Project Forgiveness 2009

Welcome to Project Forgiveness. Here, we collect and post videos, emails, postcards and other expressions of regret from those who seek to forgive and from those who wish to express regret.

In the days leading up to the Jewish New Year, we offer this forum as a first step. It is our hope that sharing thoughts of forgiveness online will translate into actual forgiveness between individuals in the days to come.

How to participate? It's simple. Send us your "sorry" (upload a video to youtube and send us the link) or email us at: forgiveness or mail to:

Project Forgiveness
WPR
P.O. Box 5134
Bergenfield, NJ 07621

We accept postcards, emails, powerpoint, art, music, video and more!

August 1, 2006

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

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's when you are drunk that the real truth comes out. He should not be forgiven.

Anonymous said...

I don't think its for anyone to forgive or not forgive. I think the more important point is that someone who has some sort of prejudice or hate against another person, thing, persons should learn to look at themselves and better understand why they are that way. Hate promotes hate, if we can learn and teach to accept and not blame others for a short coming or thing that is happening, maybe we can begin to move forward and not repeat the issues/conflicts that have occurred before.

With all that is happening in the world, maybe promoting learning and opening our minds to acceptance is a better way to go.

Anonymous said...

In regards to forgiving Mel Gibson, I do not believe it is our duty to forgive him, leave that to G-d. Of course, if he was really and truly sorry and showed it in a way (I don't know - maybe put out a movie about Hizbullah) more than just having his publicist say so... that would be a different story (--- even the mass murderer Nevuzaraden repented sincerely).

At the same time we should not eat ourselves up over his stance on the Jewish people (maybe we should even thank him for it!). Unfortunately, we are in exile and it is their job to hate us so that we should remember who our true friend is i.e. G-d.

As history and our sages have taught us: when we need a tap on the shoulder to remind us that we are the chosen nation, there will always be another Mel out there.

Let's not wait for another reminder from G-d - let's unite in being proud to be Jewish and stop trying to assimilate.

Let's not wait for another tap on the shoulder - because the next "tap"
may be a more painful one, G-d forbid.

Anonymous said...

People who offer sincere apologies should be forgiven. I think Mel's apology was sincere. Plus, not forgiving them only makes them hate you more, but forgiving people makes them feel guilty, and that changes their heart.

Anonymous said...

what a jerk,when people are drunk they speak what they really feel. He was stupid and is stupid and now the world knows he's a jew hater.

Anonymous said...

NO HIS TRUE COLORS ARE NOW KNOWN.

Anonymous said...

You may as well be asking that we forgive the Nazis. Would you be so willing to forgive him if he'd called an African-American the N word? I think not. I'll be willing to forgive Gibson if he takes a trip to Auschwitz and then comes back and asks for forgiveness. Right now, it's only for show, there is nothing sincere in what he says. He doesn't negate his father's odious comments, he is just worried about his own skin.

Forgiving him at this point is an acceptance of anti-Semitism. NOT a chance.

Anonymous said...

BS'D

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT FORGIVE MEL GIBSON FOR HIS ANTI-JEWISH REMARKS. NOR DO I BELIEVE HE SINCERELY DESIRES FORGIVENESS. HIS DESIRE IS TO NOT NEGATIVELY AFFECT HIS BOX OFFICE RATINGS.

THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST OF THESE TYPE OF SLURS MR. GIBSON HAS MADE, NOR I DARE SAY, WILL IT BE THE LAST.

ROSH HASHANAH IS NOT ONLY FOR ONES SINCERE REQUEST OF FORGIVENESS, BUT THERE IS AN EXPECTATION OF A TRUE CHANGE OF ONE'S BEHAVIORS.

Anonymous said...

I think Mel's apology was sincere.

Absolutely - it came straight from the depth's of his publicist's heart

Anonymous said...

A person expresses his true inner self when he is drunk. I truly believe Mel Gibson is an anti-semite, and that he only asked for forgiveness so as not to 'look bad' to the public.

Anonymous said...

