Stories – Shalom for Charlotte

Hi,
I honestly have no words but i’ll try to somehow express myself in order to show you how much this means to me.
Since I have heard Charlotes story on Tisha Bav through the letting go film something inside of me shifted, I have become more open to forgiving and making things work. When I went to the Shaindy Plotzker Elul Concert, something inside of me didnt just shift it cracked, being surrounded my so many women and girls who were all just so eager to take on the pledge and make some changes for Charlotte a”h really was somthing so so special to me and impacted me in so many ways already. A few short days after the concert I experienced a loss of someone who is a huge part of my heart, and I remember the first nechama I thought of was like omg Bracha Baila a”h will come up to shamayim under kisaya hakavod and Charlotte a”h will run over to her give her a huge hug welcome her to the holiest place ever. Over yom tov I overheard a conversation between a few kids who were having an argument, all of the sudden one kid screams SHALOM FOR CHARLOTTE you guys gotta make Shalom, and a different kid is like how about Shalom for Bracha Baila, then I came in and told them that Bracha Baila a”h and Charlote a”h are both in shamayim and will be so proud of you if you stop this little argument. I am sure Bracha Baila a”h is so so proud of Charlote a”h. Together with the rest of us:) Thank you for spreading Charlotes a”h light, and for giving us the nechama we so despratly needed knowing Bracha Baila a”h is in good hands.

I have someone I see very often who takes great pleasure in ridiculing me, particularly in topics that are very sensitive to me. I am releasing the need to hold on to the hurts I have gotten. In future, I will remind myself, bli neder that their behavior makes them a rachmanus.

Hi, I was truly inspired by the Herzberg to choose shalom here is my story:
I was planning on going on vacation with a friend in the summer and a little before she totally canceled and chose to go with a different friend. I realized right away if I get really upset we probably won’t stay friends and I realized it just wasn’t worth it. I forgave her completely and now we are regular friends again. I do not know how this would have turned out if I hadn’t watched the Tisha bav film you are a true inspiration to everyone in Klal Yisrael!!!

i forgave someone who bullied me for an entire year. were now best friends

i had borrowed 50 cents from a friend around 6 years ago and forgot to write it down and forgot about it. strangely enough, this year 2 weeks before yom kippur i remembered and i dont have the greatest memory. it was really embarrassing since we are not really friends anymore but i called her up and it felt so good

I forgave the person who sexually abused me.

Mom called me to wish me good shabbos

Nissim

Have a great YT

I had a friend who was silently being really hurtful for a long time like she wasn’t saying anything outright mean, but was silently doing things that were very hurtful and I realized that it’s time for me to stop investing in such a friendship that keeps hurting me. I didn’t answer her call for over a week because I just couldn’t talk to her and over this week, I kept thinking just do it for Charlotte do it for Charlotte and this morning I did it. I gave her a call back. a step in the right direction. I’m reminding myself that everything that happens it’s really a reflection of Hashem doing it and nobody could do anything to you unless He wills it. Maybe I won’t have that close relationship, but as long as we’re biShalom that could work. I am constantly telling myself do it for charlotte and all day different things come up that a person can be frustrated or upset by but I keep thinking of you and reminding myself to just let things go and my life is so different! Her neshama should have an Aliyah!

A friend of mine who lives in the neighborhood had a baby girls and hosted a ladies Kiddus at our local Shuel . I showed up at the kiddush and was excited to meet and get to know all of her family members. I suddenly was surprised to see face from the past. Low and behold her sister in law was the very girl who bullied me in an extreme way in camp, many many years ago. Although its many years later, I was still extreemly hurt and upset at this girl. She litteraly ruined my summer and my confidence and self esteem for a long time after. This woman obviously remembered me to because when she saw me she made a silent escape and bussied herself outside. I promised I would never forgive her. And if I would it would only be after giving it in to her and giving her some hardache in return. Her mother in law came over to me and as we where talking she realized that I am the same age as her daughter in law. She quickly went to get her daughter in law and forced her to come meet me and get to know me. It was so awkward, I was able to see her face burning. Little did this mother in law know what trouble she got us into. I tried being nice and made some friendly conversation althoght I felt like really taking revenge and giving it all into her. when I got home my head was spinning, what are the chances that this girls should be my friends sister in law? what are the chances that her mother in law should decide to peer us up in a conversation. I decided that it must be a sign that it is time to forgive her and let go of the grudge. It was shortly after I saw the podcast about Challote, I also spotted someone wearing a band that said Shalom for Charllote and at the same time I came across the music video from Shaindy Plotzker about Charlete. I really connected to this sweet little girl and I was greatly inspired by her most incredible parents. I decided I am doing this for Charlette. Was not easy, I must say, I was angry that I have to forgive her when she never said sorry and that I will never have the opportunity of giving it in to her and that she does not deserve my forgivingness…, But I decided to let go off all those feelings, and truly forgiver her with my entire heart. I hope this will be a zechus for Charlotte.

I was really mad at one of my siblings, and I left my house and said I won’t go home till he apologizes, but my dinner was at home and I was hungry, and I still wouldn’t go home, then I decided you what I’ll go home in the zchus for charlottee.

one girl completely ruined my ninth-grade year. I chose to forgive her in honor of charlotte memory

I did something to a chaver in yeshiva approximately 23 years ago. Although what I did was what I was told to do – al pi daas torah, it was hurtful to my chaver. Since then, he was very cold to me whenever we met. Some six years after that story I happened to be davening in the same bais medrash for Yom Kippur. I went over to him right before kol nidrei to ask for mechila. He mumbled that he was mochel, but it wasn’t quite full heartedly. 17 years later I bumped into him twice within two weeks and he was very friendly. After that, I thought to myself that maybe I should ask for mechila again. Before rosh hashana I decided to call him and get a mechila b’leiv sholaim. I got his number and called a few times without getting through. I finally got through, on the way to the mikva erev rosh hashana. I said my name and the line went dead. I tried again thinking it was a bad connection, but the same thing happened. On erev yom kippur decided to try again. And again the phone went blank twice after I said hello. Still not sure how to take it, I wrote him a text message explaining that I felt bad and wanted to ask for mechila. Right afterwards he called me back and said “oh that was you trying to call, I thought it was a robo call. These days there are so many robo calls I hang up right away if I don’t hear someone.” He told me that he doesn’t know who should ask who for mechila. Although he realized that I acted as per daas torah it still hurt, and as much as he wants to get past it he finds it hard. He said the fact that I called to ask again will definitely help him finally put it in past and move forward b’shalom!
Much of the inspiration that pushed me to reach out to ask for forgiveness again even though I was technically right was Shalom for Charlotte! Secondly, I can’t be in peace with myself if someone is at odds with me – regardless of fault.
Yasher koach!!

My parents and I had a very fractured relationship, going months without speaking. I took the initiative to travel to see them and try to make shalom.

I held a grudge against a family member who married into my family almost 9 years ago. She made my life miserable and it really affected my relationship with the family member she married. I especially hated how she chose to make my life difficult by marrying my relative (her 4th wedding, my first), a week before my wedding when it really made mine and my chosson’s life extremely difficult for no reason. I really disliked her. I have decided to actively forgive her despite my ill feelings toward her.

I was annoyed of my friend and ignored her went to shaindy plotzker concert heard all about charlotte and asked her for forgiveness

It never dawned on me that i’m still hurt by things people did or said to me. “Me? I’m not that type that doesn’t forgive poeple, i move on…” So I thought until your story brought awareness to me, that if so many people are taking the step to forgive others, and so many people have pain and hurt that they chose to move forward from, maybe I also have some grudges in me?
And I was shocked to discover how much hurt I was holding inside towards others.
This Yom Kippur I am taking the step to try to forgive those who have wronged me for it was anyways destined by Hashem that I should go through that, and being hurt at others is only hurting me. I hope I can forgive them with a full heart and your zechus is huge!!!
Lezchus refuah sheleima- Yaakov Elimelech Yitzchok ben Golda

A couple of years ago, when I was newly divorced, I tried applying my child to a school that many people told me would be good for him. I was very impressed by the open house and told so many people such good things about the school. In the end, my son was not accepted and multiple people who had heard about the school from me were accepted. I was very hurt, especially since the school my child ended up going to was really not great at first. I kept trying to let go, but the pain kept coming back, so I spoke to a Rav and asked what he thought about my making a phone call to the menahel to explain the pain I still felt and that I wanted to let go of it; the Rav agreed but told me not to get my hopes up about the head of school understanding me…. I finally made the call to the menahel on Erev Yom Kippur and B”H, I got through; he remembered me and my child when I introduced myself. He was genuinely surprised and extremely remorseful when he heard how I’d felt, and begged me for mechila. I said I forgave b’lev shalem and was glad we had spoken. He said my coming to him should be a zechus for my whole family, and I said it should be a zechus for Charlotte’s neshama as well.

My older sister caused a rift in my family with her marriage cutting everyone off for no reason when she decided to make amends I had a hard time forgiving due to the fact that as the now eldest child at home I was constantly caught in the middle of this argument and witnessed my parents pain first hand making it extremely hard for me to let go. After hearing this story I thought if they could do this so can I.

Now on Erev Yom Kippur I decided to forgive someone who had deeply hurt me on the class overnight in the zechus of Charlotte.

i wanted to be head of a choir with 2 of my best friends but then another girls who hadent been the nicest to me my whole school life also wanted the job and she took it and i forgaveher

Forgiving someone even without an apology. Honestly, it’s good for my soul as I enter 5787. I thank Hashem for everything he has done for me and hearing the Herzberg parents speak, made me find a tiny place in my heart that I had thought was lost.

Still cranking

Good shabbos ♥️

I had a big disagreement with my child’s principal this past year. I disagreed how they were treating my child and we got into a fight. I was really upset and since then, did my best to avoid him. After seeing this inspirational video and amazing story, I knew I had to make Shalom. It wasn’t easy and I kept backing out. I would then remember your story and knew I had to do my part. Eventually I reached out to them and apologized as a Zchus for Neshama of Shaindel A”H bas Chaim Yehuda Leib.
Thank you!

I’ve had a rebbe who really hurt me tremendously many years ago and when I read the story with charlotte I immediately broke into tears and ended forgiving and moving on

I am a teenager and when I had just entered high school, a boy moved from Australia into my class. For years, he tortured me mercilessly physically and emotionally. But it didn’t stop there, he ganged the entire class up against me and worse… He had this favour in every teachers eyes and so no one did anything. Tisha b’av I saw the video and it made an impact on me. It was then that I made the decision. If two people could forgive someone who accidentally killed their child. Then I can forgive someone who hasn’t done anything close to that. May hashem bring the ultimate nechama for you.

I let go of a grudge that I had for someone, and I felt so much better afterwards. Thank you

I was holding hurt feelings toward my brother for a couple weeks now but I was hesitant to speak it out with him, I figured I would try to just forget it . But l’maaseh I couldn’t forget it and it was bothering me. I decided to pick up the phone and call him to speak it out and clear the air before Yom Kippur as a zechus for Charlotte. The conversation went really well and made me feel so much more positive toward him. Thank you

For many years, I carried a terrible grudge against my son’s fifth grade teacher, for telling him “you don’t have a gemara kop”, and making him feel like he’s never going to amount to anything. The bitterness of seeing your child’s self esteem being shattered by someone who is entrusted with building it, can be painful.

After seeing Shalom for Charlotte, I knew I had to forgive this person and let go of the grudge.

Sure enough a few weeks later I met him at the Ohel of the Lunavitcher Rebbe, and – after wishing him a Shana Tova – I shared that I want him to know that whatever bad blood there may have been between us, is no longer there, and that I’ve put it behind us.

He gave me a warm smile and was very appreciative of the gesture.

Ever since, I have felt much lighter, Baruch Hashem.

May Hashem grant us all the geulah sheleima, now, in the zechus of this incredible movement.

i am in highschool and had a really good friend for the first two years of it. last year we both misunderstood a situation and felt really hurt, each feeling like the other one didn’t value the friendship enough to keep it going. we didn’t speak for 6 months and this erev rosh hashana i decided to call her. As i called her a text had come in- from her, asking if we can speak. We spoke for a while each saying our side and forgiving each other. now even though it was so recent there was real change and i felt so relieved and happy to have sorted a really hard and thought consuming fight.

I had a friend who wasn’t always so caring towards me, she would say hurtful things, leave me out etc.
For 5 years. I couldn’t bring myself to forgive her. 5 Years.
But after hearing the story of darling Charlotte, a”h, I straight away called this girl up and we made Shalom.
May this be a zechus for the aliyas neshama of Charlotte <3

shalom for charlotte has impacted my life for the better in many ways

I forgave someone who spoke LH about me

My son decided to cut off our relationship last November over a financial claim he has against me. We went to a lawyer and I was told his claim is incorrect. He keeps his wife and children away from me as much as he can though I may seem them at a family occasion sometimes.
I tried to reconcile with him but he refuses. He only speaks to me if he can get a monetary gain from it.
I am choosing to forgive him as he is an unhappy person and I wish him good health, simcha, nachas and parnasa tova beH.
May this be an aliyas neshama for Charlotte zl and may it help bring Moshiach.

