When Noahides express support of “Israel,” it is important to know who it is that you are supporting.

It is important because the spiritual concept of a Noahide is a soul that attaches itself to G-d’s people (as opposed to a convert who becomes one of them).

“I support Israel.”  Do you mean the Israeli government? the Israel Defense Forces? the Israeli Rabbinate?  The Israeli citizens?

Unfortunately, G-d has not brought us the Final Redemption yet.  Hence, the Land of Israel is filled with the Children of Israel, but run by (some) people who are very anti-Torah-of-Israel.¹  It’s a twisted situation of transition, and is far more complicated than this.

The Israeli government is not based on the morality of the Torah.  It is based on the morality of secular Democracy (with a sprinkle of Jewish culture).  Democracy is only a vessel, a garment, a body - but not a soul.  It holds no inherent moral system.  Rather, Democracy holds the morality with which it’s leaders and population inject it.

Hence, the Israeli Knesset’s (parliament’s) approval of Operation Cast Lead could not be more opposite from Torah values:

(IsraelNN.com) All Knesset parties except for Meretz [(very liberal party -iHN)] and the Arab parties approved the decision to support the action in Gaza. The decision stated: “It is the right of the State of Israel to defend itself just as it is the right of any nation to do so. It is the right of the citizens of Israel to live with security just as it the right of any other citizens to do so.”

First of all, all Torah thoughts aside, it is not the government’s right to defend its citizens, it is the government’s job!

Secondly, the secular Zionists did not found the State of Israel as a fulfillment of redemption from 2,000-year exile.  Rather, they wanted a state “like any other nation.” They thought that this would end the phenomenon of anti-semitism. It was their solution to the “final solution.”

But G-d does not want Jews to be like any other nation!  The Jews are meant to be a holy nation of priests who will share G-dliness with the entire world.

Because the secular society in Israel strives to be like “any other nation,” the hand of anti-semitism, no matter be it Kassam rockets in Israel or Al Qaeda terrorists in Mumbai, strikes a lethal reminder that we Jews are not like any other nation.

Neither should we live like any other nation, nor should we die like any other nation.

Therefore we must fight for our lives in the manner that befits G-d’s priestly people, and not in the manner of “any other nation.”  That is to say, relentlessly - without fear - and with complete faith in Hashem.

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Last night on the train I saw a number of humane, good-hearted acts by people.  Whether it was picking up people’s dropped items for them, or helping people navigate the train lines, or simply speaking and listening to one another.

I see this all the time.
The news hides it from you.

Below is a letter to the editor of GoodNewsNetwork.org - a website the compiles good news from around the world ranging from the positive impacts we are having on the environment, to the good things American soldiers are doing abroad, and more.

When I taught in Jewish schools my students loved hearing good news from GoodNewsNetwork.  I highly recommend it for kids and parents alike in these dark times.  A little bit of light dispels a lot of dark.

p.s. The GoodNewsNetwork is not to be confused with every other “Good News” website and school club, which are run by Christian activists, many of which try to pull Jews away from Torah, G-d forbid.  This is a non-religiously oriented site dedicated to positive news.

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I have a 7 year old son and we don’t watch TV, listen to the news, or read newspapers because so much of it is negative and full of pain and hate — things his little body does not need.  I am SO thrilled to be able to show him stories on your Website and talk to him about the positive, Good work that is occurring here on Earth.  You have given me a safe place where I can allow my son to browse and follow the stories that interest him.  Thank you! - Esther Colwell

iHN Editor’s comment:
How exciting!!

Listen Here.

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(IsraelNN.com) Israel National Radio has begun what is possibly the first ever Sons of Noach radio show. Hosted by Ray Pettersen and Jim Long, the Noahide Nations show is a program about the Noahide, or Bnei Noach, movement - Gentiles who have accepted the Torah.

In recent years, groups have been springing up, mostly in the United States, for non-Jews who are disenchanted with Christianity and seek spiritual fulfillment through the Torah of Israel, but don’t convert to Judaism.

Below is the latest Noahide radio program broadcast.

There was no specific incident in Ray Pettersen’s life that led him and his wife, 12 years ago, [to] give up the religion upon which they were raised. “We all seem to have this feeling that something wasn’t right,” he says, echoing a sentiment felt by Jim Long and other guests on their show. [see iHN poll on this topic] “There was no controversy in the church or anything that would have caused this to happen. I just felt that G-d was telling me this isn’t right. I wanted to find out what is right.”

