Six Continents Join for First Global Noahide Congress
Delegates aim to form a permanent international rabbinical court and educational standards in Jerusalem.
By Vincent Parker ·
Noahide communities from six continents gathered in Jerusalem on Monday for a historic meeting.
The First International Congress of Noahides opened at the Seven Arches Hotel on the Mount of Olives. The event is hosted by the Noahide World Center, known as Brit Olam. It will run for five days. This is the first time scattered groups following the Seven Laws of Noah have convened to build permanent institutions.
Noahides are non-Jews who observe universal moral laws derived from the Torah. These laws prohibit idolatry, blasphemy, murder, theft, sexual immorality, and cruelty to animals. They also require the establishment of a legal system. Judaism does not seek to convert non-Jews but recognizes this spiritual path. Noahides look to the Torah and rabbinical authorities for guidance.
The congress functions as a founding assembly rather than a standard conference. President Rabbi Oury Cherki leads the working sessions. He is a senior lecturer at Machon Meir and heads the Bayit Yehuda community in Jerusalem. The group aims to establish the first international Beit Din, or rabbinical court. Cherki will serve as Chief Justice alongside other judges. Other sessions focus on drafting a unified educational syllabus and organizing six regional councils. A signed Founding Charter will create a three-part financial funding model.
Workshops address the development of foundational texts. These include the Brit Shalom legal codex and the Brit Olam siddur. The codex was authored by Rabbi Cherki to guide daily life. The siddur is a prayer book adapted for Noahides. Delegates also take guided heritage tours of ancient Jerusalem and Shilo.
Rabbi Tovia Singer opened the congress. He is the founder of Outreach Judaism. Singer noted that the hotel was completed in 1964 when Jewish access to East Jerusalem was restricted. He told delegates that their return fulfills biblical prophecy. Chabad Rabbi Manis Friedman also addressed the assembly. He said humanity is reaching a tipping point where people recognize the reality of God. Rabbi Yehuda HaKohen, head of Brit Olam's English-language division, called the event a monumental step. He said the congress focuses on how non-Jews partner with Israel.
HaKohen told The Jerusalem Post that the group needs a universalist orientation as liberal ideology collapses. He argued that Israel has an opportunity to present a vision for humanity. Some conservative evangelical and independent Christian commentators have criticized the event. Online platforms warn that international rabbinical courts for non-Jews parallel apocalyptic prophecies. Critics also cite traditional rulings that classify mainstream Trinitarian Christian worship as idolatry under Noahide law.
The congress will end with the signing of a founding document and a reception at Beit HaNasi. This is the residence of the Israeli President. Rabbi Cherki said the move will ensure Noahides are no longer alone in their questions. Rabbi Chaim Goldberg, CEO of the Noahide World Center, described the event as a new foundation. He said nations are received as builders rather than guests. Rod Bryant, a leader from Texas, said the congress has given new life to international leaders who worked in isolation.
