Based on the teachings of the Rebbe of righteous memory ; adapted by Eli Touger

He saw him coming. Everyone else knelt to prostrate himself, but Mordechai sat upright. As Haman approached, his eyes met Mordechai’s. They didn’t see anger or rebellion, but rather the calm, resolute gaze of someone who knows what he stands for and chooses whom he stands with.

At that moment, Haman decided that he would try to rid the kingdom of Mordechai and his people.

A little lesson in history: Haman was the Persian viceroy, the most powerful man in the empire that ruled the world. Mordechai was the leader of the Jewish people; he “sat at the King’s gate,” serving as one of the royal counselors.

Haman had the king agree that all the people in the empire should worship him. Mordechai refused to comply.

Now why didn’t Mordechai bow down to Haman? Mordechai was a realistic person. He could have foreseen the consequences of his refusal. Why was he willing to risk everything – not only his own life and position, but that of the entire Jewish people?

So Haman was asking to be worshipped like a god. Big deal. Bow down to him and go further. Why waste more time about it? It definitely doesn’t make sense to give up one’s life – and risk those of one’s entire people – not to bow down.

But that’s the point. There are some things that are above making sense. There are immutable rules which G‑d wove into the very fabric of the universe. There is no way they can be broken. If a man tries, he will break himself against them.

Acknowledging G‑d and refusing to acknowledge any other power are the two most fundamental of these laws. Mordechai saw bowing down to Haman as a challenge to the fundamental core of his existence. Of course, he was not going to believe in Haman’s divinity. But no one was asking him a philosophical question. It was the deed that was most important.

Would he bow down to Haman and thus show his acceptance of the Persian empire as the most powerful force in his life? Or would he defy Haman’s decree and incur his wrath, but demonstrate his connection to G‑d?

For Mordechai, it wasn’t a question. Mordechai didn’t separate his faith from his live, or his principles from his day-to-day modus operandi. He lived what he believed in; he believed in what he lived. There was no dichotomy.

And this wasn’t true only of Mordechai. The entire Jewish people stood behind him. Even when Haman passed a decree calling for every Jew in the empire to be executed, they did not try to hide their Jewishness. On the contrary, they intensified their adherence to the Torah and its commandments.

Abstract idealism? An impractical approach?

Well, let’s see what happened. Haman was killed, Mordechai was given his position, and instead of the Jews being slain by their enemies, they annihilated all those who rose against them.

Not bad for idealism.

Because this was not just idealism, it was an awareness of the reality of our existence. It’s G‑d’s world. And when Mordechai and the Jewish people affirmed that, they were successful.

One further point: When Mordechai and the Jewish people affirmed of their Jewish identity and faith in G‑d, they did not retreat into isolationism. Mordechai became the viceroy; he – and his people – took a far wider role in Persian affairs than before. And while doing so, he proudly emphasized his Jewish identity; everyone referred to him as “Mordechai, the Jew.”

The two aren’t contradictory. Since one Judaism and one’s connection to G‑d are inherent facts of one’s existence, affirming them makes one more in sync with His order for the world, and more able to play a significant role within it.