A member of the board, whom I deeply admire, called for the admin to remove me from the Pomona East chat by stating, “@AkivaShepard drain the swamp”. I felt publicly embarased. This sparked after I suggested to have another vote for the board. Little does this gentleman know that I was going to vote for him anyway, but he was quick to react.

I decided to let this go. It’s actually easy for me. Not because what he did was insignificant, but because I’m a very chilled guy.

I have a family member who “gets on my nerves”. As a zechus for Charlotte, I called to wish her good shabbos and just say hi. She was very touched and I was proud to have taken that step.

someone really hurt me in camp and i decided to forgive her after 3 years even though what she did was really hurtful

I have a friend that I constantly doubt what she is saying and I question her when I know she is lying. I decided to let go and stop obsessing over everything she says.

I have made Aliyah 2years ago and I had a slow but steady decline in communication with my daughter.
She distanced during COVID when I was ill before the vaccine February 2020. In 2021 my Mother passed and my daughter had not talked to me during the funeral or shiva.
I have tried to communicate but she has cut me out of her life
In the merit of Charlotte’s Nishama having an Aliyah in her short beautiful life I forgive my daughter for cutting me out of her life and wish her only health and happiness

I had a disagreement with my older brother.

A lot, and I really mean a lot, of Lashon Hara was spoken about me, my wife, and my family because of it.

My wife and I could have justified ourselves in just a few sentences, but we never spoke badly about them to anyone. Because of that, the whole family ended up taking their side.

I discovered you through Torah Box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYQX2sQiDXI

It is a wonderful organization that spreads Torah to French-speaking Jews.

Your story touched me deeply, and I decided to put my pride aside.

On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, I went to my older brother’s house, gave him a big hug, and apologized to him. He was literally shocked. He told me that I am welcome in his home anytime and that I should come whenever I want.

So, thank you. Thank you to you, and thank you to Charlotte.

You helped me take the first step toward peace, and for that I am truly grateful.

I had a very painful past with some relatives. This yom tov, they had both been ill and needed some hospitality for yom tov. I offered them a place to stay and invited them for two meals. It took changing my narrative about them in my mind. Sometimes it felt great and other times it brought back unpleasant memories. But I know it is what Hashem wants and you have created the momentum for this. May it be an aliyas neshama for Charlotte zl.

On Tisha B’Av, I learned about Charlotte A”H’s story, and I was so deeply moved by her life and by the impact she had at such a young age.

Her story inspired me to do something I had been struggling to do the last few months. There was a coworker I had not gotten along with, and by the time she left the place where we worked, we were no longer really on speaking terms.

On Tisha B’Av, I decided to reach out to her. I wrote a text message, but I didn’t have the courage to press “send” at the moment. Instead, I saved it in my notes, in Charlotte A”H’s memory, and told myself to send it before Rosh Hashanah.

Well, the day came and I worked up the courage and finally sent the message that had been sitting in my notes.

Shalom for Charlotte is something so special and remarkable. It is incredible to see the impact of such a young girl continuing to inspire people to bring more peace, kindness, and connection into the world.

Wishing your family a Ktiva Chatima Tova, and a healthy, happy, safe, and sweet new year. May Charlotte’s impact on the world continue to grow and grow each day, and may her memory always be a blessing.

Somehow I am having normal conversations with my mother for the first time in about 15 years

Thank you for encouraging me to make shalom

May charlottes neshoma have an Aliyah

May you and your family see revealed brochos this year

♥️

We have a neighbor who is the one who calls the police or town all the time, for various reasons that she decides on

Last week we had the last straw, and we were gonna see what measures we can take against her for harassment, it’s been going on for years and years.

We decided to first reach out with a gesture of shalom, and sent flowers for yomtov, with a note asking for a new beginning for a new year. Even tho we did not do anything to deserve treatment that we were getting, we decided in charlottes zchus to have one last try for shalom.

She reached out and texted thanking for the flowers and hoping we have a peaceful situation between neighbors.

Thanks for inspiring all of us, and I hope the shalom continues

Ksiva vechasima tova and gut gebencht yur

I hadn’t spoken to 2 of my close friends in a long time. After hearing this incredibly touching story, I decided to reach out to them, and I’m so happy I took that step. All thanks to Charlotte ❤️

I forgave a principal after throwing me out of school for a few weeks. When my mother was not well

I have forgiven a teacher who hurt me back when I was 12/13.

I had a very close friend that hurt me terribly. She split my whole group of friends in half, and turned my closest friends against me. I t was really hard, and caused me a lot of pain and aggravation. After hearing the story about Charlotte, I decided to fully forgive this girl and let go of all the pain and hurt I had inside. Yesterday I texted her for the first time in almost 2 years! Bh we’re both on speaking terms now.

My friend ruined my high school years and as hard as it is I forgive her!

Me and a family member had a huge fight that lasted quite some time and now erev rosh Hashanah we decided to forgive each other even tho it was really hard

I used to be friends with a girl in my class, then we got into a big fight and dint talk for two years and finally I decided to be friends with her again in charlotte’s zechus

I was in a tough situation between 2 friends. Caught between them and feeling deeply hurt, I found clarity at Shaindy Plotzker’s concert when I heard “Shalom for Charlotte.” Inspired by the message of forgiveness, I realized I had to let go of my anger in her memory. The next day, I reached out to both friends, hoping to reconnect and heal. With a sense of peace, I embraced the possibility of rekindling our friendships. May it be a Zechus!

I struggle with my relationship with my mother. As a zechus for charlotte, I took it upon myself to try my hardest to keep quiet and hold back from any hurtful comments. TY Chumi and Yudi for all you do for our community

I have a very close friend who brought up a very raw fresh issue in an insensitive way then doubled down. Didn’t feel like talking to this person or trying to fix it. Why should I? But I spoke to another friend about it and he informed me of this cause and after reading some of the stories it persuaded me to make an effort to speak to the person and tell him how it hurt me. While we didn’t see eye to eye on all the issues previously discussed. I no longer feel the anger in my heart towards them and i can understand while the execution was largely flawed the logic was based in love and progress and I can move forward positively with that

I used to work at a startup. There was a point towards the end of my employment where my employer was 2 payrolls behind in paying me. It also happened to be close to rosh hashana. Right before I left for yom tov my boss cornered me in my office and demanded that I forgive him for not paying me. I felt manipulated and taken advantage of. He let all the employees go shortly after that and refused to pay even small monthly installments to bring down his debt to me. Aside from the monetary wrongdoing this was someone I worked close with for many months. I am choosing to forgive him for the way he treated me and wish him only success in his business.

Hi! I’m the director of a girls’ travel camp, and this summer we ran a special alumni trip with girls who had joined us over several different years.

It was definitely an interesting mix. Different ages, different stages, and many of the girls came in already having their own friendships and their own “cliques.” Achdus is always one of the biggest goals of our camp, but going into this trip, I knew it might take a little more effort than usual.

The trip began right after Tisha B’Av, and many of the girls had just watched the incredibly moving Letting Go film. Charlotte’s story had really touched us all.

So we decided to take something upon ourselves in Charlotte’s zechus: to go above and beyond to create unity within our group. To reach outside of the friendships that already felt comfortable. To notice the girl who might be on the outside. To make sure every single girl felt seen, heard, included, and cared for.

And over those two weeks, I watched them do exactly that.

Slowly, we stopped feeling like girls from different summers and different friend groups, and we became one group. The girls created bonds with people they might never have otherwise connected with. There was a genuine feeling of looking out for one another and making space for one another.

By the end of the trip, we had become something really special.

And I truly believe Charlotte was a part of it.

One day there was a fight on the block between a few kids and I decided to make peace even though it was hard as a Zchus for charlotte.

With much pain that was directed to me from a callous remark on email from a klal person, After seeing how much energy is put into the Shalom 4 Charlotte initiative, I went back a few years to thread of emails ( around 8 years) and truly found reasons to think of him favorably . He is human and most likely had best intentions. מוחל בלב שלם.

I am at the start of my journey for peace I will follow up when the story is complete.

I am part of a friend group of girls who are all a year older then me. There was one girl who never liked me and was always cold and ignored me for no apparent reason. I was respectful of her but mostly ignored her, too. I was thinking of writing her a letter before she left for seminary, but was nervous to. After watching the Tisha B’Av film, I knew I must write her a letter for our sake and as a Zechus for Charlotte. I wrote a nice letter telling this girl that I am sorry if I ever did something to her, and forgiving her, and asking if we can make shalom. I gave the letter to her the week before she left for seminary.

My friends were always not the close friends most people have. 2 years ago my friends were really nasty to me. They would not let me talk to them and they would close the circle. I switched classes for the next year and things were going great. Rosh Hashana was coming but I felt like I could not forgive them. This year after I heard how the Herzberg`s dealt with their situation I decided to call up every single one of them and forgive them.

On tisha Baav I watched the film and listened to the podcast and was extremely inspired but I couldn’t think of anyone I had to forgive or apologize too. That night I heard my 12 yr old sister in law discussing the video with her friends and she was telling them how she reached out to a camp friend to ask for forgiveness, that made me realize that if she can do it then I can probably think harder of something I can do. I thought about it and remembered that a couple years back I thoughtlessly made a very hurtful comment to my then older single brother. This week before Rosh Hashanah I spoke to him and apologized, he didn’t remember the comment but I did and i felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders when he forgave me. May charlotte’s neshama have an Aliya.

I watched the film on Tisha baav and had chills!
Made me cry!
You guys are so special and inspiring
I texted my little brother that we weren’t in touch for a lot of months
He had hurt me a lot and I cut off the relationship after him not treating me ok all the time, and taking his anger issues out at me,
And after watching and hearing about Charlotte’s story I texted him and asked him how he’s doing
And I am now giving out shalom for Charlotte bracelets!!:))

I had already taken the pledge and forgave a close relative for the deep pain she caused unintentionally at a very vulnerable time. Towards the end of the interview on Meaningful Minute, Yudy spoke of receiving stories about forgiving teachers who caused pain even decades ago. It really shook me; it evoked memories of words I have never forgotten after more than 50(!) years – the biting pain some teachers inflicted with mocking comments that had nothing to do with chinuch, but that negatively affected my self-image. I decided to forgive them for Charlotte’s sake – an ilui neshama for Shaindel a”h bas Chaim Yehuda Leib. I hope this inspires teachers to be more careful with their words!

Over the past year, I’ve had a hard time adjusting to new neighbors (with 9 children) living next door, especially since we share a driveway with cars coming in and out throughout the day. They spent about six months doing construction, and the noise, debris, and disruption were difficult to live with. It’s also hard to adjust to their children playing and running in the driveway on Shabbos afternoon (I enjoy a weekly nap time) as well as their bright lights that stay on all night (I guess they forget to turn it off before going to sleep).

Because of Charlotte, I chose to take the higher road and be kind, gracious, and accommodating toward them, even though it’s not always easy. I want to continue moving forward with that same spirit—not holding on to frustration or resentment but choosing Shalom.
Going forward, my hope is that we can live alongside one another in shalom- with mutual respect, kindness, consideration, and peace. I want to do my part to create an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable and respected in the place we call home.

I had a friend who did something I was very upset about. I don’t think she realised how upset I was with her my wedding was coming up and I didn’t want to invite her but then I came across shalom for Charlotte and decided to invite her to settle the situation

I own a web design company and my business was going through a rough patch. I had an opportunity to create over 75 websites for a large healthcare company for the sum of $150,000. This would have allowed me to recover from the bump in the road my business was experiencing. The company gave me a yes over the phone and we were going to go ahead to contract. And then things suddenly shifted. They told me something came up and had to think Abt it. At the same time my lead web designer gave me notice. I did not put the pieces together but then I understood what happened. This girl who I trained for so many years and took care of like a daughter, just went to the company directly and offered to be fully employed for a fraction of the price, cutting me out of the picture. This caused me significant financial harm and I was so hurt. I had to let two employees go because of the financial harm she caused me. This happened 11 month ago and the pain in my heart is still deep. But for Charlotte I can forgive. I can look past this and truly believe that Hashem is the one who wanted me to feel that pain.

Taking her legacy to help people in need in all different matters

I allowed someone to join a carpool who hasn’t been nice to our family the past few years..immediate reaction was to say no when she asked but a friend encouraged me to do it for Charlotte

I was mad at this girl from camp because one day she was my best friend the next day she wouldn’t speak to me she was kinda being like a brat and she made me cry on multiple occasions and for 3 weeks she was just kinda mean and nasty to me and then when I got home because I stayed 2nd half and she didn’t it was a month and she texted me like she never made me cry which she knew she did and she’s like hey wtsp bestie and I’m like um ok? So I haven’t texted in her in a while and earlier today she texted me about how Rosh Hashanah is coming up and if there’s anything she ever did to me if I could forgive her for it and I had just seen this thing about Charlotte which my friends in camp were talking about and I was like um yes I do because I don’t wanna hold grudges

I had a student 3 years ago that I truly didn’t understand I felt like her parents were coddling her.I was very tough on her.I reached out to her today with a sincere apology, and she replied that she had been holding out to pain and hurt . I apologized and
she forgave me with a full heart.

my friend and i had a silly argument that i know can quickly spiral into something worse than what it started out like so i wrote her a quick letter telling her how i’m sorry even if i didnt think i did anything wrong!

hearing about charlottes incredible story made me want to do something, to make shalom. i want to say that i forgive certain people in my life, and that i am dropping grudges, but when typing this, i for some reason cant find it in myself to fully let go. even if i act normal to these people, i carry hard feelings for them in my heart. im going to take it upon myself to really search for the reason why i have such a hard time with this, and finally let go in a zechus for charlotte.

