Noahidism (or Noachidism), is a Jewish religious movement aimed at non-Jews, based on the observance of the Seven Laws of Noah. These laws, according to Jewish tradition, were given by God as a covenant with Noah and all humanity. These laws are various prohibitions:
- Do not worship idols – Prohibition against idolatry, affirming belief in one God.
- Do not curse God – Prohibition against blasphemy or cursing the Creator.
- Do not commit murder – Respect for human life and prohibition of unlawful killing.
- Do not commit adultery or sexual immorality – Prohibition of illicit sexual relations, including adultery and incest.
- Do not steal – Respect for others’ property and prohibition of theft.
- Do not eat flesh torn from a living animal – Prohibition against cruelty to animals by eating flesh taken from a living creature.
- Establish courts of justice – Obligation to create a legal system to enforce these laws and ensure justice.
Noahidism serves as a universal ethical code for non-Jews who do not convert to Judaism but seek to live according to these laws. Those who follow them are called “Righteous Gentiles” or B’nei Noah (“Children of Noah”). The movement has historical roots in Jewish philosophy and was developed in the 19th century as a way to promote Jewish universalism (acceptance of all Jewish paths).
In modern times, especially since the 1990s, Orthodox Jewish groups, particularly those affiliated with Chabad-Lubavitch and religious Zionist organizations, have promoted Noahidism among non-Jews worldwide. This contemporary Noahide movement encourages non-Jews to adopt the Seven Laws of Noah and often supports messianic Zionist ideals. Followers study aspects of the Torah and observe certain practices, though they are restricted from performing Jewish rituals reserved for Jews.
This Chabad-Lubavitch outreach began in earnest under the leadership of Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who urged his followers to spread knowledge of these laws as a means to combat moral decline and hasten the messianic era.
Since the 1990s, these groups have established Noahide organizations aimed at proselytizing among non-Jews, mentoring them to adopt Noahide observance while maintaining distinct Noahide identities without full conversion to Judaism. They provide guidance on lifestyle, prayer, and ritual adapted for Noahides, including developing Noahide prayer books and legal codes to structure their religious life.
The movement often intertwines with messianic Zionist ideals, with some rabbis and Noahide communities supporting the establishment of a Jewish theocratic state and the rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem. This connection has led to a vision of Noahides as partners in a global messianic project, though this has also sparked criticism and concerns about religious imperialism and racial distinctions between Jews and Noahides.
Chabad-Lubavitch has been especially influential, achieving recognition of the Noahide laws in U.S. presidential proclamations and engaging in interfaith dialogue to encourage Noahide observance among diverse populations, including minority groups in Israel. Additionally, online platforms and informal outreach efforts have expanded the movement globally, reaching individuals and small communities who seek a monotheistic ethical framework without converting to Judaism.
The Noahide Laws have been recognized in several U.S. presidential proclamations, particularly in the context of “Education Day, U.S.A.” and related observances honoring Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and promoting ethical and moral values.
Proclamation 5956 (1989 and 1990) by President George H.W. Bush explicitly mentions the Seven Noahide Laws as “commandments given to man by God, as recorded in the Old Testament,” including prohibitions against murder, robbery, adultery, blasphemy, and greed, and the positive order to establish courts of justice. The proclamation honors Rabbi Schneerson’s leadership in promoting these ethical principles globally and designates specific days as Education Day, U.S.A., encouraging Americans to observe these values.
Proclamation 4921 (1982) by President Ronald Reagan recognized the “eternal validity of the Seven Noahide Laws” as a moral code for all people regardless of religious faith, in connection with a National Day of Reflection honoring Rabbi Schneerson.
Earlier proclamations by Reagan, such as Proclamation 5463 (1986) and Proclamation 5181 (1984), also emphasize the importance of moral and spiritual dimensions in education, referencing Rabbi Schneerson’s efforts and the Noahide Laws as foundational ethical values.
Further, the U.S. Congress passed resolutions designating Education Day and recognizing the Noahide Laws as the “historical tradition of ethical values and principles” that underpin civilized society and the foundation of the nation. For example, House Joint Resolution 173 authorized the President to proclaim Education Day in honor of Rabbi Schneerson’s birthday, linking it to the Noahide Laws.
In 1991, Congress unanimously recognized the Noahide Laws as the bedrock of society since the dawn of civilization and warned that weakening these principles threatens the fabric of civilized society.
These proclamations are recognitions by the US, and emphasize the “universality” of Jewish ethical values, so that the Noahide Laws are presented as a moral framework for all humanity, transcending religious boundaries.
There are over 20,000 official Noahides worldwide as of 2018, with significant communities in the Philippines, the United States, the United Kingdom, Latin America, Nigeria, and Russia. The Philippines alone has nearly 2,000 individuals identifying as “Children of Noah,” practicing Noahidism under Orthodox Jewish rabbinic guidance. The Noahide World Center (Brit Olam) reports growing numbers and communities globally, including in India, the United States, Congo, and Brazil.
Efforts to standardize Noahide religious practice, including the development of prayer books, lifecycle rituals, and legal codes tailored for Noahides, are underway to provide structure and clarity to the movement. The use of the internet and social media has facilitated the spread of Noahide teachings and communities, allowing many individuals and families to practice Noahidism even in isolation.
Leaders of the movement aim to build a critical mass of Noahides worldwide, with aspirations for international congresses and greater recognition. While still relatively small compared to major world religions, the movement’s steady growth and organizational development indicate a rising trend in Noahidism globally.
Why do non-Jews want to become Noahides? Because they believe that the afterlife, the World to Come (Olam Ha-Ba), is the final reward only for righteous Jews. But a gentile who faithfully observed the seven laws of Noah will be considered one of the “righteous gentiles” and can be a part of the World to Come without needing to convert to Judaism.
The point of being a Noahide is to play forever a supporting role for the real stars of this world, the Jews. To be a “Jew lite.” that way lies salvation, they are convinced.
In fact, Jewish racial supremacy is one of the core beliefs of the Noahide movement. They accept the racial superiority of Jews, based on the idea that Jews possess an innate, divinely granted ability to access God and fulfill a unique spiritual mission. This belief is taught by their rabbi mentors and is tied to the conviction that Jews are a distinct, superior people chosen by God, with a special role in the divine plan, including the establishment of a messianic Jewish theocratic state in Israel.
This racial or spiritual superiority concept is embedded in teachings of the modern Noahide movement, especially those affiliated with Chabad-Lubavitch and religious Zionist groups, which promote an ideology that Jews are God’s chosen people and that non-Jews (Noahides) have a subordinate, supportive role. The movement often emphasizes immutable differences between Jews and non-Jews, asserting that Jews have unique cognitive and spiritual faculties granted by God, which non-Jews do not possess.
This belief stems from the Jewish theological concept that the people of Israel are chosen by God for a special covenant and mission, as expressed in the Torah and Jewish tradition. According to this view, Jews possess an exclusive spiritual status and cognitive faculties granted by God, which enable them to fulfill their divine role in the world.
This idea is reinforced by teachings that emphasize the special covenant between God and the Jewish people, distinguishing them from non-Jews who are bound by the Seven Noahide Laws. The rabbis instruct Noahides that while they are to follow these universal laws, Jews have a higher spiritual role and access to divine wisdom that non-Jews do not share innately. This theological framework underpins the belief in Jewish exceptionalism and their unique connection to God.
Additionally, Noahide authorities, including those influenced by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, promote the idea that Jews have a messianic mission, and that the coming of their messiah depends on Jews fulfilling their divine role, with Noahides supporting this by observing the Noahide laws. This hierarchical spiritual worldview contributes to the belief in innate Jewish superiority. The belief draws on mystical and kabbalistic teachings that suggest Jews possess a special soul or divine mission not shared by others, as well as interpretations of “chosenness” that emphasize Jewish privilege.