This Chanukah lighting a Menorah made by the late Mr. Harry Hirsch a World War I soldier that fled the flames of Russia to USA ( (born March 1884 USSR -died in Florida USA 1996) and melted his gun and  bullets to make this historic Menorah transforming of Isaiah 2 :4  “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” The Menorah signifies triumph, freedom, and light, all universal symbols. The United Nations would be our choice for this historic Menorah to light the Menorah light on the nights of our celebration. The origin or lighting a Menorah stems from the moment when just a few people were able to confront a huge and well-trained army that wanted to do away with religious freedom, and be victorious over that army.  It is also a symbol of freedom, of the yearning of people to exercise their religious beliefs without any external imposition.  And finally, the Menorah also incorporates the notion that there should ever be more light in the world, as one candle is added each night to be lit at the darkest period of the year. In all countries of the world, leaders have been seen lighting the Menorah at their Jewish communities. As the Rabbi Director of the Institute of the Noahide Code, I am heartened coming into the United Nations Headquarters with the Isaiah Wall right across the UN in which the day is mentioned that no nation will wage war against another nation, and the swords will be transformed into plowshares.  The Seven Universal Laws of Noah are means by which humanity strives to live in unity and peace.  These laws for peace and unity encompass respect for G-d, for human life, respect for the Family, for other people’s property, the creation and respect of a judicial system, and respect for all creatures and environment. The United Nations acknowledges human rights as well as humanity’s right to freedom, including that of religion.  It would be a celebration of all that unites us as human family that we are:  our yearning for ever more light at a time that humanity hopefully emerges victorious with light over darkness, the forces of human rights and freedom successful over intolerance, and the ideals of the Universal Noahide Code (UNC) prevailing throughout the world. 

Winds of change blowing at the UN?

161 countries now have diplomatic relations with Israel, which is the highest number that it has ever been for the Jewish state.  Increasingly, the community of nations cares less about Palestinian objections and more about what Israel has to offer.Rachel Avraham, 24/02/20 13:16 | updated: 12:59Share

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/25252

Rachel Avraham

Rachel Avraham is the President of the Dona Gracia Mendes Nasi Center for Human Rights in Middle East (under formation) and is a political analyst at the Safadi Center for International Diplomacy, Research and Public Relations.   She is the author of “Women and Jihad: Debating Palestinian Female Suicide Bombings in the American, Israeli and Arab Me►

Last week, the Palestinian Authority sought to pass a UN Security Council Resolution condemning Trump’s “Deal of the Century.”  In the end, they failed because the UN Security Council resolution did not garner enough international support.  For this reason, they were forced to be content with the UN High Commissioner for Human rights publishing a blacklist of businesses that do business in Israeli settlements and nothing else. 

While the PA hailed the UN Human Rights Council resolution as a “victory for international law,” in reality, the PA did not get the huge victory that they dreamed of for such a blacklist does not carry the same legal weight as a UN Security Council Resolution.  For the State of Israel, which naturally condemned the list, this is actually a major diplomatic achievement, which one could not dream of happening at an earlier date, when the only thing preventing such anti-Israel UN Security Council resolutions from passing was the American veto.

There clearly has been a systematic change in how the nations of the world view the State of Israel.  After the Sudanese leader accepted the idea of establishing diplomatic relations with the Jewish state and Chad’s President announced his nation’s renewed relationship with Israel, more and more countries are seeking to follow suite.    

Now, 161 different countries have diplomatic relations with Israel, which is the highest number that it has ever been for the Jewish state.  Increasingly, the community of nations cares less about Palestinian objections and more about what Israel has to offer.

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu related: “There is a lot we can do together [including] security, agriculture, food, water, energy, health and much more.   We’re making new inroads into the Muslim world.  This is the result of a great effort during the last few years.  We’re making history and we’re returning Israel into a rising world power.“  All of these developments greatly influence what happens at the United Nations.  

However, the State of Israel did not work alone in seeking to change the systematic bias against Israel at the UN.  They were helped by various organizations. One of the most unusual of these is the Institute of Noahide Code, a Jewish organization based in New York that has been actively working to fight against systematic anti-Israel bias at the UN.  Over the last several years, the Institute of Noahide Code has been working in order to educate the international community about the Jewish belief system.  They have spoken about Jewish beliefs on various panels at the UN and partook in events that also raised awareness about the plight of Jews in Arab countries. 

Rabbi Yakov David Cohen, who founded the Institute of Noahide Code, believes that his work raising awareness about the seven laws of Noah’s sons among prominent members of the international community has helped lead to a change in “how the UN views the Jewish people and this has affected their policies especially on anti-Semitism.” He feels “the Universal Noahide Code is a means to obtain peace, unity and redemption for the entire world.”  He stressed that his work has led to the initiation of events at the UN commemorating the Holocaust and a Hanukkah party for prominent members of the international community.   