I have a girl from camp who bothered me a lot. I felt like she followed me around a lot and i got very bothered from her so i avoided her a lot. Now camps over but i dont really answer when she calls because she still bothers me. Since i heard the story of charlotte, i will IY”H try to answer when she calls, even call her myself, and make her feel like we are real friends. Also for myself i will try to find it in me to really accept her and become her real friend, because i want to have ahavas chinum and bring Mashiach. Thank you so much for inspiring me!

In a friendly manner, I stopped a conversation in school that was turning into Lashon hara and not only did the conversation stop, but we also continued in a happy manner with no one upset

I had a friend in my life that did something very painful to me . I was really hurt and i knew she had to be the one to apologize since i did nothing wrong!! A few months has passed and she still hasnt called me to apologize for what she did. I was sooooo hurt i couldnt sleep at night. After watching the letting go film i thought for a minute even if i was not the one who did something wrong, maybe i should be the one to take the first step. i knew this would be really hard for me. but i decided this will be for a zechus for charlotte A”H and some other things i needed in my life. So i made the phone call we spoke and after our short conversation we made peace with each other. We are not friends anymore however at least we forgave each other and left off on good terms instead of being in a fight.

I initiated a friendly conversation with somebody who I have had some sort of unofficial hard feeling situation/awkward, not-talking-to-each-other relationship. I wasn’t sure if this was counted as making shalom because it wasn’t something major, but I was like, if I met them in the grocery we probably would avoid each other. I knew that if I cleared the air, it would just diffuse unnecessary tension.

Someone very close to my father stole close to a half a million dollars from him and I really hated him for a very long time. I thought this person was an honest person and I was extremely angry at him for what he did to my father. Although I will never trust him, I fully forgive him for what he did.

Was thinking about sending this in for a while and after Shaindy’s concert last night got the extra push. I’m going to try to forgive a friend who, unknowingly, hurt me.

Someone bullied me when I was younger. Years later she called me to ask for forgiveness and I forgave her and let go of the hurt.

I had a child’s morah who I was upset at for years in how she treated my child, but in Charlotte’s zechus i went over to her to say hi and had a pleasant conversation and since then we’ve been friendly.

My friend was very upset at me for a while for barely anything she just kept on shooting attitude and i knew i did something small but not to deserve such attitude. I called her to come over she was shocked and confused i told her lets go out and she was even more shocked and than i asked her if she would do shalom as a zechus for Charlotte and she was shocked like oh my yeahhh and she didnt dream!!

I was going to yell at my sister for doing something that got me nervous but then I took a break and realized it’s not such a big deal. I chose shalom for Charollete

My elementary school principal had something against me from a very young age and at one point when I was already having a hard time she told all my friends to stop being friends with me and I was left with knowone
Now many years later I’m choosing to forgive her because the only person who is hurting from not is me
It should be a zechus

I reached out to a friend of mine who I used to be really close to in zechus for Charlotte. Neither of us held a grudge towards each other but I felt there were things that were never spoken about or feelings that were unresolved. I also think that making shalom doesn’t have to be a situation where I have major machlokes with someone or haven’t spoken to someone in 5 years – I realized that throughout the day when I’m about to say loshon hara about someone or about to get upset at someone, stopping myself is making shalom. I’ve done it many times where I’m about to say loshon hara or about to get angry at someone, and I think of charlotte and say I’m going to stop myself and instead of having sinas chinum I’m going to have ahavas chinum for an Aliya neshmasa for Shaindel Bas Yehuda Leib and for the whole family to have a Nechama.

My best friend did something very hurtful to me and i held a very deep grudge against her i was so inspired by yudi and chumi and decided to let go and make shalom for charlote

Me and my brother fight a lot and he is very sensitive so im going to try my best in charolettes zechus to not fight with him

In eighth grade, I got into a really hurtful fight with my best friend. It wasn’t just a regular fight over something small she simply chose to stop being my friend. It left a huge stab in my back. I had told her everything, she was my absolute best friend. It might not sound like something so bad to others, but to me, going through high school, I constantly felt a heavy weight on my back that I just couldn’t let go of. It was so incredibly painful for me.Then this summer, I heard about Charlotte. I was deeply touched by her and the Shalom for Charlotte inititive. Her story inspired me so much that I decided to be brave. I went over to my friend and had a real talk with her.Baruch Hashem, we made shalom and we are better than ever!

We have a young couple who is very close with our family and comes very very often for Shabbos. When they come, they use the opportunity of “coming home” and relax the whole Shabbos. They recently moved away but chose not to come say goodbye. I made the difficult but conscious decision to forgive and take leave of them b’lev shalom wishing them the only best in their new community.

I need to make sholom with myself! For years I’ve been very self critical and am always putting myself down and comparing myself to others. I find it much easier to judge others positively than myself. As you can imagine it doesn’t do much for my self esteem and simchas hachaim. It’s hard because I really believe that I’m less than especially in the spiritual realm. I think the fact that we don’t have children makes me question my self worth, and how can I be on par to mothers who are bringing up the next generation. I bli neder want to work on accepting Hashems will for me and believing in His goodness and that I must have some important tafkid even though it’s hidden and very different than most women have.

There was a monetary נסיון that came up recently- and I chose to forgive and internalized The Living LChaim and Meaningful People podcasts for Shalom for Charlotte. I chose to fully forgive and see the experience as something Hashem felt was for my best. I truly see things from a new perspective. Charlotte has created a revolution for Shalom. There is truly a part of her inside each one of us. Also, in honor of the Yartzeit of the Chofetz Chaim today, the lesson a day from Sefer Shemiras HaLashon is titled “It is in Our Hands.” The Chofetz Chaim teaches that, “A single congregation can merit to bring about the Final Redemption by internalizing the quality of peace.” This is truly your community and Klal Yisroel at large, as a result. May we be Zoche to greet Mashiach today!

I have a very close friend who I do love very much, but we have our differences and definitely find ourselves clashing a lot. On the first day of school, there was a mix up with the lockers and we ended in an argument about it. I got a little heated for a moment, then I took a deep breath and realized that this was not such a big deal. Even though is was still hard, lilui nishmas Charlotte A”H, I gave in. I know this is a small story but this entire initiative is tremendous chizuk for me and I carry it with me everywhere I go.

There was a teacher who publicly embarrassed me for interrupting his classroom, even though I had been sent by the principal to deliver a message to the class. This happened approximately 30 years ago, but I carried the anger,and what felt very much like hatred, toward this teacher for all those years.
When I first heard about the Shalom for Charlotte initiative, I immediately decided that I wanted to forgive this teacher. But I knew I wouldn’t truly be able to forgive him unless I first told him my story. I needed him to know what had happened, to see if he even remembered it, and to understand how much pain and deep embarrassment his actions had caused me.

When I reached out to him, he was horrified. He sincerely begged me for mechila, and then followed up with another email saying that he couldn’t get back to himself and couldn’t believe he had done something like that.

Just hearing his reaction and knowing that he genuinely regretted what had happened made me feel better. It gave me a sense of closure that I had never had before.

I told him that I was forgiving him for the sake of Shalom, through the Shalom for Charlotte initiative. This experience has moved me so deeply. It has shown me that sometimes forgiveness begins with having the courage to share the pain we have carried for years, and that true healing can come when the other person acknowledges that pain. I personally also thank Charlotte’s parents for giving me the courage to do what is right.

I was rejected from my bungalow colony this past year was so painful it wasab email that was sent to me annd my husband and it had no explanation. It was sooo painful. So unexpected. We were so loved there
We are at a point that we forgive. We really do see that it’s the best from Hashem

Stopped by house to say good shabbos for charlotte

I just, Baruch Hashem, became a kallah!

My mother had made a few comments about my chassan that really hurt me. I’m choosing to fully forgive her and to see that her words are coming from a place of love for me and concern that he is worthy enough for me.

Thank you so much for this chizuk and for this unbelievable zechus. May it be an aliyah for Charlotte’s neshama!

Seven years ago, my family and I made Aliyah. Baruch Hashem, it was the best decision we ever made, but financially, the past few years have definitely been very challenging.

For the past month, I’ve been dealing with a government office regarding a voucher that covers 75% of the tuition for a course. I needed this assistance in order to be able to afford my daughter’s studies, and we qualified for this help by law.

Unfortunately, our case was handled by someone who, from our very first interaction, treated us extremely poorly.

My Hebrew is still not perfect. I try my best, and I can communicate, but sometimes, especially when I’m stressed or trying to explain something complicated, a word comes out in English without me even thinking about it.

One time, I accidentally spoke in English, and she screamed at me for it.

I wasn’t asking for special treatment. I was simply trying to navigate a complicated government process in a language that I am still learning.

The way we were spoken to and treated throughout the process left me feeling completely defeated. I honestly felt like perhaps she believed that Olim shouldn’t be receiving this kind of assistance.

At our last appointment, she even skipped our number. When I asked her about it, she told me that we hadn’t come. It had been less than 10 seconds.

By the end, I was so hurt and humiliated that instead of continuing to fight for the help we were entitled to, I gave up and took a loan from my credit card to pay for my daughter’s tuition.

And that loan is now another burden on top of the debts we are already carrying — another monthly payment, another financial weight, and honestly, something our family really didn’t need right now.

I was ready to write a formal complaint about her. I wanted her to know how badly she had made me feel, and I wanted someone to know what had happened.

But then I remembered that it is Elul.
So I decided to forgive her, in the merit of Charlotte. ❤️

Not because what happened was okay.

Not because I wasn’t hurt.

And definitely not because I suddenly think the way I was treated was acceptable.

I may still have the debt. I may still remember what happened. And I can’t change the fact that this whole experience added another financial burden to our family.

But Baruch Hashem, my daughter will be able to study something she loves.

And when I look at that, I feel incredibly blessed.

Maybe forgiveness isn’t about pretending someone didn’t hurt you. Maybe it’s about deciding that, despite what someone did to you, you don’t want their actions to continue taking something from you.

Sometimes forgiveness doesn’t change what happened.

It changes what we choose to carry forward.❤️🇮🇱

I’ve been holding a grudge against a family member, who has consistently prioritized everyone except for their own family, for many years. The grudge grew recently when this person made a promise and backed out at the last minute, leaving me with nowhere to turn. In memory of Charlotte, I am asking God every day to help remove the grudge from my heart and to recognize that this person is human too.

I was thirteen years old and my friends and I decided that we were going to go to the old age home friday night to sing kabalas shabbos to the ladies while the men were in shul. the singing went great and we all felt really good about the chesed we had just done. As we were walking home one of my close friends who lives around the corner from me invited a few of us girls over.I automatically assumed that I was invited because we hung out all the time,but when I got to her house she gave me a look like ”all right i’ll be nice and let you in”.I was really confused but decided not to think anything of it. When I came into her den where we were chilling everything seemed the usual ,but there were a few new girls there who we werent friends with which was fine cuz i love making new friends we hung out for about an hour with games and muddy buddies and had fun.I went to the bathroom and when i got back they were all talking and then went silent when they saw me. We had all planned to walk to another girls house for our grade shalosh seudos but when I mentioned we should probably leave so we could be there on time one girl said then leave yourself another two ran off to the backyard and and another two said they urgently need to go home and daven(why couldn’t they daven in the house we were in?).Anyways we finally left and as we were walking four girls ran across the street away from the rest of us.we got to the shalosh seudos about 25 minutes late so most of our grade was done eating and went to hang out in the backyard.i stayed around with afew girls in my grade and grabbed something to eat. when i got to the backyard my friends who we usually shared everything with each other were saying secrets so i went over to them and they turned theyr’e backs to me.A different girl threw a basketball at me and another said she really didn’t like my dress I would have walked home but it was a far walk and it was getting dark. so most of us went to a girl who lived nearbys house. thruout the rest of shabbos things like the above mentioned kept happening and when I stood up for myself they would just laugh and keep going. I was dying inside.when shabbos ended we called another one of our friends who went home earlier, but the girl calling decided we should all be quiet and she will pretend shes alone. so we were all quiet and my friend called my other friend and put the call on speaker on our side of the conversation and asked: ”what was with the weird dynamics today?!” and i remember the girl on the other line said:”oh nothing we were just trying to get away from shaindy”.And at that moment it all clicked and I hated myself for giving them the benefit of the doubt because there were 12 faces staring at me then and only 3 girls apologized and until i came onto the website today i really resented everyone of those 12 girls. It has been many years since this story happened and I don’t think a day went by where the trauma didn’t haunt me and the pain didn’t hurt me because i lost 12 friends on that day and 9 of them spread rumors about me that followed me to camp and jeopardized my ability to make new friends.I lost my trust in many people and became very numb but now I forgive them and hope they have bracha in their lives.Thank you for showing me that forgiveness is possible.

