Sent by Anonymous

To Whom It May Concern In Project Forgiveness

My feeling doesn’t match my husband’s version, with respect to forgive and forget.

I think it’s a matter of degree. On minor matters most people do forgive and forget. An on personal insults and damaging another’s financial well being; and even things hurtful to the nations economy –even those situations sometimes can be resolved with an apology or political correction.

But then there’s the whole in –between where, once corrected, people make a conscious effort not to bring up the subject but all parties have it close to the surface. Now I know that is not forgive and forget, but it is close.

And then there’s the whole other subject of tyranny, terrorism and murder. The words forgive and forget simply do not apply.

Sincerely,
A Womans Point of View

The whole business of forgive and forget has always been troublesome – in world affairs of course, but just as dearly in the synagogue.
The more devoted to the synagogue, it seems, the more unforgiving are the slights to the Rabbi or the President. Sadly, in the 80+ years of our Temple’s existence, more than once have cliques resigned en masse and spiritual leaders not been renewed; always to the detriment of our Jewish community. No one dares suggest the concept of forgive and forget.

Is there a solution? Certainly I won’t venture a suggestion as to world or national animosities, but as to synagogue life, one step forward might be refining Rabbinical training to accommodate the idiosyncrasies, power struggles, and opinionated brethren and serious training in togetherness for synagogue leadership.

Sincerely,
Once who respects the course to which you are devoted.


- Anonymous

Forgive: From Miami

I am sorry for blaming you for my second marriage gone wrong. It was wrong of me to spread rumors and make up stories to make myself look good and make you, an innocent bystander, look bad. The marriage was falling apart and I just went to find an outlet, someone or something to blame for it and you were there.

Please forgive me, I was 110% wrong! I am also sorry for my sister calling you and saying all those bad things. I am wrong, I am sorry!

--UWS Single Again

Join Project Forgiveness by sending us a postcard or email to share on the site.


How?

It's simple. Take a peice of paper or postcard or cardboard or tissue or anything else you find. Cut out pictures, print images, draw or paint and share your thoughts. Then, mail the postcard to the P.O. Box you see on the left.

OR....

Have fun with powerpoint, illustrator or any other program and send us an email to forgiveness@njop.org.

All entries are anonymous unless otherwise requested.


Thanks!

Sent by Anonymous

From West Coast Mom

Is it possible to forgive someone if you are still angry? What does forgiveness mean?

- Anonymous from New Jersey

When I hit the old lady’s bumper on the Palisades Parkway, the police did not let me get out of the car to tell her I was sorry.

- New York

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Earlier today Mel Gibson issued a statement expressing regret for comments made last week:

"There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark," Gibson said in a statement issued by his publicist. "I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/01/gibson.dui/index.html?section=cnn_topstories


- Mel Gibson

When I heard about National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP) Project Forgiveness, I expressed my interest in supporting the program. The Jewish tradition places a unique emphasis on forgiveness between human beings. As NJOP hopes to inspire us to consider forgiveness during the days leading to the Jewish New Year, I welcome the opportunity to take part in this project and help shed light on how the path to forgiveness is also the path to the emotional freedom we all deserve.

Relationships are central to our mental health and have the potential to sustain or drain us emotionally, spiritually and physically. If you are struggling with forgiveness, you understand the challenge it can be to grant or to request forgiveness.

For those seeking to grant forgiveness, consider the following: often we feel we cannot forgive unless we understand the reason we were wronged. The reality is, we do not have understand why someone did what they did in order to forgive. Remember, forgiveness does not excuse anyone’s behavior, rather it allows the forgiver to put the past where it belongs – behind us. We forgive, not for the wrong-doer, but for ourselves.

The same is true for those requesting forgiveness. When we apologize, we let go of the ego. Forgiveness must be requested with humility, understanding that the request is not about us but about the person wronged. Part of asking for forgiveness is taking full responsibility for our actions and in doing so, we often begin to forgive ourselves as well.

Both forgiving and apologizing are closely linked to independence, self-respect and emotional freedom. I encourage those visiting the site to send a note or a postcard to NJOP Project Forgiveness and take that first step towards those who have wronged you or to those whom you have wronged. It is my hope that Project Forgiveness will lead to personal, emotional freedom for all who take part.

-- David J. Lieberman