Never Too Late to Apologize

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 18, 2008 -- Don't listen to Timbaland; it's never "too late to apologize." Gearing up for the Jewish New Year, the National Jewish Outreach Program's Project Forgiveness is an initiative aimed at inspiring people of all faiths to contemplate requesting and granting forgiveness.

The website, www.projectforgiveness.com, accepts postcards, video links, letters and emails from individuals wishing to express personal thoughts regarding forgiveness. This year, Project Forgiveness has also begun accepting apologies from elementary and Hebrew school classes. A video featuring the apologies of public officials, alongside polls and submissions from the public, encourages everyone to get into the forgiving mood. The Jewish New Year is a time for Jews to review their actions, right wrongs and mend relationships with family and friends. Originally launched in 2006 and slated to run through the high holidays of that year, Project Forgiveness accepted dozens of public apologies within the span of a little over a month. Since then, NJOP has received numerous requests for the project's return so the site has been revised and revamped and early 2008 entries are now featured on the site.

"We are amazed by the wonderful response we have received to Project Forgiveness," said Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald, Founder and Director of the National Jewish Outreach Program. "The fact that people can send in postcards or entries anonymously makes it easy to begin to address issues of regret. We are again receiving sincere and heartfelt apologies and hope their words will inspire others to contemplate interpersonal relationships. The Jewish New Year isn't only about praying to G-d for forgiveness for our sins. Before one can attain forgiveness from the Almighty for turning on a light on Shabbat or using His name in vain, one must first mend relationships with family and friends. This aspect of the High Holy Days is so important that one must attempt to ask for forgiveness three times before he is released from his obligation to apologize."

To participate in Project Forgiveness, or find out how your school or program can participate, send an email to forgiveness@njop.org or mail a letter, postcard or other expression of forgiveness to:

Project Forgiveness

c/o WPR

P.O. Box 5134

Bergenfield, NJ 07621

About the National Jewish Outreach Program

Founded in 1987 by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald to address the crucial issue of the spiraling losses of Jews from Jewish life due to assimilation and lack of Jewish knowledge, NJOP (www.njop.org) is now one of the largest and most successful Jewish outreach organizations in the world. To date, more than 1,040,000 people have benefited from NJOP's innovative, free programs which have been held in 3,665 locations--including synagogues, community centers, military bases and college campuses--in all 50 states, 9 Canadian provinces and 37 countries around the world.

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