Mel, if you're reading this, and you really want to apologize to the entire Jewish race for your public expression of your negative feelings towards us, why not do something real to show your support that will not hurt you at all and will help us tremendously all over the world, plus set a very good example for others with the means to help. SEND A MILLION DOLLAR DONATION TO THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT! SEND A MESSAGE AND REAL HELP TO THE SOLDIERS WHO ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES TO FIGHT FOR THEIR FREEDOM AND RETURN HOME TO THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN AND PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS! HELP US by giving us the pat on the back we need so desperately right now! DO SOMETHING and then we'll believe your apology.

Anonymous said...

Alfred Dukes said...
Word are serious weapons. Regret and asking for forgivness unfortunatly do not change the damege it causes. It is like tearing a pillow full of feders and trying to collect them from all over the wind has blowm them. Actions are the only one which can repair the damege. We Jews are commanded not to keep grudges and return hate. It is not for us to forgive, it is for him to prove for himself and for the world with positive actions his regret, thus changing his image. He should not forget that the profet in whom he belives in, was a Jewish Rabbi who preached love and not hatred.

11:00 PM


Anonymous said...
Alfred - your post seems to be misplaced... I think you intended it for under Gibson's comments.

11:29 AM

Anonymous said...

I don't care what he said in his apology. It does not change the fact that he meant what he said about Jews. If he REALLY wanted to apologize, he woudld DO something to try to make it up to the Jewish community instead of giving lip service. I don't care if there is one person named Mel Gibson in the world who hates Jews (people hate us all the time, what else is new?), but when that someone is a public figure, they should realize that when they make a statement, they are role modeling for the masses. He should be more responsible and keep his poisonous hate to himself instead of causing it to proliferate through the media.
Jerk.

Anonymous said...

To forgive or not to forgive? I think that is not the question. I think that Gibson should not be apologizing to us Jews. Apologizing for being an anti-Semite? Does that affect us Jews in any way whatsoever?
The answer is that IT DOESN'T. The only person M.G. must apologize to is himself.
He must apologize to himself for spilling the beans about his anti-Semitism and the fact that he lied about his movie (The Passion). He has now revealed his true self, and the only one was and will be harmed by is himself.
There is nothing to forgive, as there is nothing we, or he for that matter, can do anything to fix. Sitting him down and teaching him Jewish history, flying him to Auschwitz, and bringing him to synagogues will only bore him to death and make him hate us more (not that we care) for causing him all this trouble. And when he comes out and says that he does not hate Jews anymore and he is out of his anti-Semitic period, why should we believe him? Didn't he say that he does not hate Jews before the film came out?
Again, my point is that all this forgiveness issue is ridiculous; it makes absolutely no difference if there is one more anti-Semite in the world, even if he is such a bigshot as M.G. is. After all, the number of anti-Semites in this world is in the 9-digits. As for whether these are his true feelings or not, it is clear that they are. There is a famous saying in Hebrew, "nichnas yayin yatza sod", and loosely translated "in comes wine, out come secrets". This is because a person has no control over his feelings and emotions when he is drunk, something he has when he's sober. So let Mel be, stop bothering him, he will undergo rehab, and when the next film of his comes out (The Passion II, perhaps?), the entire world will be a bit more educated and a bit less naive about this man and his true feelings. If you read this far and have any comments, e-mail me at leibedik@juno.com. No spam please!

Anonymous said...

I am disturbed by those whose comments indicate that the "real" truth comes out when you've been drinking. I contend just the opposite is true and here is why. We all have fears and prejudices that we face every day. The rational person in us is able to confront these fears and prejudices and overcome them. When we drink our inhibitions are lowered. We become irrational and we say things we truly do not mean and would not say if we were rational. I believe Mel Gibson's problem is more with alcohol. He has asked for forgiveness and my God has evaluated his sincerity. If He has forgiven him who am I to withold his forgiveness?

Anonymous said...

What kind of person asks for a million dollars
in return for forgiveness? You should be ashamed of
yourself!!!! Mel Gibson made a terrible mistake, he is human, and we as humans make mistakes from time to time, this is what makes us human!!!!
Shame on you!!!!