August 31, 1999

To err is human; to forgive, divine.

Since there is a divine spark in all of us, we also must forgive.

The question is: How? How do we heal the hurts inflicted on us, and those we inflict on others?

With the Jewish High Holy Days just around the corner, forgiveness is on everyone’s mind. On September 10th, Rosh Hashanah, Jews the world over will enter synagogues and ask God for forgiveness. But before we ask God to forgive us, we have to ask our family and friends.

As part of a national program, synagogues across the country will be participating in A Time to Forgive, a program designed to help teach people how to offer and receive forgiveness. 

Created by the Orthodox Union (OU) and the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), A Time to Forgive will help people attain forgiveness by offering practical tips such as: list the baggage and burdens of someone who has hurt you; if you’ve hurt someone, apologize even if you maybe right; and if a relationship has been damaged, be the first to reach out.

A Time to Forgive contains traditional Jewish sources for forgiveness in both Hebrew and English ("It is best to forgive someone even if they don’t ask for your forgiveness") as well as the Ten Commandments of Forgiveness (Know that to forgive is the best way to be forgiven).

"During the High Holy Day season, each Jew contemplates how he or she can make amends with God. But sometimes in our zeal to serve God, we can forget about those closest to us whom we have hurt. A Time to Forgive helps each of us focus on how we can make amends with our family and friends, thereby enriching our lives and those of our loved ones," said Rabbi Yaacov Haber, National Director of Education and Co-editor of the program.

"The practical advice on how to forgive is something every man, woman and child can incorporate into his or her life, not just during the High Holy Day season, but all year long," added Rabbi Jacob Rubenstein, Immediate Past President of the RCA, and Co-editor of A Time to Forgive.

This publication will also be available online in time for Rosh Hashanah, so please continue to check http://www.ou.org for details.

The Orthodox Union, celebrating its 102nd year of service to the Jewish community of America and beyond, is the world leader in youth work, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. Its kosher supervision label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 250,000 products in 62 countries around the globe.

Comments? Requests? Questions?

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America Department of Public Relations Sharyn Perlman, Director Main Office: 11 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 Phone: 212-613-8321 Fax: 212-564-9058 E-mail: media@ou.org

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