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Begin forwarded message:
From: Olga Yorish <oyorish@jfgo.org>
Date: September 13, 2013, 1:04:14 PM EDT
To: fireryphoenix@hotmail.com
Subject: Forgiveness and Yom Kippur
Reply-To: oyorish@jfgo.org
Olga Yorish
JFGO Executive Director
Dear Miguel,
Last week, I talked about second chances. Today I want to talk about the power of forgiveness. As we approach Yom Kippur, we are commanded by our tradition to ask forgiveness from the people whom we know we have harmed or offended during the year, and just in case we hurt someone unknowingly, it is good to apologize to our friends and family members. In truth, who can honestly say that he or she hasn't said or done something wrong to a parent, a child, a colleague, or a friend during the past 12 months? We are all human and we make mistakes. The beauty of Yom Kippur is that it gives us an opportunity to come clean. And so, before Yom Kippur, Jews seek out and reconcile with friends, colleagues, family members and even enemies.
Apologies are hard to make, and they can be embarrassing. They require an honest examination of our actions, admitting that what we did was wrong, and humbling ourselves to ask for forgiveness from someone to whom we may have felt morally superior. Apologies are also cleansing and liberating. God promises us atonement on Yom Kippur. To obtain it, all we have to do is teshuva, the sincere changing of the direction of our heart and actions. Asking forgiveness, one of the steps of teshuva for a sin against another human being, is a relatively small price to pay for the soul-cleansing available to us on Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur is also the time to forgive. Our Sages emphasize the importance of granting forgiveness to others. The Rabbis teach that one should not refuse to grant forgiveness to somebody who offended him. A person who willingly grants forgiveness to others will earn God's forgiveness for whatever sins he may have committed. "If we cannot forgive others," said the Hassidic Master Israel Ba'al Shem Tov, "how can we expect God to forgive us?" When we stand before God on Yom Kippur, our most compelling defense is: "I have forgiven those who sinned against me. Please forgive me in turn." Every time we forgive, we open up the gates of forgiveness in the world. And we are the first ones to walk through.
In the past five months, I have met a number of people who feel that they have been wronged or offended by the Federation as an organization or by somebody representing its leadership or management. I have made many sincere apologies accompanied by promises that things will change for the better. I have also met a few people who have stubbornly held on to their old grudges and refused to let go of them.
I recognize that in communal life, organizational agendas come in conflict with each other. Organizations are run by people who have vested interests and personal agendas. Personalities clash, passions flare, egos are hurt. As a result, people are offended and alienated. A true mark of a stable, healthy, and mature organization is its capacity to admit and learn from its mistakes. Applying the lessons of Yom Kippur to communal life, organizations must cleanse themselves from past mistakes and take steps to correct their actions. It is also incumbent upon each of us to forgive and move on.
I hope that this year, we will be inspired to forgive our fellow Jews and renew our souls.
On the eve of Yom Kippur, I ask for forgiveness from everybody whom I may have harmed or offended this past year, and I also sincerely forgive everybody who has offended or harmed me.
Shabbat Shalom and G'mar Hatimah Tovah,
Olga Yorish
Executive Director
(407) 645-5933 ext. 235
In observance of Sukkot and Simchat Torah Fed Friday will be suspended through September, returning October 4, 2013.
Friday Fed Mail is a weekly communication from JFGO's Executive Director, Olga Yorish. Did you find this information useful? Pass it along, or tell us about it. Have a suggestion for a Fed Mail topic? Email us your ideas. Contact us by replying to this email, sending a message to oyorish@jfgo.org or calling 407-645-5933 x 235. JFGO's mission is to nurture a Jewish community that transcends generations and neighborhoods. Visit www.JFGO.org for more information.
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