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.

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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.

I was just perusing the Noahide classifieds at NoahideNations.com

I wasn’t actually looking for someone.  I just wanted to read how Bnei Noach are describing themselves to the world.  I found it facinating, inspiring, and fun.

(w/permission)

Since I don’t think it fair privacy (nor legal?) to copy&paste the classifieds from NoahideNations.com, here’s your chance to share your bio, story, or message to the world.  This blog is read by different types of people from all around the world.

You can remain as anonymous as you wish, please just indicate how you wish to be addressed.  Pictures, poems, or links will be considered as well.

Your bio/message/story to the world can be sent to NoahGear (AT) gmail (dot) com
or use the contact page.

This is the first issue of “Connections,” from September 2008.
The magazine has contributions from many of the major leaders and visionaries driving the Noahide community today.  You can download the PDF file from NoahideNations.com.

Oscar-award winning actor John Voight was awarded the Tzedakah Award by Noahide Nations at this year’s first Noahide World Conference.

Voight said,

“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

Below is an interview with John Voight on Israeli television from May 2008 after he visited the rocket-battered town of Sderot.

Notables:
“G-d says to Abraham: Those who bless you will be blessed, those who curse you will be cursed.  And isn’t that what has happened [in history]?”¹

“All sane people should have a passion for Israel at this time.”

“I’m thinking about the future of our children, about the future of this world that we’re in.”

What is Noahide culture?

It’s certainly not whatever-Jews-seem-to-do.  Nor is it whatever-Gentiles-seem-to-do.  So what is it?

First of all, we need to understand that what most people think of as “Jewish Culture” is not really Jewish.  It’s the expression of assimilated Jews into their host culture.  A prime example is Chanukah in America.

The core concept of the Chanukah story is Jews defending Judaism against those who wanted to assimilate into Greek culture.  This included Jew vs. Greek and Jew vs. Jew, r”l.  Tragically Chanukah in America has a lot to do with assimilation (8 days of presents?) and little to do with Judaism.

I recently saw cards and books such as the ones below at a Jewish Museum gift shop (of all places).

This is not an expression of Judaism.  It is an expression of America’s melting pot.  Orthodox Jews prefer that America (at least) be a salad bowl of distinct foods rather than a melting pot of indistinct alloy.

So what is true Jewish culture?
It’s the thing you find in every Jewish culture around the world.  Iraqi Jews never heard of European klezmer music because Klezmer music is only a byproduct of Jewish exile in Europe¹; it is not inherently Jewish - however, both European and Iraqi Jews read from the Torah, study Talmud, eat matzah but not chametz on Passover, etc.

True Jewish culture is Torah and Mitzvot (commandments).

So what is true Noahide culture?
If there even is such a thing as Noahide culture, I would like to suggest it is that which is found in every Noahide home and Noahide community, no matter where they are on the planet.

True Noahide culture, in my opinion, is the expression of love, admiration, and reverence for the G-d of Israel, His Torah, and His People.

The question is, what direction will American culture take from here on out?

Land of Noahides or Land of Other-hides?
Land of Jefferson or Land of Hamilton?

To be continued in the next post…

Below you can listen to Rabbi Tovia Singer’s lecture from the 2008 Noahide World Conference.

Rabbi Singer has a show on IsraelNationalNews.com and also is the founder of OutreachJudaism which does anti-missionary work on behalf of G-d’s people Israel.

Listen Here.

Hat tip to Ari.

Excerpts I especially enjoyed:

I’ll tell you this, if tomorrow the U.N. comes out with a resolution blessing you, supporting you, if Jimmy Carter next week comes out and blesses you, check your theology - haha! - because you don’t want the praise of the nations of the world, you want the praise of the G-d of Heaven.

I also enjoyed:

We know from the book of Genesis chapter 12 that G-d blesses those nations that bless Israel, that bless the Children of Israel, and curses those who damn our people, because in reality when they curse Israel they’re cursing the G-d of Israel.

So it’s really quite illogical for someone to say “I’m gonna put my hope with Rome.”  Hard to imagine how someone today would stand up and raise his fist against the G-d of Israel, after all we’ve seen mighty miracles here in the Holy Land.

So [what I've said up until here] are the two parts of the Gentile world that have turned their backs on the G-d of Israel.  And G-d will harden theirs hearts as he did Pharaoh.  And they’ll rise up to destroy Jerusalem.  And the Bible tells us in Zakariah chapter 12 that G-d will take even the weakest Jew, verse 8 & 9: “He will strengthen him like David even like the angels of the Lord of Hosts.”

But then there’s this third part, this other section of the Gentile world, who will choose the G-d of Israel, above every other god, above every other lord, above every other host.  And then G-d is going to refine them like gold.  That’s you, the Righteous Gentile, who chose the G-d of Israel.