Pettersen is the founder of the Noahide Nations web site which offers information and networking for other like-minded individuals. He relates one story where someone wrote in that he thought he was the only Noahide in his city. Another person emailed him and they found out that not only did they live in the same city, but in the same building. Connecting Noahides in this manner is the goal of the new radio program.

To facilitate this process, IsraelNationalNews has opened a new forum entitled Torah Spirituality for Gentiles. A person need only register for free and may then begin posting messages to the forum.

In response to a forum question about the number of Bnei Noach in the world, forum manager Ashira Yosefa writes:

A precise number of the Bnei Noach population globally is difficult to know, but based on internet activity and the formation of Noahide groups and websites, inquiries, etc., it is arguably safe to say that Noahides, in a general sense of the word, presently number in the hundreds of thousands and that number is growing. The actual Noahides themselves are growing, progressively deepening their knowledge of proper Noahide observance and lifestyle with the help of Rabbis and Noahide leaders. As their spiritual journey continues, more and more true Bnei Noach take their place in today’s world and readily proclaim their love of Torah, of Israel and of the G-d of Israel.

Radio show host Jim Long’s journey to Noahide beliefs began as he was filming documentaries on archaeological digs in Israel and Egypt. He is the founder of Lightcatcher, a publishing and film production company. Long is also the author and producer of several books and films such as Riddle of the Exodus, Digging Up the Future and Return to Gilgal.

The first guest on the Noahide Nations show was Darla, a mother from Texas who, like Jim and Ray, had slowly come to the realization that Christianity was not for her. In the radio broadcast, she details the story of how she broke the news to her family and informed them that she would not be attending the annual Christmas dinner. The result was a prolonged, painful period of not talking to her sisters and other family members.

Darla finally got back together with her family at an annual Thanksgiving dinner. She now says that her family has accepted her, despite what they see as her strange beliefs, and even ask her to teach them about Jewish holidays. Darla offers advice on how other Noahides can avoid family friction, especially during holiday time.

There are many different Noahide organizations. In general, all of them reject the New Testament and embrace the Torah, using the Seven Laws of Noah as a moral code. Different Noahides follow different Jewish customs, depending on personal inclinations [iHN: and, I hope, Rabbinic advice]. As Gentiles, Noahides are not obligated by Jewish Law to keep commandments such as keeping kosher, although many do.

Noahide Nations is a weekly podcast which can be downloaded from Israel National Radio by clicking here.

Jim and Ray welcome questions or comments, some of which they will read on the air. They can be contacted at noahide@israelnationalradio.com

Things are coming back to their source. In my daily life, this usually means PEOPLE (in general) and Jews (in particular).

But it seems that events and history are coming back to their sources as well.

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10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

*****

US military official confirms helicopter raid on Syrian soil

US military helicopters bombed targets in a Syrian border town near Iraq on Sunday, killing at least eight people, after global jihad operatives allegedly crossed the border into Syria.

The attack, which was not confirmed by the US military, was the first-ever reported American strike on Syria, which called it a “serious aggression.”

Israeli defense officials said the incident was not connected to Israel and that the American troops had been chasing global jihad suspects in Iraq.

The helicopters then crossed into Syria in pursuit of the terrorists.

A government statement carried by the official Syrian Arab News Agency said the attack occurred at the Sukkariyeh Farm near the town of Abu Kamal, eight kilometers inside the Syrian border. Four helicopters attacked a civilian building under construction, firing on the workers inside shortly before sundown, the statement said.

A US official, in confirming the raid, said the attack targeted elements of a robust foreign fighter logistics network and that due to Syrian inaction the US was now “taking matters into our own hands.”

The US military official said the special forces raid targeted elements of a network that sends fighters from North Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East to Syria, where elements of the Syrian military are in league with al-Qaida and other fighters. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity of cross-border raids.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry said it summoned the charges d’affaires of the United States and Iraq to protest the strike.

A resident of the nearby village of Hwijeh, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, said the aircraft flew along the Euphrates River into the area of farms and several brick factories.

On September 6, 2007, the IAF destroyed a purported nuclear reactor Syria was building in its northeast, along the Euphrates River.