I had a massive fight with my very good friend. And she didn’t want to be my friend anymore. And I heard the story of charlotte, and I decided in my head that I want and need to forgive my friend. In zchus for charlotte. (I’m 12 years old)

I have grown kids married 20 years. I have had great( in my opinion) with my kids and grandkids. They don’t live near us. But suddenly my 40 year old daughter decided not to say hello how are u at simchas and at levayas. She obviously avoided my husband and I. My son in law came and yelled at me In public that I have to have boundaries and stop bothering my daughter. I was literally paralyzed in shock. He came back to yell some more few months later. I have texted begged for something why? I have no idea what happened. We started them in a very successful business extremely giving kind. When my dayghter answers me she says” oh nothing bothers me”. When I ask about her husbands behavior she says she never said a word to him. I tried texted but I am trying for charlotte. But remember I am the parent there was Zilzul horim. I still texted my feelings. I did it but unfortunately before yom tov now no more knowledge, but I will text” I forgive abhorrent behavior for shalom.

I’ve my job recently someone joined it too and iv always felt competition against her and I was definitely holding a grudge towards her especially that she joined the place I have my peace and space
In Charlottes memory I will try make peace
Tysm x

This story really moved me!I chose to forgive a friend that hurt me going back 6 yrs ago as a zchus for charlottes neshama..

I had a property in another state and I employed someone for about a year. In this time he did many things that seemed to me to be dishonest and I felt very much that his prices and “repairs” were really not honest.
Nevertheless when I told him I would no longer be needing his services- I didn’t do it with fighting. As well today- when he sent me another few bills which were for work I’m fairly certain were not done- and I composed an email attaching him- I didn’t send it. I didn’t want to fight with him- he is not Jewish and he cheated me but H’ will pay me back. May it be a zechut for her neshama and for there to be more Shalom in KLAL Israel.

me and my fraind werent on such good terms and we totally made up with eachother!!

I went to sleepaway camp when I was 11 years old. One day in the dining room the mother of the camp did something that really embarrassed me in from of the entire camp I started crying after I calmed down I was very upset and have been mad at her ever since, when I heard the story of charlotte I cried it is amazing how the parents were able to forgive, when I think about it I feel so foolish holding a grudge for something that really doesn’t matter I have let the grudge I’ve been holding pass in a zechus for charlotte

I watched letting go on Tisha Ba’av and it really changed me right after I thought of who I can text and I texted a friend that didn’t even know I was holding a grudge and I told her I completely forgive her then we spoke and cleared the air later on something went on with my father and we cleared the air too and it’s because my mindset completely shifted why should we be mad why should we hold a grudge when all we want is peace so I wanted to thank you so much i’m sorry this came from such a horrible story what you are making of it is incredible and you’re helping so many people so really from the bottom of my heart thank you so much

A few weeks ago, I spent Shabbos with my cousins on my mother’s side. My mother has ten siblings, so we have a really big family with cousins of all different ages. I usually get along better with some of the older ones, and we can hang out for hours. But this time, some of the younger kids kept bothering us, and I was getting really annoyed.

As I was leaving the Friday night meal, I looked down at my Shalom for Charlotte bracelet and thought, “If the Herzberg family can forgive, so can I.”

The next day, I tried really hard to be kind to each of my cousins. It reminded me that sometimes forgiveness is simply choosing to let things go and treat people with kindness anyway.

We had a family feud that lasted a whole year, and I decided to reach out and forgive the 2 people that hurt me the most. It was one of the hardest things I did but I was really inspired by how you didn’t hold a grudge and I hope it brings u some consolation ❤️‍🩹

after hearing about Charlotte, I’m going to try and forgive some people that hurt me and to try think of Charlotte every time I get into a fight.

Lost track of how many times but still going strong for Charlotte

Me and my husband have kids and married for 20 years. We have started them in business involved with grandkids and everything was as great as can be. Until one day out of blue my daughter started ignoring me at simchas and levayas. I am Dan Lukaf zecus and chucked it off to being distracted. Until my son-in-law yelled at me in public that I need to stop bothering my daughter for ignoring me. I was so hurt embarrassed and could not understand. When we asked my daughter says “ no ur best parents”. My husband and I are getting older and we feel so desperate and bad. We have no clue as to why they are so angry. We speak only sporadic coldly. This is affecting our mental and physical health. I texted both if them repeatedly with no real reply. Trying to mess with my head. I chose to text again and forgive them. This was all in name of charlotte for her neshama.

I chose to start the 40 day forgiveness Elul challenge in honor of Charolette- I’m hoping to at least try to fully forgive 10 people

I became very ill – on the verge of hospice – several years ago, and my family and I soon after fell upon excruciatingly difficult financial times. We fell behind on our rent. We spent down our savings and pensions. We did our best to reach out to the various tzedakos for help to catch up, but ultimately, we were served an eviction notice. We had no other family to assist us and nowhere we could go.

A close, widowed friend of ours who has a 4-bedroom house and finished basement (whose children had all married and were out of the house), told me and my family that she would never let us be homeless or on the street – that if it came to it, we could absolutely stay with her seeing as she was the only person in her house and that she had plenty of space.

For almost a year, as our case made its way through Housing Court, she repeatedly said we always had a home with her – that we didn’t need to worry. But when the Judge signed the eviction order, she balked and made excuses and closed her door to us. The time arrived for us to vacate before the Marshal came to lock us out. We told our friend the matzav, and she told us she had made a terrible mistake in offering us the option to stay with her until we recovered financially! She told us we should find a “supportive supervisor” at the Housing Court to give us more time in our apartment and that she would daven for us! There were only two of us, and she had an unbelievable amount of space! And she closed her doors to us even as I fought back death! What she did to us was so painful, it is indescribable.

I swore vengeance against her, that one day she would find herself in the same matzav or worse for what she had done to us. I planned to despise her all my days; to curse her with endless suffering all her days.

But ultimately, in the months after the eviction, we were zoche to such unbelievable nissim. It became clear that Hashem had orchestrated the entire eviction for us to bring us to an incredible new place physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Hashem was the only shelter we needed!

This friend reached out constantly at the yom tovim and birthdays to inform us of good news in her life that she thought would “cheer us up,” and
to tell us she was always davening for us. We ignored all of her messages and didn’t tell her where we now live. I finally decided to forgive her, and responded briefly to her most recent message saying we were Baruch Hashem, bili ayin hara, fine and wished her well. I thought I had forgiven her fully.

But after watching Letting Go, and hearing about sweet, pure Charlotte, I realized I hadn’t truly forgiven this woman. In the zechus of Charlotte, I have decided to fully forgive this woman for what she did to us. I know my grudge doesn’t serve me, and it only ties me to her! She was just the shaliach for Hashem and nothing more. I don’t want her back in my life, but I am releasing my anger toward her, and am forgiving her בלב שלם.

This one’s for you, Charlotte – Shaindel ע”ה bas Chaim Yehuda Leib! May your memory be a blessing for your family, Binny, and all of Klal Yisroel!
#ShalomforCharlotte

I got fired from my job a week before it was supposed to start for a reason that makes no sense. I felt blindsided, backstabbed and was so angry at the person who did it. Whether or not I get my job back, I’m choosing to forgive them with a full heart and even though it’s so difficult I’m trying to accept that they were just a shaliach and Hashem knows what’s best for me.

Hello. I am the mother to several grown daughters, as well as two stepdaughters. I was always especially close with one of my girls , until a couple years ago, when she informed me that shes very busy at a new job, which is taking up all her after work time, and wont be able to talk with me anymore. I felt devistated, anddidnt try to contact her for over one year. A couple months ago, did leave a voice message on her phone telling her that I miss her beyond words,and that both myself and husband havent been well, the past years..I told her in the messag how much Imiss her, and that life is too short to not have Shalom. I didnt hear back ftom her until this past Thursday night. She appologized sincerey, with a teary voice, and told me how much she misses having her Mommy in her life, and how sorry she feels for the pain shes caused me ..I had so many conflicting feelings, listening to her..we spoke for over two hours, even though it was very late in her time zone . I had been Davening for my husband to have an easy time during and after a serious medical test, on Friday, which we has been waiting for all summer .I expressed to her that even though Im feeling terribly hurt , I do welcome her back into my life with a clean slate. I had read the story of Shaindels beautiful voice and song , before the tragedy . To honor her precious Neshama, I share my story. The renewed Shalom I have now with my daughter is just one of the thousands out there, and each one should give Shaindels Neshama an Aliyah.. ..Moshiach should come, Bimhera Beyamainu..Amen vAmen. Thank you for reading my story .

I said my story last time short but here it is I was In Switzerland for vacation and I went white water rafting and at the end I fell out and I my life jacket got stuck on a rock and I was drowning and I told Hashem save me and told him if I survive I will forgive the rabbi who wronged me then I went unconscious and woke up 2 days later in the France hospital and I was told it’s bc of Sholom

My mother was looking at a picture of me and my friends and she asked me to name her name and I said my friend’s last name and she told me my grandmother‘s sister who she hasn’t spoken to in over 18 years. Last name was Batman and all Batman are related. I couldn’t believe that I called on my friend and asked her. Do you know who blank is and she was like that’s my grandmother. What do you mean and I was like out grandmothers are sisters! We’re Davening that one day with Hashems help they will make peace

I have a friend who wronged me in a very serious way. She has caused me untold pain and heartbreak. I was very hurt and upset and didnt speak to her for half a year. Now when this story came out, I had to make the move. I made the hard phone call and told her I am mochel blev shalom. I told her the only thing that got me to call was this story of Charolette and her parents!

I watched the Letting Go film shortly after Tisha B’Av. It ignited in me a will to make Shalom like I’ve never had before. Almost ten years to the day prior to that, I was fired from a job, accused of several things that weren’t true and for years since avoided even going down the block of the business for fear I’d bump into her. I was carrying around that weight – I’d panic every time the thought of her name even came up. Approx. two days after I watched the film, I texted her that I wanted to speak with her and asked if I could have 3 minutes. We spoke for over 10 minutes, super cordially and basically just putting the past behind us without assigning blame or criticism. May this be a major zchus for your Tzadekes in Shomayim.

I had a friend who i broke contact with after a personality disagreement. I’ve been blaming them for this whole time, until now. Charlotte’s story is making me realize that people have obstacles, and we can overcome them.

My mother-in-law has been extremely disrespectful towards me for years. I have chosen to forgive her and make shalom as a zchus for aliyas neshama for Shaindel a”H bas Chaim Yehuda Leib.

while i tend to hold on to things for a long time, and some things i am not ready to get over just yet, in charlotte’s memory, i want to start letting go of small things. i want to start anew with some people, and while we don’t need to be best friends, we can simply get along and be nice to each other. i will do my part, and Hashem will do His. thank for making this organization

A few years ago my principal hurt me a lot and I couldn’t get over it. I finally reached out and spoke with her on the phone and she felt terrible for causing me pain. After that, I was not mad anymore and I completely forgave her.

Friend in camp, we got into a minor power struggle due to, we were the same age so it was hard to instruct here on what to do, as per my job in sports. We made Shalom between us, and put it all aside.
As per Shalom for Charlotte.

My neighbour was being awkward regarding carpool and was behaving cold and reserved towards me. This ‘shalom for Charlotte’ has made me realise I must not hold a grudge and should make good feelings and approach her kindly.

I visited my old camp on visiting day and was walking around, meeting friends and old campmates, seeing nothing unusual, when the camp director suddenly came up to me in front of what felt like a million people. It was the height of visiting day, and she started yelling at me to leave. I had no idea what she wanted or what I had done wrong, but in the past, I would have argued and tried to prove her wrong. This time, though, I saw we were surrounded by so many people that I stayed quiet, swallowed the embarrassment, and walked out. She then yelled in front of everyone who knew me, and all the other staff members, that I would never be seen in that camp again! Swallowing my tears and biting my lip, I stayed silent and left. No, my kids will, imh, never step foot in neither their camps, schools, shuls, and etc. But embarrassing that the director in front of her own camp would not have helped, and that moment of silence will stay with me forever!

Shout out to Shaindy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My brother annoys me and I’m gonna try not to fight back with him
-Miriam, 7 years old

I am a teen who is on the larger side. When I was younger, I had a hard time getting clothing. My aunt who is 2 yrs older then me sometimes came shopping with us and made faces about some outfits I tried. Even though it was so long ago, I am still super self conscious about my body and I think part of it is from her comments about my size. After I watched the film, I am fully forgiving her in honor of charlotte. May her Neashama have an aliya

My mother in law said something very hurtful about me and I wanted to confront her but I did not say anything to her and tried my best to act friendly & normal when I see her even though her comments still sting.

For 5 minutes we will be kind to each other. We are 9 years old.

I felt that my Rosh Yeshiva wronged me in a big way. It’s been almost a decade and I’ve been harboring hard feelings toward him. I never thought that I’d actually forgive him. It was too hard for me, but honestly it was really weighing on me. On Tisha B’Av I watched your interview on inspiration for the nation. I decided then that I would reconnect with him, and forgive him. May this be a zchus for Charlotte.

I was not treated fairly by my boss and has very hard feelings. I I decided to not speak lashon hara about it anymore and not discuss it or bring it up with anyone.

I was promised a teaching position and in the middle ofnthe summer I was told that actually they have nothing for me.
I have let go my feelings of resentment toward the director and all the parties involved in the decision.