Also I enjoyed this:

You recognize that the Almighty is working with the Children of Israel.  And you made a tough decision.  I would imagine that for many of you listening to my voice right now, walking out of a Church…You might have lost some family over that decision; to this day it’s quite possible that your mom won’t even talk to you.  Sisters have disowned you because you left The Assemblies of G-d, you won’t walk into a Baptist Church, and you won’t praise any other name than the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

I don’t wish any suffering upon you, but if you’ve suffered on behalf of the G-d of Israel, you’re alright.  I wouldn’t sell it on the open market, I wouldn’t put your suffering on eBay.  [But] the Almighty sees every pain that you’ve endured on His behalf, that’s uppercase H.  And you’ve decided to cleave to the Children of Israel.

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

There is no “right way” for Bnei Noach to get married.¹  Rather, the questions to ask are:

1) What action(s) on our behalf constitute establishment of our marriage
2) What ceremonies are fitting and appropriate for Bnei Noach weddings

The length of this post will give one example of how you might answer question #2.

To answer question #1:

The subject of Noahide marriage according to Torah is discussed in the book “The Path of the Righteous Gentile,” in the chapter on Sexual Relations:

“Under the Seven Universal Commandments [for Gentiles], a woman is considered to be a man’s wife when the couple has sexual relations [in the normal manner] with the intent² that it constitute marriage.”

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Source: (Rabbi Mordechai)

…

…My third thought was that I wouldn’t know what ritual to use. I wouldn’t want to use Jewish ritual – they are not Jewish, and are under no illusions on that matter. So what would I do?

On the other hand: Come on, how cool is that, getting to do a Noachide wedding?

So I emailed colleagues, who clarified that a rabbi is empowered to perform any wedding which conforms with municipal law, but who had no idea what ritual to use. I Googled “Noachide Weddings” and “Noahide Weddings” and came up with this page, but the contents made me uncomfortable; I really didn’t like their adaptation of key Jewish wedding elements – the berachah [blessing] on wine, the ketubah, the Chuppah canopy.

But some colleagues of mine urged me on, pointing out that it’s pretty rare for an Orthodox rabbi to have a chance to get really creative!

Then, as I talked to the couple more and met with them, they were so visibly sincere that I fell in love with the idea beyond the “adventure” level. It was a chance to help good people do a good thing, in a meaningful way. Isn’t that why I’m a rabbi in the first place?

So I developed a ceremony which drew on biblical themes common for Jews and non-Jews, and meaningful for a wedding.

Here’s what we did:

1) They had found a non-denominational chapel in a park, and we used that space. As they stood together, I sang the traditional Jewish chuppah songs of Mi Adir and Mi Ban Siach.

2) I then presented a dvar torah on the Torah’s history of marriage, going back to Adam and Chavah [Eve]. I explained the Adam I and Adam II narratives, using Ramban’s idea that one narrative is creation of the soul (unified) and the other is creation of the body (separate). I talked about why Adam and Chavah benefit from being of two separate bodies – the idea, expressed in various commentaries, that the man and woman complement each other with their strengths, and so accomplish things they could never accomplish as one unit.

3) They had wanted to give each other rings, and written their own declaration of love and faithfulness for the occasion, so they did that at this point. I had them say “Behold you are sanctified to me,” taking the first half of the Jewish formula and dropping the “according to the laws of Moses and Israel” segment.

4) They had wanted to have a toast with wine at this point, but I was uncomfortable because of halachic [Torah Law] issues which are beyond the scope of this blog, and because of the adoption of a very Jewish wedding practice. So I decided to use water instead.

I explained the biblical significance of water, tracing it from the water present at Creation, through the punitive water of the flood rolling back Creation, through the water in which Jews drowned in Egypt, through the punitive water of Yam Suf [Sea of Reeds], through water from a stone in the desert, etc. My point was the power embedded by Gd in this natural element.

We recited the berachah [blessing] on water together (the berachah itself – “that all comes into existence at Gd’s command” – being very appropriate for the occasion), and drank.

5) To close the wedding I adapted a tefillah [prayer] authored by Rabbi Yochanan, presented in Yerushalmi Berachot 4:1, to read as follows:

יהי רצון מלפניך רבונו של עולם שתשכן בבתינו אהבה ואחוה ושלום ורעות ותצליח סופינו אחרית ותקוה ותרבה גבולנו בחברים ותקנינו לב טוב וחברים טובים ונשיש בחלקנו ונשכים ונמצא ייחול לבבנו

May it by Your will, Master of the Universe, that You bring love and brotherhood and peace and friendship into our home, that You give us success and hope, that You broaden our boundaries with friends, that You establish for us a good heart and good friends, that You make us happy with our lot, and that we rise each day to find our hearts’ desire.

On the whole, it was a remarkable experience. I was moved by their sincerity, and by their respect for Torah and Jewish belief.

I’m glad I did it - not because it was unusual, but because it really was cool in a much deeper way.

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