Rabbi Cohen believes creating positive publicity about the Jewish belief system is the best way that Israel can fight against prejudice and bias, for the best defense is a good offense.  This means that we should highlight at every opportunity how positive we are and how horrible our enemies are, thus taking away the focus from the media frames that our political enemies set up for us.  

These events hosted by the Institute of the Noahide Code, which teaches non-Jews how they can live an ethical life according to the Jewish belief system, has had an effect.  According to the Institute for National Security Studies, “In mid-October 2019, against the background of increasing anti-Semitic incidents – demonstrated most vividly in the shooting in Halle, Germany on Yom Kippur – Ahmed Shaheed, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, presented a report to the UN General Assembly entitled “Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance,” focusing on anti-Semitism. The 19-page report, a comprehensive effort to deal with anti-Semitism on a global scale, warrants attention not only because it carries importance for Israel and for Jewish communities around the world, but also because it is surprisingly professional and research-based.”   In the end, the UN took a huge stance against anti-Semitic hatred in the West.     

And now, the State of Israel is starting to benefit from this new sentiment at the UN as well by the recent withdrawal of the UN Security Council resolution against Trump’s ‘deal of the century.’  Of course, the UN is still systematically biased against Israel, as the recent blacklisting of businesses that do business in Israeli settlements demonstrates.  However, the winds in New York City are starting to blow in a friendlier direction for the Jewish state.  

We are no longer living in an era where the entire UN system believes that Zionism is a form of racism.  Therefore, in the end, if things continue in this direction, one day we can potentially succeed to transform the UN from being a bastion for anti-Israel hatred into a place promoting tolerance and respect for the Jewish people.   

As the Prophet Isaiah envisioned and the UN once believed, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore.”      

Rachel Avraham is a political analyst working at the Safadi Center for International Diplomacy, Research, Public Relations and Human Rights.  She is the author of “Women and Jihad: Debating Palestinian Female Suicide Bombings in the American, Israeli and Arab Media.”  

Chanukah is an eight-day annual Jewish holiday. But it also lays claim as the start of western civilization. Not Jewish civilization, which was already old at the time of the first Chanukah in the second century before the common era, and not Hellenic (ancient Greek) civilization, which was also ancient. But the encounter of the West with Judaism, of reason with revelation, of Athens with Jerusalem: that began on Chanukah.

“Man,” said an ancient Greek philosopher, “is the measure of all things.” The Bible disagrees: “the fear of the Lord,” it says, “is the beginning of wisdom.” Who is right? A great debate about G‑d and man lies at the heart of the West. From Sinai to Babylon, from the lions to the Crusaders, from the Wars of Religion to the Age of Reason–and of Revolution, from Stalin to John Paul II, from eugenics to a belief that life is sacred, and from globalism to a respect for individual states – even Israel! — it remains the central question. Athens and Jerusalem still are what they always were, the struggling twins of the West.

Chanukah commemorates a miraculous victory in a war in 167 B.C.E. A Greco-Macedonian kingdom, centered in what is today Syria, had tried to outlaw the Jewish religion in its homeland in Judea and to replace it with Hellenic culture. Many Jews, in fact, supported that goal. But that is no surprise, because Hellenism had enormous appeal.

Hellenism seemed to have everything going for it. It was up-to-date, sophisticated, and intellectually satisfying. It offered wealth, health, art, and glamour. It represented the entrance ticket to an imperial civilization. Hellenism offered the opportunity to think big.

Judaism sat at the opposite end of the scale. It was old, small, and poor. It had no empire. It had nothing to offer except faith, trust, love, and strength. But those things, it turns out, are items that the human heart cannot do without.

So the miraculous happened. A small band, burning with faith, went on to defeat an empire.