Noahidism is closely connected to Zionist goals and the Third Temple movement through its ideological and organizational ties with religious Zionist rabbis and messianic activism. The Third Temple movement seeks to rebuild the Third Temple in Jerusalem and establish a Jewish theocratic state, marking the beginning of the messianic era.
Noahides, who are non-Jews adopting this new Judaic faith, are thus taught to affirm Jewish supremacy and the biblical Jewish right to the Land of Israel, aligning their religious identity with the messianic Zionist vision promoted by the Third Temple activists. They serve as ideological and spiritual allies to Zionists by upholding the divinely enshrined status of Jews as a superior people and supporting the rebuilding of the Temple, which is seen as the key to initiating universal peace and the Messianic age.
The Third Temple movement, rooted in religious Zionist political theology, views Noahides as valuable partners (like Christian Zionists) in its mission to transform Israel into a biblical-style theocracy. This movement has gained significant support from Israeli religious-nationalist circles, lawmakers, and international Christian and Noahide communities, further integrating Noahidism into the broader Zionist messianic project.
In essence, Noahidism functions as a transnational extension of religious Zionism, where Noahides worldwide are mobilized under the tutelage of Israeli rabbis to support the ideological and practical goals of Zionist supremacism to bring about a Jewish messianic kingdom in the state of Israel.
As for the Palestinians, since Noahides follow the Seven Noahide Laws as a moral framework for all humanity, have views on the Gaza conflict, influenced by the Torah. Thus, they interpret the war against Hamas and Gaza through the lens of these laws, emphasizing justice and punishment for wrongdoing.
This is especially convenient for the support of collective punishment. Thus, the Gaza population bears collective responsibility for Hamas’s actions on October 7th, and must face the “divine” justice being meted out to them. The “theological” precedent is the Torah, which mentions that entire cities were punished for seeking to harm the “chosen people” of “god.”
This view holds that enforcement of justice, including capital punishment for grave transgressions like murder and kidnapping, is a moral imperative under the Noahide laws. Thus, what is being done to the people of Gaza is justice. The point being that the Jews as a people of “god” can do no evil; everything they do is for the good. For the Noahides, the people of Gaza chose to harm the “people” of “god,” and are now suffering the consequences of that sin.
Noahide interpretations of the moral responsibility of Gazans for Hamas’s actions vary but include a significant viewpoint that holds the entire Gaza population morally liable due to their failure to establish justice and prosecute Hamas for “atrocities.” According to this perspective, grounded in the Seven Noahide Laws, a nation that does not try those accountable for crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and rape renders itself liable for collective punishment, including capital consequences.
Arguments also draw on the Torah portion, “Parshat Noah” and the biblical episode in “Parshat Vayishlach,” where the city of Shechem was destroyed because its inhabitants failed to prosecute their leader for kidnapping and rape. By analogy, Gazans are seen as similarly culpable because they did not protest or bring Hamas to justice for its attacks on Jewish communities. The Gazan population thereby forfeits protection and is liable to divine justice, which can include war and severe punishment.
Thus, the Gazans are being collectively punished, for their own good, because by being punished, they are in fact participating in the establishment of justice (dinim).
As for these seven laws of Noah. This is what is in store for the world, in the words of Rabbi Yisrael Ariel:
This is what the Torah commanded us. “When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it” (Deuteronomy 20:10). What is meant by “peace?” Maimonides says that they must agree to follow the seven Noahide laws… Meaning, you ask them, “Do you follow the seven laws? If so, we will allow you to live. If not, you kill all of their males, by sword.” You only leave the women. How do you leave them? They must all agree to follow the seven laws. And that is how you impose the Seven Laws on that city. We will conquer Iraq, Turkey. We will get to Iran, too. We will impose the seven Noahide laws on all of these places. You say, “I call upon you in peace.” If they raise the flag [of surrender] and say, “From now on there is no more Christianity, no more Islam,” the mosques and the Christian spires and their crosses come down, “from now on we follow the seven Noahide laws.”
