Tuesday Memo - Seeking Forgiveness

Greetings!

I am back from my vacation. Alyson and I took a driving trip to visit friends and family all over the east coast. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone, particularly the grandkids! It's important to have opportunities to clear one's mind every so often, and I hope that many of you too have had some summer respite.

While I was away lots of things kept moving along. Our second annual Interfaith Youth Camp was held and we almost doubled the number of teens this year. The kids had great fun and even made short videos that are posted on our website and up for a contest. If you'd like to see their enthusiastic work, click here.

We are actively working to build our interfaith teen program and over the next few years you will hear a lot more about the important opportunities that IM will give hundreds of teens who want to get to know kids from other parts of town and faiths in a safe and nurturing place. I am convinced we and others need to do everything we can to break down the walls that separate us.

Here are a few more items that I hope you will find of interest:

• The summer aniMeals on Wheels Pet Food Drive will take place this Friday, August 12, 7 a.m.- 6 p.m. and Saturday, August 13, 9 a.m. -Noon at IM's office, 3217 Montrose Blvd. We need dog and cat food, both wet and dry in whatever quantity you would like to donate. You can also donate through our website by clicking here.  We are now giving away more than 7,000 pounds each month, mostly from donations from folks like you.
  
•   We are participating in the and have a chance to win fuel for IM vehicles.  Everyone is allowed to vote through  Citgo Fueling Good Programonce every day, Thursday August 11th.As of today, we are one of the leading organizations in votes!! Help us win by voting for IM here.
  
• Last month, we delivered our annual shelf-stable emergency food boxes to all of our home-bound seniors. Our seniors are instructed to put these meals aside in case of a hurricane or other disaster. Thank you to Reliant Energy for donating shelf-stable food boxes and hurricane information for our seniors to prepare them for hurricane season for the third year in a row. Reliant is just one of the many generous corporations who support IM's work with money and time. We continue to be very thankful to Shell Oil Company and Motiva Enterprises LLC for being our Lead Corporate Sponsor for Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston.
  
  
  A THOUGHT TO PONDER
  
  Today is the Jewish commemoration of Tisha B' Av, the ninth of the Jewish month of Av. It is believed that it is on this day that both Temples were destroyed and over history, there are connections to this day for a number of other tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people. It is a solemn and sad day which calls for serious reflection and repentance.
  
  In my synagogue, and synagogues all over the world, last night we chanted the five chapters from the Book of Lamentations. By candlelight, we were called to remember our sins and to seek out God's forgiveness. We also remembered that true forgiveness starts within each person's heart and doesn't just end with prayers to God. True forgiveness leads us to repent and to be better human beings.
  
  It is in the eerie calm, amidst the flickering lights of candles, that I heard the weeping of the past, or was that God weeping? All I know is that it is good for me to take some time each year and remember that the greatest tragedies we face are very often self-inflicted. It's hard not to leave such a setting without shedding some of the hubris that encrusts our daily living. Perhaps it is then that I can become not only closer to God, but closer to each of you.
  
  Talk to you in two weeks.
  Elliot Gershenson
  President and CEO
  Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston