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!

September 28, 2008

I am sorry that I physically abused my body.
I am sorry that I do not have the self control to control all the members of my body.
I am sorry that I have desecrated my body.
I am sorry for things that I have said that have hurt other people.
I am sorry that I did not do things to help others when I had a chance to do so.
I am sorry that I sometimes value material things more than people.
I am sorry that I have not lived my life to my maximum potential.

For all these things, I am sorry, and I am humbled by my misdeeds.

September 27, 2008

Forgive Me
Four chambers of regret.
That is what I am tonight.
Would it make a difference if I took every misspoken word that I said back onto my tongue, Swished the letters around like Listerine, And laid them back out on some heavenly scrabble board to read 'I know now how much that I have hurt you'?
And you will say that these are just words.
And you will be right.
- Daniel S. Brenner

September 24, 2008

I'm sorry I didn't let you kiss me good night forgive me
I'm sorry I didn't hug you enough forgive me
I'm sorry I didn't listen harder, longer and more effectively

forgive me I'm sorry you think I'm wrong, not fair and don't love you
forgive me I'm sorry that I say things that hurt you when I don't mean to and when I mean to forgive me I'm sorry that sometimes I'm not a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, co-worker and Human being
forgive me.

I'm sorry sometimes I talk to much and to little or to late

forgive me Most of all Dear Hashem I'm sorry for the disregard, disrespect and irresponsibility of my actions or lack of actions
Forgive me and give me a chance to be a better person to those I love and those I have yet to love.
Please Hashem give the opportunity to be a better Jew and reflect all that there is in our beautiful religion.

September 23, 2008

Students at the Yavneh Academy in Paramus, NJ drew pictures to say sorry.

























September 17, 2008

I am sorry for all those who have been hurt by angry words spoken by me. I ask for forgiveness. And for those who have hurt me I feel no anger against them.

September 14, 2008

I'm sorry I yelled.
I'm sorry I was disrespectful.
I'm sorry I didn't help.
I'm sorry I criticized.
I'm sorry I belittled.
I'm sorry I was jealous.
I'm sorry I ignored you.
I'm sorry I lost your trust.
I'm sorry I disappointed you.
I'm sorry I made you sad.
I'm sorry I made you wait.
I'm sorry I upset you.
I'm sorry I didn't act nicer.
I'm sorry I waited.
I'm sorry I didn't wait.
I'm sorry I insulted you.
I'm sorry I hurt you.
I'm sorry I caused you pain.
I'm sorry I was so vain.
I'm sorry I wasn't there for you.
I'm sorry I always checked up on you.
I'm sorry I didn't do the right thing.
I'm sorry I did the wrong thing.
Life is too short.
It goes by so fast.
Please god forgive me for my sins.
Please god give me the strength to ask forgiveness of others.
Please god let them forgive me.
Please god end the suffering.
Please god forgive me.

September 12, 2008

I'm sorry for not being a big enough person to let past hurts and insults go and being able to forgive my spouse's family for the way they have treated me.

September 11, 2008

i'm sorry for being absorbed in my trivial time-wasting nonsense and not being there to do someone a favor ...

i'm sorry for having to wait to be asked/begged to do a favor, when i should have jumped at the chance unasked ...

i'm sorry for being irritable and impatient even when trying to do the favor, and not understanding the desperation of the one in need ...

i'm sorry for not understanding, and not doing what i could ...

i'm sorry ...
My mother will be gone in December for 10 years, and there isn't a day that I don't wish she were here that I could ask her forgiveness. Not for one thing, for so many things.I pray everyday that she can hear me and know how sorry I am.

thank you for letting me put this into writing. my heart is very heavy as I write this and I just want to cry. I know nobody can tell me it is all right, it can never be undone. While you have your parents you just do and say things, never did I ever think I would be sorry. Now ten year later, everyday I think of something else I should have said or done.

So I'm asking for some forgiveness from I don't know who. The hardest thing is to forgive yourself.Thank you again for letting me vent

September 10, 2008

Dear Friend,

I forgive you that you yelled at me.
I forgive you that you lost control of your anger.
I forgive you that you took out all your hardships on me.
I forgive you that you lashed out at me when you felt I was hurting you.
I forgive you that you caused me to fall silent.
I forgive you that you unintentionally destroyed my self-worth.
I forgive you that you said I'm sorry and then did it again.
I forgive you for not having enough patience to pull me out from behind the all the locks I had placed around my heart.
I forgive you for not treating me with love when I was lost and alone on the edge of myself.
I forgive you that when I gave you the only thing I had left (myself), you rejected me.
I forgive you for having to sacrifice my deepest self so that I could keep you from hurting you so much that you could not let it go.

I'm sorry that I yelled back.
I'm sorry that I wasn't in always in control of my anger.
I'm sorry that I was cold and unloving.I'm sorry that I stopped trusting you.
I'm sorry that I became mean.
I'm sorry that everything I said or did hurt you.
I'm sorry that the thing I wanted most was to stop being your friend.
I'm sorry that I felt relieved that I could pull back when you found the one person you really needed.
I'm sorry that I couldn't fix your problems and heal your heart.

Thank you for forgiving me every time.
Thank you for not holding any of it against me.
Thank you for giving me reason to trust you again.
Thank you for showing me the gift of being human.
Thank you for teaching me how to let my emotions get the best of me and have it be ok.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to find the best in myself when I had become the worst of myself.

I loved you just as deeply through everything.I only wanted to set things right.
I tried to understand you so I would not condemn you.
I understood that you were not at fault and that the situation was the problem.
I promised that I would never stop being your friend and I kept that promise to the expense of myself.I let it go every time you hurt me.
I never meant to hurt you.

Icould not send this to you, because we have already forgiven each other and are continuing the trusting, mutual friendship we had before the hard times. Sending you this would only give you pain because you would know how much you hurt me. But I wanted to release it from my self so that the all the anger, vengefulness, and hurt would no longer be a part of me.

I forgive you with truth, with love, and with a whole heart.

I love you always,Me

September 5, 2008

I ask Forgiveness of my family, friends and colleagues if I have caused any
kind of distress or upset. I love you and I am sorry. Thank you.


Avril

September 3, 2008

I am sorry for not controlling myself and yelling. I intended to remain calm to discuss, but I failed myself and you. I'm sorry you didn't feel comfortable in the the apartment and that you felt overwhelmed. I'm sorry that I'm still very upset with the way I was treated. I'm trying to forgive you, but it's taking me some time.

~Your (ex) roommate