My son had two teachers that hurt him deeply. He suffered physical damage to his health because of the way they treated him. It was during the time of his bar mitzvah. This film inspired me to reach deep inside my self and forgive these two teachers. My son is all grown up now and I have a very hard time releasing the grudge due to the fact that he isn’t married and I feel these teachers caused irreparable damage.
The film taught me that if all these three protagonists found forgiveness in their hearts, then I can’t too.

My principal ruined my life for 2 years in school and i tried really hard to forget about it but it was hard and i really am learning to let go

I am having a lot of difficulty in my marriage. When I heard the Herzbergs story, I was so blown away by their desire to keep shalom that I was inspired to take significant steps towards fixing my marriage. BH we are already in a much better place!

my sister was giving me a hard time and i decided to forgive her in zchus for charlotte

A silly story, in retrospect, but here it is. I only got to see this person in our bungalow colony. There we were fast friends who learned together, said Tehillim together, and enjoyed each other’s company. Then this friend made a simcha. It was hard to attend, with alot of driving necessary to get there and back, but we gladly went to wish Mazal Tov and enjoy. I couldn’t wait to hug my friend and see her simcha that actually made the trip to wish her Mazal Tov. The moment came. There was such a crush of people, but she saw me and … almost no reaction, she gave a slight smile but immediately turned to someone else and her face lit up for her. For her, but not for me.

I was so hurt, I haven’t seen or spoken to her since then. This was a few years ago, and now I’ve decided what foolishness on my part. Yes, there was a crush, so she got distracted immediately after seeing me. Had I stayed to the end (which I did not do, but left soon after) I’m sure she would have really smiled and shown her pleasure that my attendance gave her.

So I plan to call her, apologize for having been out of touch all these years, and work to reignite our dear friendship, b’ezras, Hashem, in Shaindel’s zechus. Wish me well!!

There was a friendship in my life that I cared about so deeply that, without even realizing it, I started depending on it for a sense of safety and stability, and when it fell apart, it felt like something underneath me had fallen apart too. But over time, Hashem showed me something I don’t think I could have learned in the same way otherwise: people can love you, disappoint you, misunderstand you, leave, come back, and change, but Hashem doesn’t move. I think part of my growth has been learning that bitachon doesn’t mean everything will happen the way I want it to; it means that even when it doesn’t, I am still being held, and that what Hashem allows into my life, and what He removes from it, can still be leading me somewhere. Because I believe that, I don’t want to hold onto anger toward her. I can acknowledge that I was hurt, acknowledge my own mistakes too, keep the lessons and the good memories, and still let go of the resentment. I’m choosing to forgive her because I trust Hashem with the story. Maybe that friendship was supposed to be exactly what it was for exactly as long as it was, and maybe I’ll understand more one day and maybe I won’t, but I don’t need every answer in order to believe that Hashem knew what He was doing. I think that’s where my bitachon is now: not “Hashem, make this turn out the way I want,” but “Hashem, whatever happens, I know You’re with me, I know You’re taking care of me, and I trust You enough to let go.”

A friend who I thought was close to me
And then turned her back and then tried to be my best friend again

My brother in law borrowed my car and while he was driving he hit a garbage can and broke my mirror I was really annoyed and I wanted to make him pay but I knew it would create an uncomfortable situation for him so me and my wife decided that this can be our shalom for Charlotte and tell him it’s totally fine and not make a big deal out of it.

My son and I had an argument.
I read your website and beautiful initiative and it inspired me to make amends with my son as soon as possible.
After my son and I sorted out our differences I told him I was going to share our situation in Shaindel zt’l memory.

I haven’t seen my brother for many years. I called him to invite him for Rosh Hashanah he isn’t well and I tried to make peace lilui nishmat Charlotte

There was a girl who I had a rocky time with, and couldn’t bring myself to ask her for forgivness for what I had done. I sent her a text, explaining and asking for forgiveness, she forgave me right away.

I went through a very difficult conflict with someone, and at a certain point, I made the decision to let go of the hurt, put the past behind me, and reach out to the other person—not to revisit everything that happened, but to apologize for anything I may have done that caused them pain.

I can’t say that we’re friends again—sometimes life doesn’t wrap things up quite as neatly as the great stories do. But I can say that I feel a sense of peace knowing that I chose forgiveness, humility, and reaching out rather than holding on to resentment.

And honestly, I feel great doing this in merit of Charlotte. ❤️

I was the first of all my friends to get married, and then the first to have a baby. Over time, I noticed people stopped reaching out and every conversation was one that I started. I became extremely hurt by this, and started to feel a grudge against these friends for not initiating. I now realize how difficult it might have been for them to speak with me when it seemed like I got the things they were davening and waiting for so quickly and easily. I pledge to happily start conversations with them and continue davening for their yeshuos

Me and my brother didn’t speak for a few months it caused me a lot of pain and I decided on Tisha baav after watching the film to call him and ask him how he is and forgive him and now we’ve been in touch.

Story of Shalom:

I worked in a girls sleep-away camp this summer as the dining room manager, and I had a bit of an altercation with the Chef. He was insanely upset because a large quantity of a certain food was missing from the freezer. He was that upset — I genuinely thought the freezer had broken or some kind of catastrophe had happened. I was pretty upset too, mostly because I felt like fingers were being pointed at me.

But looking back, that part doesn’t really matter.

What matters is how I reacted.

I was upset when it happened and for the whole next day, and I said some things in a way that wasn’t the nicest.

That night I spoke to my parents. They weren’t exactly giving me the validation I was looking for. They told me I needed to have compassion for him. I did not want to hear that. I wanted someone to validate me and to tell me I was right.

Instead, they challenged me to look at the situation differently.

And eventually, I realized something.

My ego had gotten tangled up in the situation.

I had become so focused on “I was right” and “I shouldn’t have been treated this way” that I was losing sight of the bigger picture.

It wasn’t worth carrying a fight and tension that would affect everyone else, especially with a whole week of camp still ahead.

There’s a line in Pirkei Avos:

קִנְאָה וְתַאֲוָה וְכָבוֹד מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם —

jealousy, desire, and honor remove a person from the world. Kavod, our need to be respected or proven right, has a way of pulling us out of the moment and turning something small into something much bigger than it needs to be. That’s exactly what happened to me.

I don’t want to win an argument and lose my peace. And I don’t want my ego to matter more than the people around me.

So I made a decision.

The next day, I apologized to the Chef.

Not because I was wrong, and not because he was right. I’m not saying either of those things. I’ll leave that for Hashem to judge — ה’ יִשְׁפֹּט. I’m only human. I only see one small piece of the picture. What I can control is how I choose to move forward.

There’s a pasuk in Mishlei that’s stayed with me:

כַּמַּיִם הַפָּנִים לַפָּנִים, כֵּן לֵב הָאָדָם לָאָדָם —

as water reflects a face back to a person, so does one person’s heart reflect back to another. What we put into a relationship tends to come back to us. If I show up with anger, I might get anger back. If I show up softer, maybe I create room for the other person to soften too.

And if I choose to soften, perhaps I create an opening for the other person to soften too.

And that doesn’t mean I lose.

In fact, maybe that is the real strength.

Anyone can hold onto being right.

It takes much more strength to say:

“Maybe I was right. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe we were both hurt. But I don’t want to live in this tension anymore.”

And that reminded me of something I learned through Shalom for Charlotte.

Sometimes life puts us in situations where we have to choose between being right and being kind.

But maybe the real choice isn’t even right versus kind.

Maybe it’s:

What kind of person do I want to be when being right isn’t enough?

Because at the end of the day, I don’t want to win an argument and lose my peace.

I don’t want to prove my point and damage a relationship.

And I don’t want my ego to become more important than the people around me.

There will always be things we disagree about.

There will always be moments when someone hurts us, misunderstands us, or treats us unfairly.

We can’t control that.

But we can control whether we allow those moments to harden us, or whether we use them as mirrors.

And sometimes, that is where the real growth begins.

This whole lesson brought me right back to what I learned through Shalom for Charlotte, an initiative built around exactly this idea, that real peace is worth more than being right, and that letting go of a grudge can be its own kind of chesed.

So here’s what I want to leave you with.

Is there something you’re holding onto right now? A fight that never really got resolved, a person you’ve quietly written off, a moment you keep replaying because you were sure you were right?

We’re heading into the Yamim Noraim. And there’s an idea I keep coming back to: if Hashem sees that you’re going above your nature to forgive, to fargin, to let something go that you’d have every right to hold onto, He goes beyond nature for you too.

You don’t have to decide the other person was right. You don’t have to pretend it didn’t hurt. You just have to be willing to put the peace above the point.

That doesn’t mean pretending nothing happened, and it doesn’t mean abandoning your boundaries. You can believe you were justified and still choose peace.

There will always be things we disagree about. There will always be moments when someone hurts us, misunderstands us, or treats us unfairly. We can’t control that. But we can control whether we let those moments harden us, or whether we use them as mirrors.

Please take a pledge to forgive, even just one person, and be sure to check out Charlotte’s story and see the impact she left behind at such a young age.

May we all go מחיל לחיל 💕

Few years ago, my wifes aunt and her husband made up some wrong information about me and were telling around to a lot of my friends and community. After realizing they were wrong , they called and texted me many times to apologize, but I decided I will have them fully out of my life. After watching How Rav Yudi Herzberg and his wife , my view changed dramatically and this Shabbat we are eating at my wife’s aunts house for lunch . May her neshama should have Aliya.

I was a seventh grader in camp and for some reason a group of 3 took a cute bicker a bit too far and ended up turning it into bullying, which i was unfortunately on the receiving end.
One of them apologized to me, but I was left with very strong feelings towards the one that was the most merciless of the 3. I tried forgiving her over the years, but every time I think of that individual those pangs return. In the memory of such a full of life, awe-inspiring, and bright person as Charlotte, I worked on getting rid of the feelings and it’s almost gone.

My story is simple yet full of twists and turns. I definitely can write a book. I have read and reread the stories here trying to find a way to forgive some of the major players in my life who have hurt me. Instead for now I’ve found the small players. The large ones are intense, much too intense for now. I have chosen to forgive the special Ed director who followed my child for years maligning him at every turn whenever we tried getting him into another school (And this is shocking as she didnt see him in years). We didn’t realize until someone told me what was happening behind the scenes. BH Hashem overrode her and my child now has a great place. He truly was in charge. And the school that pulled out of accepting my child a week before it started. That’s a harder one to forgive but I’m working on it,. I’m focusing on all the good people that helped not the ones who did not. These are the smaller more hurtful stories in my life. The larger ones are quite difficult as they involve being medically affected for life and clinical grade PTSD. I have to daven to Hashem to help me forgive and heal. I love you charlotte and I’m doing this for you and for Klal Yisrael. And also so that my children will learn the value of Shalom and love one another. May Mashiach be with us soon.

Giving ten percent of my paycheck to tzedaka

I forgave my roommate after not talks for months charlottes story inspired me to forgive and forget

Volunteer for certain organazation that and needed help from diff organazation for something. Usually dont work the best together because of inner politics, and said for Charlottes zechus to forget abt those politics just want to help yidden. Thanks for creating this movement.

For eight years, I carried a grudge.

It started with a rift—a hurt so deep that I built a wall, convinced it was the only way to protect myself. I truly believed I would never forgive her, let alone like her again. In my mind, the narrative was set: she had no place in my life, and keeping her out was simply the safest, smartest choice. I held onto that grudge like armor, wearing it day after day until hating or disliking her just became realitity.

Then, everything shifted.

I was watching a video about Charlotte, listening as Binny and Yiddy spoke. There was something about their words, their sincerity, and the raw truth in what they both shared that hit me right in the chest. A very strong realization washed over me: What am I holding onto? What is this grudge actually giving me?

The answer was nothing. Holding onto bitterness wasn’t fixing the past, nor was it making my present any better. It wasn’t protecting me; it was just keeping a door permanently locked that didn’t need to be. Life is far too fragile and short to carry eight years of resentment.

Last week, I decided to take a step I thought I would never take in a million lifetimes. I got into my car and made the several hour trip to the person I had spent almost a decade pushing away.

When I arrived, we spent the whole day together. The walls didn’t just crack they literally crumbled. Sitting across from her, talking, and simply being present, I felt a burden lift off my shoulders that I hadn’t even realized was pressing down on me for eight years.

If you had told me a month ago that I would be actively learning to love someone I once couldn’t stand, I would have never believed you. But here I am. Someone I held so much friction against is now someone I am for real coming to like and appreciate. Forgiveness didn’t just change how I view her—it gave me back my own inner shalom!

I was summoned to the office of my boss, who also originally hired me. He had been let go after many years of working at our company. He is a complex person with many talents and many, many significant deficiencies. Although the deficiencies always troubled me, I did not speak poorly about him to any one on our board. He felt, however, that I had somehow been involved in his removal. He called me to his office and redressed me for not showing hakatoras ha’tov. I was stunned, because I have always been grateful to him for hiring me and supporting me. I very often publicly thank him in front of my family for the food that we eat -for were it nor for him I would not have this job. I also used to daven for him that he overcome his deficiencies.

I am (was) privately upset that he would say about me that I am ungrateful. But I understand that it is coming from his own point of pain, and therefore I can let go of my being upset.