In my experience, the category of people discussed below (some of my closest friends) are those who want to “be spiritual” but still do whatever they feel like doing, whenever they feel like doing it, without being “hindered” by the Torah’s laws.

Yet 3,320 years of Torah Judaism teaches us that Halacha (Torah Law) is the body of the Torah, and Kaballah (Torah Mysticism) is the soul of the Torah. You simply cannot take one and deny the other! Taking Kaballah without Halachah is like flying a kite without a string…imagine where you’d end up, chas v’shalom!

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(source: Emanuel Feldman)

The front-page headline in the New York Post was striking: “A-Rod brainwashed by Kabbala. Wife blames Madonna, sues for divorce.” I did a double take.

Who is A-Rod? He is Alex Rodriguez, the star third baseman of the New York Yankees, who commands a $300 million contract and is considered the best baseball player since Willie Mays.

Who is Madonna? She is the aging Hollywood pop star who has been dabbling in what she calls the secrets of the esoteric Kabbala and makes sure the world knows about her secrets.

What is Kabbala? The short answer is that it is the overall term for ancient Jewish mystical lore. The long answer is that it is the study of the cosmic ramifications of our behavior, of the hidden meanings behind the biblical text and of the almost inconceivable meticulousness with which human beings must align their actions with the demands of the Torah. That is to say, one cannot even begin the study of Kabbala unless one is thoroughly conversant with Torah, Talmud and the codes; is personally pious and dedicated to spirituality; and is deeply learned in the ways of God. Neither Madonna nor A-Rod seems quite to match these qualifications.

Were it not so sad, the image of the pop singer teaching Kabbala to the Yankee third baseman could be a comic invention - the once-impregnable fortress of Kabbala overrun by fools and miscreants.

This concealed and mystery-laden discipline, which represents hiddenness and quiet meditation, has reached the nadir of its millennia-long history by being dragged onto the headlines of a garish and sensationalist New York newspaper. The unkindest cut of all is that the headlines link Kabbala with two individuals who are not even Jewish and certainly have no Judaic learning whatsoever, who cannot read or understand a Hebrew word, who cannot even pronounce the word “Kabbala” correctly, who know nothing of its provenance, and whose closest encounter with things Jewish is the corner deli. This transcends ludicrous; it is absurd, grotesque and farcical. It is, in a word, unadulterated lunacy.

WHAT ATTRACTS the rich and famous to Kabbala? First and foremost are some very creative (more…)

UPDATED: 5:50pm PST 07/02/2008.

May G-d have mercy on those injured and murdered today, and their families.

Appropriate Psalms to say at times like this are
Pslams 142 - (we must put our faith in Hashem in times of trouble)
Psalms 130 - (Hashem, please, have mercy on us and hear our cries)
Psalms 83 - (Hashem, please do not let the evil dominate Your people. Smash those who hate You).

Video from Tamar Yonah’s blog:

Update on Israeli TV Commentary:

1. Smiling officer?
The reason the officer at the beginning of the live footage is smiling with his pistol is that they  thought they had shot the terrorist and wounded him.  Then suddenly the terrorist continued his rampage, which is the footage you see in the video.

2. Pedestrian almost run over
Half way through this video you see a red circle on the screen. There is an Israeli motorist who rolled out of the way of the terrorist’s wheels literally inches before being crushed to death.

3. Arab Israeli citizens
The commentator discusses that “the security level around Israel is on high alert because any terror attack always increase the motivation of other would-be terrorists.” She notes that this is the second Israeli Arab who has turned terrorist on the Israeli population.

I would add that the fear is that these Arab Israelis, unlike the Palestinians I dealt with at checkpoints, have blue ID cards just like every other Israeli citizen. The ID cards allow them access to anywhere in Israel. Essentially the ID card means that they aren’t Palestinian, and therefore not a threat.

The Israeli government assumes that these Arabs are more loyal to the state of Israel than to Hamas, Hezbullah, Islamic Jihad, Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade, Iran, or anyone else.

The young man you see shooting the terrorist is the brother in-law of the young man who stopped the Mercaz HaRav terrorist (although the commentator does not note that).

Both terrorists had Israeli ID permits since they live in Eastern Jerusalem.
Both terrorists were stopped by armed, religious Israeli civilians¹

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(Source: Jpost.com)
Three people were killed and 66 were wounded - one moderately and the rest lightly - on Wednesday afternoon when a bulldozer driver went on a rampage in downtown Jerusalem.

