"Help us bring the healing power of forgiveness to more communities in Israel."

The Israeli Forgiveness Project

In a world full of conflict, divides, and pain, forgiveness is one of the strongest human tools for healing and restoration. The project stems from the conviction that Israel, with its diverse populations, cultures, and ongoing challenges, requires the implementation of a 'Forgiveness As A Way Of Life' culture more than ever. Our goal is to provide every individual, from childhood to adulthood, with the necessary tools, knowledge, and inspiration to choose forgiveness.

Our Model

Integration of scientific knowledge with Jewish wisdom

A Unique Language to Connect All parts of society.

Training Leaders and Professionals

Therapists, Educators, Spiritual and Community Leaders, who will carry the knowledge forward.

Practical Tools and In-Depth Process

Structured steps and keys for practice, as developed in the International Science of Forgiveness.

How It All Started

The Israeli Forgiveness Project was born out of an ongoing encounter with personal and societal fracture. Listening to individuals who have experienced injury, loss, or injustice sharpened the realization that forgiveness is a human skill that can be learned and cultivated. It is not the erasure of pain, but a courageous confrontation with it.

This realization was translated into action in 2024, when we joined forces - the Templeton World Charity Foundation, the Palm Beach-Tzahar Partnership, The Jewish Agency for Israel, and Zefat Academic College - to develop a unique model that bridges international research knowledge with practical, scientific tools. The project emerged from the field to provide a genuine response to people seeking to continue living lives full of meaning and hope.

Our Goal

To transform forgiveness from a concept into a way of life and embed it as a leading value in educational, therapeutic, and social fields. We believe that Israel is in need, perhaps now more than ever, of a new language of healing.

Therefore, we work to provide every person - from childhood to adulthood - with the tools and inspiration to choose forgiveness. We do this by establishing a Knowledge and Research Center that serves as a hub for research-anchored social initiatives, alongside training and enrichment for professionals. In doing so, we seek to make forgiveness a professional, living component of public discourse.

Our Vision

We envision an Israeli society that constitutes a safe space for coping with injury, pain, and loss. A society where forgiveness is a common language, enabling individuals and communities not to remain imprisoned by pain, but to grow from it.

We strive to lead a professional and innovative standard, cultivating a generation of parents, educators, and leaders equipped with tools for forgiveness, reconciliation, and rehabilitation as resources for strengthening resilience and choosing life.

Founders and Project Leaders

Dr. Yitzhak Ben Yair

Criminologist, researcher, and lecturer at Zefat Academic College. Founder of Spiritual Jewish Criminology. Publisher of numerous articles and books in the fields of rehabilitation, forgiveness, and criminology.

Prof. Robert Enright

One of the world's leading pioneers of forgiveness science, and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Prof. Natti Ronel

Clinical criminologist, author, and researcher at Bar-Ilan University. Founder of "GraceWay" - a spiritual therapeutic approach of change, as well as Positive Criminology.

Prof. Suzanne Freedman

International expert in forgiveness research, and a professor at the University of Iowa.

Sarah Sheva

Manager of the Israeli Forgiveness Project. A social worker with over a decade of experience treating at-risk adolescents, a professional supervisor for therapeutic and educational teams, and leads groups for high school students.

Meet Our Ambassadors

Vered Ochanuna - Director of "Beit Ruth" Youth Village for at-risk girls

"When you find it hard to forgive, look at the person who hurt you not as a villain, but as a messenger of destiny. My vision is to pass the gift of forgiveness on to the girls I work with, who deserve a good life more than anyone."

Milestones

2020

Establishment of the Research Center for Judaism Based Social Sciences, a collaboration between Zefat Academic College and the Tzahar-Palm Beach Partnership.

2023

The International Forgiveness Conference at Bar-Ilan University.

2024

August Dr. Yitzhak Ben Yair of Zefat Academic College and his team were awarded an international grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation for a new research and social project.

November Dr. Yitzhak Ben Yair and Prof. Natti Ronel speak at a conference in Bhutan.

2025

February Launch of the first cohort of the training program: "Forgiveness in the Spirit of Judaism" – Therapy and Education for Forgiveness integrating Jewish wisdom.

April The second cohort begins.

June Commencement of educational activities in the communities.

September "Melodies of Forgiveness" Conference at Zefat Academic College.

November Dr. Yitzhak Ben Yair presents The Israeli Forgiveness Project to the Jewish community in Tzahar-Palm Beach. Dr. Yitzhak Ben Yair and Prof. Natti Ronel speak in Belgrade.