My family hasn’t spoken to me in over 20 years. One member teases me about wanting to talk to me again but then doesn’t. A psychiatrist diagnosed my parents as being narcissistic.

My in laws are very difficult people. I have not had them for a regular shabbos in over 10 Years and I know they always want to come. I invited them for Shabbos thinking of
Charlotte!!

I was in my last year of school with a really great group of friends, one girl didn’t like how I became closer to another girl. She made a whole big deal for all girls to get involved, and she planned together with them to drop me and my friend. I started out the last year not knowing what’s gonna happen. Since the first day she didn’t walk, talk or even look at me. She made it very clear I’m no longer part of them anymore. That year was misery beyond misery to say the least. I came from having a ton of friends to almost nothing. The effect it had on me was huge! She probably doesn’t even know what it did to me, but it literally destroyed me! I bh made other friends later on, at the end of the year but the hurt and pain is still ingrained in me till now two years later. The tears still come when I think about it, even though I’m engaged and moved on already. When I heard this story I was so so moved! I sat numb for hours just thinking and thinking that maybe it’s time to just let go and let myself live. I took out a paper and wrote a letter of all pain and anguish of everything I would’ve wanted her to know, ripped it up, and threw all pieces into the garbage. I forgive her now fully, and I’ll try to make the biggest effort of talking to her at simchas and clear the air between us. Let this be a Zechus for Charlotte a”h, and bring us one step closer to mashiach!

I’m writing this almost three decades after the incident happened.

My school years were not easy or smooth sailing. A classmate continuously bullied me and did extremely embarrassing things to me, and somehow, even almost thirty years later, I can still feel the pain as if it was a recent encounter.

For years during those school years and beyond, I tried to be mochel in my heart. I would tell myself that I had forgiven, but as much as I said the words, the hurtful and traumatic feelings kept creeping back. The memories never seemed to fully leave me.

After seminary, I got married fairly quickly, but it was short-lived and ended in a painful divorce. At that point, it had already been about eleven years since the bullying. During the process of growth, healing, and introspection that came with the divorce, I told myself once again that I would forgive that classmate with all my heart. Yet even then, for years afterward, the humiliation I had endured continued to sit quietly in my heart.

Around the time of Covid, I heard that the classmate had gotten divorced. At the time, I felt a sense of “payback,” and I’m not proud to say that my heart didn’t really ache for this person. But shortly after, I began to wonder if perhaps this was because I had never truly been mochel b’lev shaleim, and that is why this family was being hit with such a difficult nisayon. I tried again. And again. Still, every so often, the flashbacks would resurface, reminding me that I had not fully let go.

Baruch Hashem, after being divorced for approximately fifteen years and raising infants on my own, I had the tremendous zechus of getting remarried recently. At that stage of my life, I tried even more deeply to erase those years of bullying from my memory and to fully forgive—not only for the classmate’s sake, but for my own. Yet I still felt as though I was living in the shadow of something that had happened almost three decades earlier.

Then I heard about Charlotte’s accident.

At first, when I heard the family speaking about shalom, I thought the words sounded almost too simple. I wondered how people could possibly put such tremendous pain aside and speak so genuinely about peace.

But after Tisha B’Av, I watched the video about Rabbi and Mrs. Hertzberg forgiving, and something inside me began to shift on a much deeper level.

I watched two families choose forgiveness. I watched them go out of their way not to cause strife. I watched them come together with such warmth and love, and I saw how deeply they cared about preserving the unity of their community.

The way both families united and returned to a sense of normal life after such a devastating accident—simply to avoid tearing a community apart—truly shook me to my core.

And it made me look back at my own story with new eyes.

It is now two weeks after Tisha B’Av, and almost three decades after the bullying that shaped so much of my childhood. And for the first time, I can finally say to Hashem with a completely different heart:

This was not the classmate who made me endure the agony of my miserable school years. This was completely in HKBH’s hands. They were only the messenger.

For almost thirty years, I carried this pain. I tried to forgive. I thought I had forgiven. I prayed to be able to forgive. But today, something feels different.

Today, I can finally let it go.

Not because what happened was insignificant.
Not because it didn’t hurt.
Not because the years of humiliation didn’t matter.

But because I finally understand that the person I blamed for carrying this pain into my life was only a messenger. The entire story was in HKBH’s hands.

And perhaps the greatest gift of all is that Hashem allowed me to see that through Charlotte and her family.

Thank you, Charlotte, for allowing almost thirty years of baggage to finally be lifted from my shoulders.

May your neshama have an aliyah, and may the lesson of the shalom you are bringing to so many people continue to touch hearts and bring healing, forgiveness, and achdus to Klal Yisrael.

May the Beis HaMikdash HaShlishi be built, speedily in our days.

There is a girl who has been mean to me since 1st grade i am now out of seminary and i never forgave her it was too painful its painful to suffer for over 12 years for now because of charlette i will blie neder forgive her

Today, I decided to open my heart and say hello to someone who always looks away from me. I cleared the anger of being ignored and they said hi back.

I just want you to know that your story is so incredibly moving and powerful. You didn’t have to share it. You didn’t have to go public, Binny didn’t have to show his face, you didn’t have to say anything. You all could have stayed nameless and faceless and no one would have given it a second thought. But you chose to speak, you chose to share, and it had such a massive impact on me – and clearly, thousands of others. I cried through the entire video, and I’ve watched it multiple times since that first time and have just cried and cried. I felt the impact in my bones. Your words really hit deep.
I don’t have a big dramatic story to share. Baruch Hashem I’ve never been involved in machlokes or fighting and I hope to never be, however people have hurt me in the past and I continue to struggle to forgive them. Charlotte’s story has given me a lot of thought and has helped me work through a lot of pain.
The biggest thing for me though is that I work in an office that serves many frum people, and I struggle with shmiras halashon. It’s hard to work in a high pressure job that involves caring for people with many different, and sometimes challenging, personalities. It can wear me down and I find myself talking negatively about a lot of people. I want you to know that a few days after watching the Letting Go video, I was in a situation where I was about to say a pretty nasty thing about a client to the coworker sitting next to me. But I remembered Charlotte. I remembered you. And I clamped my mouth shut. And in that moment I davened that it should be a zchus for Charlotte, a zchus for Klal Yisrael, and a personal zchus for me as I’m waiting for a yeshua in a certain area. That was all to your credit.
And another small act – I smiled at someone in the grocery store who I sort of know but we don’t really talk. Nothing’s wrong – but nothing’s right. And I smiled at her, and she smiled back. It was a small thing, and it didn’t make a huge change. But it was something, and I did it for Charlotte.
So no, you didn’t have to share your story, and obviously no one would ever wish something like this upon you. But you took something horrific and used it to create incredible good. Thank you. Hashem should bentch you with only good things.

Our son, S decided that we did not care for his children since we did not attend their ball games. We lived an hour and a half away, both my husband and I worked 6 days a week and thought that we couldn’t take time off to attend those games. I did attend some of their activities, sometimes baby sat, and as often as were invited would spend Shabbat with them. Just as a note, I did tell my son and daughter in law that if they invite us to school programs that we would attend. The invitations to that never came until their oldest son graduated from eighth grade, and then only came the night before the graduation. I had other plans, that would have been canceled had I received an invite to the graduation, but could not change last minute. His father and grandmother did attend the graduation. Now many years later,(between 10-15 years) he still has a hard time interacting with us. He’ll speak to me when I first approach him, however, he hasn’t spoken to his father all of those years. Even when attending functions at our house, he does not say one word to his father, not hello when he enters the house or good bye when he leaves. I have told him and written him many times that I forgive him, but it has never been reciprocated. Our daughter in Law, M, has started to speak to us. I don’t know if it’s genuine or not, but I’ll give her Kav Zechut. Even though we have 4 other children it is still hard all of these years to have such disconnect from S . In the Aliya of Charlotte’s neshama I am again saying how I am forgiving S and hope he’ll see that in the scheme of things we do love him and hope to have him rejoin the family.

I’ve had a lot of hard feelings towards my employer, who I felt overstepped boundaries and was very judgemental. To the extent that I thought of moving towns because of it … I was able to get passed that a few months ago, but I was still holding onto anger and hurt from the situation. After this video Im deciding to fully let go of the hard feelings.
It feels so good to let go.

I had a best friend for 20 years. We were like brothers. We did everything together. We hung out all the time. I grew up in his house and he grew up in my house. Thousands of memories and jokes together. I got married at 23 and we always kept up our relationship. My kids called him uncle. He was an older single and I even set him up with my sister-in-law. At 30 he finally found someone but was still hesitant about her and I personally helped him through a lot of hurdles and convinced him to get married to his current wife (although I had never met her).
It took a very short time to realize that she didn’t like me or any of his friends. We weren’t fans of her either to say the least but at least he got married and we hoped it would be diff one day soon.
6 months after his Marraige, my wife made me a surprise birthday party and invited him and his wife. After the party I noticed an even bigger change in his demeanor towards me. I finally called him out and said I’m not sure what’s going on but this doesn’t seem very healthy. Can you let me know what’s going on. He sat me down and told me that his wife accused me of making a move on her at my birthday party in public. The accusation itself is psychotic. We are all good guys and never would entertain such an idea. But this was even more ridiculous because I literally hated her. And I told him so. But it didn’t really matter and ultimately because of that he hasn’t spoken to me in 3 years. Obviously it was very painful there is no replacing a best friend/brother of 20 years.
Over the years I finally worked on seeing it from his perspective and understanding that he is in a very tough predicament. I saw him on July 29th at a wedding and in honor of Charlotte I mustered up the courage to go over to him and I told him that I forgive him and I understand he’s in a tough predicament and I miss him dearly and hopefully one day things could change.
I wish I could say that everything is back to normal but at least I know that I took care of my side.

I was on a date with this guy was going really well and the 8th date he said something that really hurt he told me that I have a bigger stomach then him and it bothered him i was sooo upset and hurt I just had a hard time forgiving him a few days passed I was carrying heavy and I was like I believe in a person that can change so I called him on the phone and I forgave him

Any time my kids start fighting, my 7 year old son says, “Shalom for Charlotte!” !!!

Years ago, we had a very unpleasant experience with an extended family member. After hosting a host Simcha for them and giving them a gift, my husband received the most unpleasant phone call of his relative, screaming at him for giving his son such a small gift. We were very hurt and upset years went by and we had no contact with them recently our daughter got married and we invited this relative to the wedding. We decided it was an easy way to extend ourselves and begin to make Shalom with them. Today we decided to go to their home and visit them after 16 years of having almost no contact with them. We had such a pleasant meal with them. There was no mention of the hurtful words that were exchanged in the past, but the nonverbal message of the mutual effort to make Shalom was clear. It was not easy and we felt perfectly fine having no contact with them, but we were inspired by your initiative and wanted to bring more Shalom into the world.

I was really hurt by someone who backstabbed me in a really painful way and it made me have a hard time trusting people for a long time…. But after seeing your story of how u were able to rise in such a big way I realized that I can do it too and really worked on myself to forgive her . I texted her that I forgive her and she was so thankful saying she doesn’t feel like she deserves the forgiveness … and then when I shared what I did w friends they also called up ppl and forgave them… so thank you!!!! Her neshama shld have an Aliya u guys are incredible

About 10 yrs ago a friend of mine was running a tehillim group for shidduchim. It was known to be a big zechus to be the head. And when one head got engaged they passed on the privilege to another single who wanted it.. the head BH got engaged and I was older than her. I asked her for the zechus if I can take over the group now that she moved on to marriage. She said “NO” she wanted to keep the zechus. It really deeply bothered me. It’s 10 yrs later now she has several kids and I am still single.

I want to say in public that I fully forgive her for all the big zechusim she kept for herself these past 10 yrs. I am mochel her and all the zechusim I could have gotten.

When we want something.. Hashem gives us the sechar even if we don’t get to do the action if we were prevented.

Hashem and all the Malachim see this mechillah. And it will bring the Geulah very soon I am sure!

I was part of tehillim for shidduchim on a group that I was fully participating with hundreds of perakim for myself and others again and again for 2 yrs.. 1 day I asked the head to share something with the participants what would be helpful for everyone looking for a yeshuah.

Since she had over 1000 participants and she was desperate for her own yeshuah. She decided to just block me from the group.

Now 3 yrs later she is still running the groups. She is still single but I was fully blocked for 3 yrs and I am still single. I fully forgive her. Haahem blocked me and there must be a good reason for this!!

May we all greet Mashiach in this big zechus!!

Growing up I was very close with my father, however in my teenage years as I individuated and started having a mind of my own, things got tense between us. Ultimately I chose to leave religion behind, and that caused a great riff between me and my father. I very much still wanted a relationship with him but every time would end up getting hurt, and ultimately go back to not talking. I had not spoken to my father since December 2025, when we had another argument over religion, and had decided that I couldn’t keep getting hurt and so I would not keep trying to stay in contact with him. It pained me so much but the pain of getting hurt over and over seemed greater. That was before Shalom for Charlotte. I came across Shaindy Plotzker’s instagram story of the tragedy of beautiful Charlotte and then the movement of shalom and right away thought of my father. I decided that if these two incredible families can make peace after such a terrible incident, then I can keep trying to have a relationship with my father. I called him that week and he was so happy to hear from me, and me from him. We have since seen each other again and I am trying my best to keep it peaceful and respectful between the two of us.