There is, of course, a rational explanation; there always is. “The Syrian-Greek state had passed its prime.” “The Jews had short lines of communication.” “They mastered guerrilla tactics.” “The Greeks overplayed their hand.” “Judea wasn’t worth the bones of a Macedonian grenadier anyhow.” If rational explanations are enough for you, then take your pick.

But if you think that “the heart has its reasons that reason knows not of,” if you think that there is more to life than shifting particles, if you respect science without worshipping it – in short, if you doubt that man is G‑d, then wonder at the light of a miracle burning in the dark days of winter.

This week on 19 Kislev 5780 – 12 18 2019 guest speaker was Rabbi Dr Shimon D Cowen, son of a former Governor General of Australia, Sir Zelman Cowen OBM, has a dual background in secular and religious studies. He has a PhD in social philosophy and received Rabbinic Ordination.

Click here to view video

Rabbi Goldstein address UN GA

6 28 2019. UN HQ today GA session on antisemitism with Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein together with HE Secretary General Mr. António Guterres opening with a powerful speech and Danny Danon of Israel .. with ambassadors from Hungary , EU and Ghana and others the list is too long ….fighting darkness with light , Hate with Love The Universal Noahide code for Universal peace for all nations.

Human Rights foundation -Javier El Hage and UN Watch= Hillel Neuer with Irwin Colter of Raoul Wallenberg center for Human Rights at press conference in UN headquarters Peace and justice …

High-Level Panel on The Role of Parliaments for Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies and Combating Violent Extremism

UN Headquarters, New York, 21 July, 15.00 -18.00

LIST OF SPEAKERS

Co-organisers UNESCO, the Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN, Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Global Ethics

With the Patronage of H.E. Prof. Frederico Mayor, President, Fundacion Cultura de Paz

Keynote Speakers: 

• Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
• Mr Jehangir Khan, USG and Chairman of the Counter-terrorism Implementation Task Force
• Mr Jehangir Khan, USG and Chairman of the Counter-terrorism Implementation Task Force
• H.E. Ambassador Kiarat Abdrakhmanov, Permanent Representative of Kazahstan to the UN
• Video Address, H.E. Frederico Mayor

Moderator: Gianni Picco, former USG
Panelists:
Panel 1 – The Call for National Legislation to Implement the Culture of Peace and Combat Violent Extremism

• MEP. Lara Comi, EU Parliament Representative (Italy)
• M.P. Saman Jafri, Member of Parliament of Pakistan
• The Honorable Diane Watson, U.S. Congress(rt) and former Ambassador
• M.P. Oezcan Mutlu, Representative from Bundestag, German
• M.P. Jalila Morsli, Member of Parliament of Morocco
• Video Address – Senator Pier Ferdinando Casini, Chairman, Italian Senate Foreign Affairs Committee

Panel 2- The Multi Track Partnership of Religious Leaders, Educators and the Media in Putting the Legislation into Action

• Dr. Lahoucide Khabid, President, Atlas Center for Diplomacy in Morocco
• Dr. Boris Pincus, President, Religions in Dialogue
• Imam Agha Jafri, Founder, American Muslim Congress
• Rabbi Yakov David Cohen, President UN NGO Institute of Noahide Code
• Dr. Wafik Moustafa, Chairman, Muslim Conservative Network UK
• Rev. Thomas Del Balle-Reyes, Catholic Holy Cross Church

Moderator: Mayor Martin Oliner
Affiliated Sponsors: 

• Alsadiqin
• American Muslim Congress
• American Association of Central Asian and Caucasian Countries Religions in Dialogue
• Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association
• The Institute of Noahide Code, UN NGO

22.07.2016 – ODG

Building peace starts on the parliamentarians’ benches as much as on the benches of schools

On 21 July, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, addressed a High-Level Panel on “The Role of Parliaments for Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies and Combatting Violent Extremism”, organized by the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations, UNESCO, and the Interparliamentary Coalition for Global Ethics, at UN Headquarters in New York.
“Building peace and preventing violent extremism cannot be won with hard power only”, stated the Director-General. “We need soft power also, we need to win the battle of ideas, through education, through democratic debate, through a better understanding of each other’s cultures and religions” she continued. “Parliaments play a critical role to address the challenges of our times, when not everything can be solved at the level of Governments or United Nations Agencies alone,” said the Director-General in her opening speech highlighting that “parliamentarians have the unique power to bring solutions closer to the people, and make sure their needs and concerns are at the heart of our response.”

