These words have always been favorites of mine. They remind me that, in order to gain strength of character, I must learn to forgive.  However, in my work with diversity, I have seen and heard of so many acts that seem to be unforgivable.  People in our community are verbally, even physically, abused because of  who or what they are.  I have always wondered how one forgives these ignorant individuals for their hateful, hurtful behavior. 

It was recently that this answer was given to me.  I had the wonderful opportunity to talk with one of the most extraordinary men I have ever met.  Mr. Henry Golde is an Appleton resident and a Holocaust survivor.  Mr. Golde called me on a Saturday morning after a letter to the editor from myself and Rabbi Rotenberg appeared in that day’s Post-Crescent.  The letter was a response to a recent anti-Semitic attack on a Seymour woman because the attacker believed her husband was Jewish.  Mr. Golde called to offer his support and praise of the work of Toward Community.  We spoke for quite a while that morning and I was delighted when Mr. Golde invited me to hear him speak at a local Jr. High.  After hearing him speak to the students, I asked him to join our organization and to talk further with us about his experiences.

Mr. Golde said that the only way to combat hate and racism is through love.  He explained the simplest of all lessons, ‘When you hate, you do more damage to yourself than to the person you are hating.  When you love someone who hates you, you take their power away from them, and even more so when you forgive.’  A friend of Mr. Golde’s once told him that his heart was filled with hate…hate to Hitler and the Nazis who tortured him and killed many of his friends and family.  Mr. Golde responded ‘Who, ME? Aren’t I, of all people, entitled to hate them for the horrible things they have done to me?’.  It was then that he realized that he was still giving his captors power by holding on to that hate and resentment.  It was only when he began to forgive that he became free to love.  

A valuable reminder to all of us.  We must continue our mission and work to make the valley a more welcoming place for all its residents.  But, we must work to do so with love and forgiveness balanced with education and justice.  Indeed, forgiveness is only an attribute of the strong.  We are blessed to have Mr. Golde as our newest member of Toward Community.  For in his strength, we can find love.