Heaven forbid!

Such hatred lacks far more than proper context.

However, the wondering web surfer who stumbles on this filth need only lack proper context for this hatred to poison his views.

Here’s the proper context for seemingly anti-Gentile statements from the Talmud:

**

“The wise will understand on their own that the gentiles in whose lands we currently reside are not like those who were in the time of the Sages of the Talmud.  The latter were idolators who worshiped the stars and the constellations, and were attached to all forms of abomination.  They knew not God nor recognized His holy words.  But the nations of our day fear God and honor His Torah; doing kindness and justice in their lands, and charity with the Jews who take refuge under their wings.

Heaven forbid that we should either say or write anything disrespectful about them.  Thus, any reference [in this book] to nations, gentiles and people of the world and the like, refers only to those idolators that lived in the time of the Mishnah [and Talmud].”

**

Words in [brackets] were my own addition.

This statement is taken from the title page of a holy book I recently began studying, and it was written about 200 years ago - how much more so is this statement true today!

In the End of Days, Jews and Gentiles will have a God-centered relationship of peace and mutual cooperation toward bringing godlinesss into the world.

Of course, if you find the concept of God threatening, then you’ll find Jews threatening.  Hence anti-semitism throughout the ages.  But if you love God…then you should “love whom your Beloved loves“!