The event brought together parliamentarians and representatives of the diplomatic community, the United Nations system and civil society in an effort to establish a closer collaboration on the development of a culture of peace and preventing the unprecedented rise of violent extremism. It aimed at the adoption of legislation for mandatory education on culture of peace and measures to prevent terrorism and violent extremism. It also aimed at strengthening the multi-track diplomacy partnership, to engage governments, the UN system, religious, academic, and media leaders to fulfil their respective roles to implement such aligned legislation. The Director-General gave an overview of UNESCO’s action worldwide to prevent and counter violent extremism stating that “this starts on the benches of school, it must start with peace education, with textbooks and curricula that teach human rights, to prepare individuals to live as responsible citizens. Ms Emilia Gatto, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations, stressed that “there are no easy answers… we need to tackle the root causes of violent extremism, including marginalization, inequalities, discrimination, human rights violations, and hate speech, using the full toolbox offered by Agenda 2030”. H.E. Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations, urged that a long-term and comprehensive approach was needed to preventing and countering violent extremism, involving also regional and international cooperation, as a true requirement to deliver on the 2030 Agenda.

In his intervention, Mr Jehangir Khan, Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, noted the key importance of dialogues with parliamentarians who represented the “citizens of the world”. He argued that violent extremism was one of the great challenges of the 21st century in particular in terms of preventing and saving the young generations from engaging in violent extremism. He also recalled the UN Secretary-General’s global plan of action, developed by the entire UN system.

Ms Hanifa Mezoui, Senior Advisor of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, commended UNESCO for having issued the Organization’s 2016 “Teacher’s Guide on the Prevention of Violent Extremism”. Ms Mezoui presented projects of the Alliance of Civilizations, aimed at strengthening religious cooperation and working through mediation as a form of preventive diplomacy.

The keynote session concluded with an address by Federico Mayor, President of the Foundation Culture de Paz, who recalled the important role of the UN High-Level Forum on a ‘culture of peace’, and urged parliamentarians to be at the forefront of the fight against extremist ideologies.

High-Level Panel on The Role of Parliaments for Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies and Combating Violent Extremism

UN Headquarters, New York, 21 July, 15.00 -18.00

LIST OF SPEAKERS

Co-organisers UNESCO, the Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN, Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Global Ethics

With the Patronage of H.E. Prof. Frederico Mayor, President, Fundacion Cultura de Paz

Keynote Speakers: 

• Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
• Mr Jehangir Khan, USG and Chairman of the Counter-terrorism Implementation Task Force
• Mr Jehangir Khan, USG and Chairman of the Counter-terrorism Implementation Task Force
• H.E. Ambassador Kiarat Abdrakhmanov, Permanent Representative of Kazahstan to the UN
• Video Address, H.E. Frederico Mayor

Moderator: Gianni Picco, former USG
Panelists:
Panel 1 – The Call for National Legislation to Implement the Culture of Peace and Combat Violent Extremism

• MEP. Lara Comi, EU Parliament Representative (Italy)
• M.P. Saman Jafri, Member of Parliament of Pakistan
• The Honorable Diane Watson, U.S. Congress(rt) and former Ambassador
• M.P. Oezcan Mutlu, Representative from Bundestag, German
• M.P. Jalila Morsli, Member of Parliament of Morocco
• Video Address – Senator Pier Ferdinando Casini, Chairman, Italian Senate Foreign Affairs Committee