Just wanted to say thank you for all the work you are doing!!!! This has changed the world in a huge way!!!

I was going through the process of landing a new job and was offered the position BH. The owner of the company sent me an email when she offered the job with the offer letter attached and stated that if I had questions about the offer (which I did) then she’d be happy to schedule a time to speak, so I took her up on that, prior to accepting the offer. I spent the time intricately writing my words, as to not come off as ungrateful and stated how I was thankful and how much it means, then asked for when works to speak on the phone.

About 30 minutes go by and all of a sudden I get a text message that was sent to a whatsapp group for the industry we are in, with well over 500 people in it. It was the person who offered me the job, and the message was a screenshot of my email (it had my name in it), with her text message on the bottom, mocking something I said in the email. It took me about 5 seconds to realize what had happened and when I did realize, my heart started racing and I felt my face become dark red from embarrassment. My first thought was message her privately to please take it down and make her aware that she sent it to a massive public group chat. After 10 minutes she saw the message and immediately deleted it. She answered me shortly after that she meant to send it to her business partner and accidentally sent it to this big group chat and asked for me to forgive her. I spent the next few minutes thinking about what to respond to her, being that it was extremely hurtful and embarrassing and I wanted to choose my words very carefully as to not say the wrong thing in the moment.

Before I had the opportunity to reply, I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize. It was her husband and he said she gave him my number to reach out and ask me for mechila, because she was too devastated to do so. I was about to go off on him and then it hit me. I remembered about Charlotte and the Herzberg family’s story. Her sending it to the group chat was 100% a mistake, but the lashon hara about me and mocking my email was not. Even so, I told him that I saw this video over Tisha Bav and thought to myself while watching that I wondered if given the opportunity to hold a grudge against someone or forgive and let it go, what will I choose? It’s easy to say the latter, but when push comes to shove, in the moment, you really need to make the conscious decision after being insulted, embarrassed, and wronged. I told her husband that this is my chance and in merit of Charlotte I am choosing to 100% forgive his wife for what had happened, and he should tell her that. I then replied to her text message that not to worry, I am mochel her.

At the end of the day, who am I to hold a grudge? I’ve wronged people before, as has everybody. Mistakes happen and people regret things. I’m not going to pretend that I’m perfect, and if it brings one more reason for Hashem to smile, seeing his children get along and letting things go, then it is something I am glad to have been able to accomplish in my heart. Ultimately I decided to decline the offer and not move ahead with her company, but I still do forgive her wholeheartedly.

This was all because of the video I saw, highlighting the amazing character, special madraiga, and emunah and bitachon which the Herzberg family has displayed. It was so extremely inspiring and eye opening!

Tizku Lmitzvot and I hope that with each passing day and story of shalom that comes in, in merit of Charlotte and the Herzberg family, it brings more and more nechama!

It seems small to me compared to some of these pther stories I’ve heard, but I’ll share it nonetheless. I was playing in a sports game today and two teammates of mine got into a real heated argument about the game. Without going into detail, there was a lot of animosity between them. My teammates and I tried to get them to drop it, which they were able to a little but (although it did flare up at times during the game). After the game, which we ended up winning, I said “Shalom for Charlotte” – you guys dont have to see eye to eye on everything but lets not have such animosity here. A little bit of calm talking and a few seconds later they were agreeable again and the animosity was gone.

I dont know if it was because of what I said, or some other factor, but I hope that it was a Z’chus for Charlotte. Everyone isn’t going to agree all the time, thats just life – but being able to disagree *agreeably* is the key, and I’m glad that was able to end up happening here.

I had been publicly embarrassed by a girl in school when I was a young kid and years later I still had not gotten over the humiliation and the rumors that were spread about me still hurt so many years later. On Tisha B’av I watched the Living L’chaim video and seeing Charlotte’s story really effected me. A few days later that girl who I was angry at was coming to visit a friend in the same camp I was working in I hadn’t seen her in years and with a lot of strength I went up to her gave her a hug and said I am so happy to see you. So thank you Hertzberg family for giving me the opportunity to do what was right.

I had a Rebbi in elementary school who I felt was very hard on me. The was one instance where someone did something wrong and he accused me for it and I ended up getting embarrassed in front of the whole class. It has bothered me for a long time now but in the zchus of Charlotte I’m going to be completely mochel and try my hardest not to speak about him negatively.

I chose to fully forgive someone who did something very very hurtful over 25 yrs ago.
I will daven for her as a way of showing Hashem I love his children.

I will daven for all people who ever hurt or harmed me to get healed..

Many of these people have deep interpersonal issues. Tefillah is a for of chessed. Imagine doing chessed for all those who hurt and harmed us…

May this action bring the geulah where all the people who passed on come back .

this passed Shabbos my sister was really being annoying she was hurting me she gave me a million scratches I decided to forgive her as a zchus for charlotte (i told her I forgive her with full heart even though my scratches are still really hurting and its already sunday

My wife has been losing her cool a lot with the little kids and me. I have been trying to let her anger go. It hasn’t been easy trying to get past the times she outright mean to me. I started a campaign in my mind called “it never happened, for Charlette.” In the campaign instead of trying to get over her being mean I am simply pretending all the times she is not being nice to me never happened and trying to give her all the love and connection I can. I am doing everything I can to see her with a positive eye and know it’s not her, but just her getting overwhelmed. I am constantly wiping her slate fully clean and instead of trying to forgive I am pretending it’s nonexistent. Already she’s commented she feels more loved. If I can forgive maybe god can forgive my sins in elul for me and out people.

Back in seminary I felt a situation was handled harshly towards me. I’ve been holding a grudge towards the person ever since.
I’m hoping that through me being mochel them, there will be shalom for all of Bnei Yisroel and Eretz Yisroel.

My friend hurt my feelings and I didn’t do anything wrong and forgave her I thought to keep this to show we have be nice to everyone even special children

I have chosen to forgive my High school Headmistress who i have held a deep grudge in my heart against for a couple of years after saying a extremely nasty comment that pained me badly and always treading on me , trying to knock me down wherever possible throughout my school years making it miserable . This was in the zechus of Beautiful Shaindel A”H Bas Chaim Yehudah Leib .

I chose to forgive a close family member who has hurt me deeply, again and again. And despite the pain, I found the strength to release it, turn to Hashem, and give them a heartfelt bracha

I made a really close friend in seminary or so i thought until i found out she told the head of sem something about me that wasn’t true in the slightest- i had NEVER done and….My world almost ended. I was almost thrown out of sem because of what my “best freind” lied about. I was yelled at and the head of sem said he would throw me out and so on ….and the head wouldn’t hear that it was FALSE !! To forgive her was so hard, especially since we were friends and i cared so much for her. So for me and my parents because the pain was so great it was challenging and i always wondered when would i have the courage to forgive her in my life since she almost ruined my reputation based on her nonsense at a stage in my life where i look forward to standing under the Chuppah Iy”h. I realized she obviously has some mental issue to do so and froze communication with her . But since i heard this story, that was the immediate answer and cleared all doubts and grudges i had about her . The story was so inspiring . Even though she kept asking me forgiveness i simply couldn’t even face her . And there i was forgiving the person who almost damaged my future life . In the zechus of beautiful Charlotte i had strength to do so .

My friend and I had a fight in camp and I decided to forgive her fully as a zchus aliyas neshama for Shaindel a”H bas Chaim Yehuda Leib.

I spent 7 years working on a very vital project that I felt could help many people.. as the project was finally complete and thousands were benefitting. 4 people wrote and said things to take away the effect and the great benefits thousands world wide could have had.

3 wrote things in popular news papers. The words were not true.
And one shared things by mouth..

The entire project that I sent thousands of dollars on and thousands of hours.. came crumbling down in a few minutes.

I choose to fully forgive these 4 people for the sake of Brining Charlotte more light, Hashem deep joy and the ultimate rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdash today! Where all pain will end for good!

I’m in shidduchim for a number of years. Someone related to me redt me a shidduch and spoke in a way that was very hurtful when the shidduch ended. Since then I haven’t had the warmest feelings toward this family. I’m choosing to try to see their perspective and realize they didn’t mean harm and they are still good people. No one can harm me, I was supposed to feel that pain. liIluy nishmas Shaindel a”H bas Chaim Yehuda Leib.

I gave a brocha to someone that hurt me.

6 years ago, a family member yelled at me at a big family event in public, really embarrassing me. I just chose to forgive him as a zchus for the neshama of Charlotte a”h.

2 years ago- I sat in a meeting with 2 owners of a huge company. They asked me who I would choose to keep on our team. They mentioned letting go of another girl. I pleaded with them to not let her go and agreed to lose out on a significant raise so they keep her on. Fast forward 6 months on the company was not able to sustain the supervisor with high salaries. She was let go. From the day she told me she was let go- she never spoke to me again. It hurts really bad but tonight I am truly forgiving her. I hope one day- whatever I caused her- she will forgive me as well.

The head of my child’s school said some extremely hurtful things to me about my child and spoke to me in such a negative and disrespectful way so much that it pushed us to switch schools, which I believe was the right decision but it was so hard for me to let go of the hurt and resentment I felt towards this person and I’ve been struggling to let go of the resentment for over a year now. After watching the “letting go” video and the the follow up detailed video with the Herrzberg’s story, I feel like I can finally bring myself to reach out to his person to say that I forgive them for the way they spoke to me and to also ask mechila for anything negative I might have said as well. I was previously at a point where I never wanted to see or speak to this person ever again for the rest of my life but “Shalom for Charlotte” is pushing me to do what I know is right.

We weren’t invited to the simcha of a friend. It stings. Having a rough time letting it go, it came out at our shabbos table. Then, I thought of Charlotte and all that she stands for and with that message I told our family we must get over it for the sake of shalom and for Charlotte. My daughter (who watched the Living L’Chaim video with me) fully understood and imparted the message to the family too (it was nice to have back up here). It’s not an instant fix as our feelings were deeply hurt, but once the topic arises we now remind ourselves we can not hold a grudge and we can move past. Its a mindshift. And we are actively working on turning off the hurt and turning up the shalom.

I wish everyone in the world can read this. And let go of all grudges bec of this story!!!

2 yrs ago, a classmate of mine was deathly ill. Right before she passed away ( at a young age) the classmate who was in charge of all grade emails, deliberately removed my name from the entire grade emails, this means I get no updates on anything happens in the grade. I only knew she did it when I never got an email that the classmate passed away, where the levaya was etc. At 1st I was very hurt and thought how Dare she do that when I was such a kind active member always helping snd being there for every requests…

Than once again last week another classmate passed away, again at a young age, and once again i wasn’t informed via the grade email because I was removed.

Last night I had a thought on why Hashem removed me!!

And it was all GOOD. Read this and you will see how Hashem is so perfect and good even in the moments of hurt and pain If we can be Dan Lkaf zechus Hashem..

Read the next few lines!!

It says that if someone dies in a chaburah, a group of friends, all the friends need to worry!! But since she removed me.. I am not part of that group.. how do I know I am not part of the Group??? Bec this messenger didn’t remove me.. Hashem removed me right before both people passed away, to give me a clear message, YOU are NOT part of THAT group and YOU don’t need to WORRY!!

We have a neighbor who drinks. For years he bothered us, damaged our property, spit at me and other family members.
He had a stroke around 3 years ago and we all did the right thing, we were kind and helpful. He was actually a nice guy for a few weeks. And then… He started drinking again.
The crazy man that he used to be came back big time. He started cursing us out, he trys to scare my kids (he is successful at time), he spits at us all the time and trying to do whatever damage he can.
Sometimes it’s difficult to be the bigger person and not react.. but for Charlotte’s זכות I forgive him. I realize this will be a constant act cuz every day bring new things forgive. But bh I forgive him and hope he has a chance to לחזור בתשובה. But either way no hatred, no anger, just forgiveness.

i forgave my rosh yeshiva that trough me out ,after a few years of pain i picked up a phoe and told him i forgive you

The person in Charge of my high school emails deliberate removed me from the grade emails… I am happy she did. I know it was Hashem. There was a lot of fighting going on in that grade. And Hashem removed me from all the fighting not this person and it was for my good! Thank YOU Hashem!! Instead of me removing myself. I realized Hashem did the act for me. I won’t be counted in as their group… and maybe one day this person’s deep insecurity will be healed but for now, I have no resentment towards her for being the messenger.

I got upset at my mother because she did something that I told her not to do many time. I didn’t speak to her for a month because of it. I sent her an apology text today and to try to work it out. This should be a zchus for aliyas neshama for Shaindel a”H bas Chaim Yehuda Leib.

I previously wrote things down in a notebook dedicated to thanking Hashem. Life went on, and I got busy with various things, and over time, it wasn’t as much on my mind. Then, on Tishabav, I watched Living Lechaim and was very inspired by the stories and all the powerful messages. One thing that struck me was how Charlotte had a “Thank You Hashem” notebook in school, which recently got me thinking and motivated me to get back into thanking Hashem in a notebook. I want to do this in the zechus of Charlotte, who had so much goodness and such a pure neshama. I will start to write my “Thank You Hashem” more consistently as a zechus for the aliyah of the neshama of Shaindel a”H bas Chaim Yehuda Leib.