A half-dozen cars were flattened and others were overturned by the Caterpillar vehicle. A bus was also overturned, and another bus was heavily damaged.

The attack, at the junction of Jaffa Road and Sarei Yisrael St., set off a panic in the area and left a large swath of damage in the heart of the capital. Traffic was halted, and hundreds of people fled through the streets in panic as medics treated the wounded.

A car was dragged several meters by the bulldozer before being crushed under the vehicle. A baby was pulled out by a passerby before the vehicle was crushed, with the child’s mother still inside

“People started screaming ‘he is running us over, he is running us over,’” recounted traffic policewoman Elinor Nahum, 22, who was the first to react, firing at the bulldozer and apparently hitting the terrorist. Another policeman then climbed onto the vehicle and was lightly wounded in a struggle with the attacker.

Finally, an off-duty soldier took a gun from a security guard at the scene and shot the terrorist, who cried “Allah Akhbar” (God is great) before being killed. The soldier, Moshe Plesser, was assisted in neutralizing the attacker by Eli Mizrahi, a member of police’s elite Yasam anti-terror unit.

Plesser, 18, is the brother-in-law of IDF officer David Shapira, who killed the terrorist in the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva attack on March 6.

The First Noahide World Conference is to be held June 26th through June 29th, 2008 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

The conference is organized by Noahide Nations which runs a spectacular Noahide community website. May Hashem send success and blessing to Executive Director Ray Pettersen and his dedicated staff.

I found out about the conference too late to attend. Hopefully next year I will get a chance to observe and learn form this most historic gathering.

I would love to share pictures, mp3’s, or other materials form the conference. Send an email to NoahGear at gmail dot com

I have recreated the details of the First Noahide World Conference from the Noahide Nations website.

Technical Details

WORLD CONFERENCE INVITATION

This is an invitation to what is sure to be the most exciting and significant Noahide Conference to date.

CONFERENCE ITINERARY

This area will provide you with the conference itinerary for each day of the 4 day event.

CONFERENCE VENUE AND LOCATION

This section will provide details on the venue itself, its exact location and other pertinent information.

REGISTRATION FEE

This section will inform you of the various registration options.

Conference Events

GOLDEN CROWN OF THE HIGH PRIEST AT CONFERENCE

The Golden Crown of the High Priest will be on display at the Noahide World Conference.
See YouTube video about the Golden Crown.

PROFESSOR VENDYL JONES

Professor Vendyl Jones is the recipient of the Noahide Nations Noah Award.

JON VOIGHT

Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight has been announced as the recipient of the Tzedekah Award from Noahide Nations. The Tzedekah award will be presented for the very first time by Noahide Nations at its first Noahide World Conference.

“The Seven Noahide Commandments appeal to my own sense of what I feel is a higher purpose, which is to try to get everyone to an understanding of what they’re asked to do, what life’s responsibilities are. These very simple Seven Laws of Noah, are good basics.”

- Jon Voight

CONFERENCE SPEAKERS - (13 speakers)

Here you will find a list of the honored speakers.

1. 
   Rabbi Tovia Singer - Israel National Radio
2. 
   Rabbi Chaim Richman - Director Temple Institute
3. 
   Rabbi Yeshayahu HaKohen Hollander - Sanhedrin
4. 
   Rabbi Joel Bakst - Noahide Nations Torah Instructor
5. 
   Rabbi Michael Katz
6. 
   Rabbi Moshe Ben Chaim - Mesora.org
7. 
   Rabbi Reuvan Mann - Yeshiva B’nei Torah
8. 
   Rabbi Zvi Aviner - Noahide Nations Torah Instructor
9. 
   Dr. Andrew Goldfinger - Author
10. 
    Judge Rabbi Sander Goldberg
11. 
    Jack Saunders - B’nei Noah Study Center
12. 
    Jim Long - Author of Riddle of the Exodus
13. 
    Professor Vendyl Jones - Biblical Archeology & Copper Scroll

Other Details

AREA ACTIVITIES

This section will tell you about many of the activities in the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood Florida within close proximity of the Ft. Lauderdale Hilton Airport Hotel.

WORLD CONFERENCE SPONSORS

List of Corporate and Individual Sponsors of the Noahide World Conference.

SPONSOR A NOAHIDE