Panel 2- The Multi Track Partnership of Religious Leaders, Educators and the Media in Putting the Legislation into Action

• Dr. Lahoucide Khabid, President, Atlas Center for Diplomacy in Morocco
• Dr. Boris Pincus, President, Religions in Dialogue
• Imam Agha Jafri, Founder, American Muslim Congress
• Rabbi Yakov David Cohen, President UN NGO Institute for Noahide Code
• Dr. Wafik Moustafa, Chairman, Muslim Conservative Network UK
• Rev. Thomas Del Balle-Reyes, Catholic Holy Cross Church
• Shoshana Nicole Bekerman, Director, Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Global Ethics

Moderator: Mayor Martin Oliner
Affiliated Sponsors: 

• Alsadiqin
• American Muslim Congress
• American Association of Central Asian and Caucasian Countries Religions in Dialogue
• Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity Association
• The Institute for Noahide Code, UN NGO, Atlas Center for Diplomacy

22.07.2016 – ODG

Building peace starts on the parliamentarians’ benches as much as on the benches of schools

On 21 July, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, addressed a High-Level Panel on “The Role of Parliaments for Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies and Combatting Violent Extremism”, organized by the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations, UNESCO, and the Interparliamentary Coalition for Global Ethics, at UN Headquarters in New York.
“Building peace and preventing violent extremism cannot be won with hard power only”, stated the Director-General. “We need soft power also, we need to win the battle of ideas, through education, through democratic debate, through a better understanding of each other’s cultures and religions” she continued. “Parliaments play a critical role to address the challenges of our times, when not everything can be solved at the level of Governments or United Nations Agencies alone,” said the Director-General in her opening speech highlighting that “parliamentarians have the unique power to bring solutions closer to the people, and make sure their needs and concerns are at the heart of our response.”

The event brought together parliamentarians and representatives of the diplomatic community, the United Nations system and civil society in an effort to establish a closer collaboration on the development of a culture of peace and preventing the unprecedented rise of violent extremism. It aimed at the adoption of legislation for mandatory education on culture of peace and measures to prevent terrorism and violent extremism. It also aimed at strengthening the multi-track diplomacy partnership, to engage governments, the UN system, religious, academic, and media leaders to fulfil their respective roles to implement such aligned legislation. The Director-General gave an overview of UNESCO’s action worldwide to prevent and counter violent extremism stating that “this starts on the benches of school, it must start with peace education, with textbooks and curricula that teach human rights, to prepare individuals to live as responsible citizens. Ms Emilia Gatto, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations, stressed that “there are no easy answers… we need to tackle the root causes of violent extremism, including marginalization, inequalities, discrimination, human rights violations, and hate speech, using the full toolbox offered by Agenda 2030”. H.E. Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations, urged that a long-term and comprehensive approach was needed to preventing and countering violent extremism, involving also regional and international cooperation, as a true requirement to deliver on the 2030 Agenda.

In his intervention, Mr Jehangir Khan, Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, noted the key importance of dialogues with parliamentarians who represented the “citizens of the world”. He argued that violent extremism was one of the great challenges of the 21st century in particular in terms of preventing and saving the young generations from engaging in violent extremism. He also recalled the UN Secretary-General’s global plan of action, developed by the entire UN system.

Ms Hanifa Mezoui, Senior Advisor of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, commended UNESCO for having issued the Organization’s 2016 “Teacher’s Guide on the Prevention of Violent Extremism”. Ms Mezoui presented projects of the Alliance of Civilizations, aimed at strengthening religious cooperation and working through mediation as a form of preventive diplomacy.

The keynote session concluded with an address by Federico Mayor, President of the Foundation Culture de Paz, who recalled the important role of the UN High-Level Forum on a ‘culture of peace’, and urged parliamentarians to be at the forefront of the fight against extremist ideologies.