I’ll be honest life isn’t always easy. We all know that. But we don’t choose the challenges we are given. What we see isn’t the full reality. We are connected to past generations, and we are just one small but important link in the chain of passing on Hashem’s ways. I wish things were different, but now my father’s neshamah sees everything clearly.

The pasuk says:

“הַצּוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ, כִּי כָל דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט; אֵ-ל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל, צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר הוּא.”
“The Rock His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a G-d of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” (Devarim 32:4)

Everyone probably heard about the 8-year-old girl in Monsey who was tragically killed by a car driven by her father’s close friend and chavrusa. Her amazing father immediately forgave the driver, made shalom with him, and started a movement encouraging people to forgive, let go, and make peace with one another. Sometimes we get lost in our own ego, but life is short, and today reminds us of that.

Totty, I came to see you a few months ago, and although you weren’t doing well, we forgave each other.

Hi,

This story might not be the typical example of making shalom, but this is what the initiative meant for me.

I was thinking about who in my life I could make shalom with as a zechus for Shaindel a”H bas Chaim Yehuda Leib, and I immediately thought of someone who had said no to me in shidduchim. I know he had every right to make that decision, but I was still hurt. Rejection is never easy, even when no one has done anything wrong.

A short while later, that same person was redt to one of my closest friends. I remember thinking that this situation had the potential to become very awkward—if I let it. Around that same time, I heard about this beautiful initiative, and I realized that he was the perfect person for me to forgive. So I made the conscious decision to let go.

Recently, my mom found out that my friend and this young man were dating seriously. She looked at me and asked, “Isn’t that the guy who said no to you? Why did he say no to you?”

Without even thinking, I answered, “He’s dating my friend, and I’m so happy for her.” As the words came out of my mouth, I realized they were completely true. There wasn’t even a trace of resentment left—just genuine happiness that my friend was happy.

Looking back, I can’t help but think about how awkward the situation could have become and how much unnecessary pain I would have caused myself if I had held onto that hurt. Instead, I was able to celebrate my friend’s mazel wholeheartedly.

This initiative also inspired me never to tell my friend that I had once been suggested to him and he had said no. After each date, my friend and I shmooze about how it went and I have the privilege of sharing in her excitement with complete sincerity.

I’m so grateful for this initiative because it reminded me that forgiveness isn’t only a gift we give to others; it’s also a gift we give ourselves.

My daughter was hit by a car 2 years ago and the frum driver refused to admit he was at fault despite multiple witnesses. He didn’t even get out of his car to check how she’s doing. We had a lot of Agmas Nefesh from the pain she was in for the next few weeks (we were travelling) as well as a medical expense that we did not get reimbursed for. After hearing your story and the incredible way you dealt with it, we decided to focus on the miracles we were zoche to and try to be Dan L’kaf Zchus and let go of resentment toward the driver. May it be an Aliyah for Charlotte’s Neshama.

There is/was a bullying problem in my sons class. He is 10 yrs old and going into 6th grade. There was one boy in particular who bore the brunt of most of the bullying. My son was very upset having to watch this other boy be bullied. I told my son that he should try to befriend the boy, but my son was concerned that if he would be seen hanging out with this boy that the bullies would make fun of him too .

My son just came over to me today and asked me if I spoke with this boy’s mother recently and I told him no why? He says that since he saw the Shalom for Charlotte initiative on tisha b’av he has been davening for this boy every day when he says Sim shalom, that the bullying should stop for him, so he wanted to know if the boys situation has improved at all.
I couldn’t believe that my 10-year-old son was so inspired by Charlotte’s story that he took upon himself to daven for this other boy!

I was very hurt with something my spouse did to me, instead of being upset bzichut Shaindel I took a deep breathe and decided to work things out calmly and with a ultimate goal of making Shalom.

hi! I live in Israel. I am 19 years old.I learned in a very good school, with a “number 1” name. i was popular, successful, cool and had tons of friends. in 11 th grade i had a teacher who started up with me, until today i don’t understand what i did wrong(my parents even don’t understand what was wrong..) i was a fine regular student.. and she was really mean to me, i was home most of the time, bored,nothing to do(I am not writing a lot of details but it was a horrible year with everything… it influent my life at home, with my parents, my education, i was actually depressed… ) and the worst part is when i came back for the next year i lost my good name i had in the school, it was so hard for me… and also in 12th grade she was still looking after me and driving me crazy!!!!!!!After 12 th grade my parents and I decided I can’t stay in that school…so i moved to a different seminary, it wasn’t easy at all!!!!i was so angry at that teacher, when people around me said her name i started to cry..I couldn’t forgive her!!! she literally ruined my 2 years in high school.after i heard your story i decided i am “cleaning my heart” , i forgive her and i’m trying to “דן לכף זכות” maybe she really meant for my good, that’s her way of chinuch..I don’t know.but when I see your story, it gives proportions for our whole life. your strength, your real emunah in hashem, you are incredible!!!I am so happy for your beautiful daughter – Charlotte, she grew up with parents that are Angels of Peace. and now you’re inspiring the world. when i will get married , בעז”ה i will invite that teacher to the wedding:)

We had a big family friends chevra. One couple specifically got mad at all of us and really talked bad about us whenever they could. They are no longer friends with our group and I’ve really seen over the years how they would repeat a story that happened and I was there when the story happened and what they were saying wasn’t true…instead of thinking they were lying I just would think they just really have a different perception of what went down and they were always the one wronged. They never were able to see that they were in the wrong..never. fast forward 4 years. We are all no longer friends with them but when we see them I always feel uchy inside..because they think we are all in the wrong. Recently the wife just lost it and was screaming accusing us of something that wasn’t true…once again that’s her perception of things. I really wanted to answer back and scream back and say you guys are off ur rockers…instead I thought of shalom for Charlotte and sent her a whole message saying it didn’t matter what really went down she obviously has resentment built up from all these years and that I hope she forgives us. I took all the blame because I know she can’t do that right now and I was the bigger person..Lielui nishamas ur beautiful Charlotte. Hashem should give ur family and binny family tremendous strength.

Two and a half years ago, someone insulted me in a very deep way. I am not one who harbors grudges or counts the words that people say. But my kovod was hurt and i couldn’t shake it. When I watched the three unbelievable stories of people who forgave for much more major reasons, I said I have to have this out with my friends, once and for all. Before the yetzer hora would convince me otherwise, I wrote a respectful letter to them on Tisha B’av,and handed it to them. They were begging me for forgiveness and of course we’re boruch hashem friends again.

I was publicly embarrassed on a group chat. I feel I was owed an apology. I reached out to the person to try to work things through. Hopefully they will be willing to make shalom as well.

Said I would call my mother to wish good shabbos one week at a time

2/2 so far in charlottes zchus

There was a family event on a Shabbos that due to extenuating circumstances, a sibling needed to attend. It was extremely difficult for my family to go between a long distance travel, and also needing to find a place to put up my children. We also had a conflicting event on that Shabbos. My sister-in-law said that if she had to go, she wanted all of us to go because why should she be the only one that needed to miss out on her original plans. I told her that I wouldn’t do that, that if no one else would go, I would go, but I wouldn’t make anybody else go with me. Since none of the other siblings made a decision to go, my husband and I made the arrangements to go to this event. On Friday morning, we found out from a different family member that the sister was also going and at that time we had already committed to go as well. This was the day after Tisha B’Av so I told my husband that we will let it go. We won’t be upset and frustrated and we will keep shalom. As a Zachi’s for Shaindel bad Chaim Yehuda Leib and for moshiach to come

I asked a typesetter who works for himself to make a small change on a document that he helped me type last summer. He refused to make the change for personal reasons.. I asked again and again since he had the original document and he was the only one able to make the change.

I didn’t hear from him for about a year. Last Friday he reached out to me sending me shalom for Charlotte video.

Once again I asked him to make the small change. I said I would pay him 25.00 when he didn’t respond I said 50.00 he still didn’t respond so I offered 100.00 and still the controlling part of him refused to say ok. So I asked if I give him 1000.00 would he make the change.. he responded that it would take him a few days to find the document on an old computer. I sent him the document and still no response. So I said he has a full week to get it done.

Than I decided to ask my local printer if they can do it..they said they could do it for 40.00 on the spot. So Tuesday Am I sent him a message that my local printer can do the job. He responded back that he still had time until 1 min before shabbas bec I said next week..

So I told him not to do the work and I will go else where.

After it was done. I said pls don’t do the work it was all done. And he said I owe him the 100.00 bec he had a full week to do the job.

I was 💯 percent right. Not to pay him for work he never did.

But I decided for shalom I will send him the 100.00

So I sent him the 100.00 Even though my funds were very low.

During a long illness of mine, my wife of 30 plus years cheated on me. I was devastated of course but through God alone I was able to forgive her and work to reforge our marriage.

I am currently in the conversion process for Judaism and learning more about Jewish life, community and the values at the heart of our tradition. I would be very grateful to receive the Beis Halevi Ahavas Yisrael because I want to deepen my understanding of Ahavas Yisrael and make it something I actively practice in my everyday life. I hope that studying it will help me become a more compassionate, understanding and welcoming person, and remind me of the importance of creating peace and connection between people.

I went behind my closest friends back and lost our friendship ever since. After 4 years I hope to bring shalom back to our relationship.

I had a client come into the boutique I manage and she was extremely rude and insulting to me. I was inclined to throw her out but I decided Lmaan Hashalom to be courteous and patient. Later that day I found out that she had a stroke some time ago which affected her personality . I am so happy that I chose the path that I did- may Charlotte’s Neshama have an Aliya !

I’m choosing to forgive those who criticize every step I took as I was trying to cope with losing my friends after 10.7. Many American Jews did not understand, I felt alone and isolated and silly. I’m choosing to forgive them for the lashon hara and welcome back into my life. Because the darkness of the moment should not enter my home and dim my light

I’ve been struggling with resentment and holding a grudge against a really good friend of mine for a while now. We’ve been best friends since we were 2 years old and now we’re almost 20. She just seems to get everything she wants all the time. We were competing for the same spot in a special college program and of course, she got it. That was almost a year ago and I still haven’t found it in myself to be happy for her. I resent her. I really do hold a grudge against her for it. But not anymore. In the zchus of Charlotte, I’m going to choose Shalom. I’m going to try with everything in me to just be happy for my friend.

I have to find a new babysitting job this coming year and the job that I had before for 3-4 years only told me right at end of school year even though I was upset and didn’t want to forgive her after I saw your story it made me let the decision they made go and not bother and ruin my life…

My in law family has hurt me terribly, in many different ways. Just this pesach I had enough and decided that I’m pulling back on the relationship and not going back besides for sukkos and pesach. My in laws realized what was going on, and it caused alot of pain to my in laws and a rift in the family.
In the zchus of charlottes neshama, I’m going to do my own work on realizing that the pain was supposed to be in my life, and they were the shlichim for that. It’s from Hashem, not them.
I’m going to be spending next shabbos with them when a sister-in-law comes in from E”Y. It will not be easy, and I will make sure to take care of myself emotionally and physically (lots of chocolate;) when I am there. But I do think that for the sake of shalom in the family, it is the right thing.

Thank you to the Herzbergs and Binny for putting yourselves out there amidst the pain that you are all going through, to help bring more shalom within klal yisroel. You all have so many zchusim.

I was waiting in line at a cafe to order. Completely out of nowhere something hit me HARD in the back of the head near the base of the neck. My vision went black for a second and then I was completely discombobulated and dizzy. It turned out there was a homeless woman behind me, an addict and/or severely mentally ill. And, she had punched me in the head completely out of nowhere with no warning or words exchanged. She was arrested shortly after.

For the next month I got severe migraines from speaking or being around any noise for more than 15 minutes. My jaw locked pushing into my ear canal. Everything made me dizzy and nauseous, my emotions were completely out of whack, and I could not feel any connection to Hashem or anyone around me. I was sacred to have people stand or walk behind me. I couldn’t exercise or do anything fun. For months and months I was dizzy, nauseous, frustrated and angry. I learned that the woman had assaulted someone 12 days before me and when she was arrested after assaulting me, she was let out of jail that same day and didn’t show up to her court appearance.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t help feeling so much anger and frustration not only towards the woman who hurt me but also towards Hashem. I knew He had a plan for me and I was so grateful it wasn’t worse (I could have been paralyzed if she hit me any lower). But with my brain chemistry instantly botched, I was finding it extremely difficult to connect spiritually and feel any sense of trust in G-d. My head felt disconnected to my heart.

After about 6 months the symptoms had significantly improved and I was mostly better, but still struggling with my connection to Hashem. Over time it improved little by little but the head heart connection has not fully returned and feelings of anger not fully subsided. It is now about year after the incident and when I heard this story yesterday, a channel inside of my heart opened and my mind immediately went to the women who punched me. For the first time despite a year of trying, with tears running down my face, I truly felt love towards her. I’m wishing her the best and sending her love, strength, and peace with all of my heart and neshema.

Emotions are so complex but sharing this story shows that not everything is black and white, out of tragedy we can create love and peace that can overcome any darkness!

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