I do not bring forgiveness with me, nor forgetfulness. The only

Opening Scene – Narrated by Host

The night is thick with stillness, broken only by the soft, steady hum of distant traffic and the occasional murmur of voices passing by outside. Inside the room, the air feels dense, like something important is about to be said. The only light comes from a single lamp, its soft glow casting long, shifting shadows across the walls. Jack and Jeeny sit across from each other at the small table, the space between them full of unspoken thoughts. The air is heavy with something that both are trying to understand, something that has been weighing on them.

Jeeny absently traces her fingers along the rim of her coffee cup, her gaze distant, while Jack’s posture is more rigid, his arms crossed as if guarding himself from something more painful. Finally, Jack speaks, his voice a little more strained than usual.

Jack: “You know, I was reading something by Chaim Herzog today. He said, ‘I do not bring forgiveness with me, nor forgetfulness. The only ones who can forgive are dead; the living have no right to forget.’ I don’t know. It just got me thinking… Can we ever really forgive? Can we truly forget what’s been done to us, or is forgiveness just an illusion we tell ourselves we can achieve?”

Jeeny’s eyes shift to meet his, the quiet strength in her gaze steady as she listens. She doesn’t respond immediately, but instead, takes a moment, her fingers still resting on her cup as though finding the words in the quiet.

Jeeny: “It’s a powerful quote. But I think it’s complicated. Maybe forgiveness isn’t about forgetting. Maybe it’s about choosing to release the weight of the hurt. The part of us that clings to the wound, refuses to let go. Chaim Herzog’s right in some ways — those who have been wronged don’t forget. They can’t. But that doesn’t mean we’re condemned to carry the burden forever.”

Host: The room seems to hold its breath, as though both their words and the weight of Herzog’s quote have settled in the air, unspoken but felt. The night outside deepens, the sounds of the city now quieting, leaving the two of them alone in this moment of contemplation. Jack stares at Jeeny, clearly processing what she’s said, but still unsure of how it all fits together.

Jack: “But isn’t that what we want? To forgive, to let go of the anger, the resentment? If we don’t forget, doesn’t that mean we’re still holding onto it? Holding onto the pain, the wrongs done to us? It’s like we’re never truly free of it. If we remember, if we can’t forgive, then we’re stuck, right?”

Jeeny’s lips press together in thought, and she shifts slightly in her seat, her voice measured but filled with a quiet certainty.

Jeeny: “Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting. It doesn’t mean pretending that what happened didn’t hurt or that it didn’t matter. Forgiveness is about choosing to move forward, even while remembering. The pain doesn’t disappear. But we don’t have to let it define us. Forgiveness is about releasing the hold it has on us, not erasing the memory.”

Host: The room seems to grow heavier as Jeeny’s words sink in, and Jack, usually so guarded, begins to soften. The quiet between them is no longer a burden but a moment of reflection. The lamp’s glow flickers, casting new shapes across their faces, while outside, the night has deepened, the quiet outside mirroring the quiet understanding that is building between them.

Jack: “But is that even possible? Can we really choose to release something that’s hurt us that deeply? I mean, how do you move on from something you can’t forget, something that’s left a scar in you? How do you decide not to let it define you when the past is always right there?”

Jeeny’s eyes soften, and she leans forward, her voice gentle but strong, as if she’s speaking not just to Jack but to herself, too.

Jeeny: “It’s not about erasing the scar. The scar is a part of you, Jack. It’s the reminder of the battle you fought, the pain you survived. What forgiveness gives you is the freedom to live beyond it, to choose to live with it without letting it control you. It’s hard. It’s not about forgetting. But it’s about not letting the past decide who you are today.”

Host: The silence in the room is deep now, as though her words have turned the space into something sacred. The flickering light casts a soft glow over them, illuminating their faces as they sit in this moment of understanding, both fully aware that forgiveness is not simple, but still holding onto the hope that it is possible.

Jack: “So, forgiveness is really for us? Not for the person who wronged us? We do it to free ourselves, not them?”

Jeeny nods, her expression gentle but resolute.

Jeeny: “Yes. Forgiveness isn’t about saying what happened was okay. It’s about letting go of the anger, the resentment that keeps us stuck. The person who wronged you may never ask for your forgiveness, may never change, but you don’t have to carry the weight of that anymore. You forgive because you choose to free yourself from the hold the past has on you.”

Host: The room is still, quiet now, as though the words between them have settled in the space like a deep truth, one that both of them are learning to understand. The weight of the past is still there, but the possibility of freedom feels closer now, within reach.

Jack sits back, his hands resting on the table, his eyes distant but thoughtful. For the first time, there’s an openness in his expression, a vulnerability that wasn’t there before.

Jack: “I think I understand. Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting or making it right. It’s about letting go of the control the past has over us. It’s about choosing peace, even when we can’t erase the hurt.”

Jeeny smiles, a small, soft smile, the kind that reflects understanding and quiet pride.

Jeeny: “Exactly. It’s a choice we make, not for them, but for ourselves. And sometimes, that’s the hardest choice to make.”

Host: The quiet settles around them again, the room full of peace that wasn’t there when the conversation began. Outside, the world continues, the night moving on, but inside, Jack and Jeeny sit with something far more powerful than the weight of past wrongs — the quiet understanding that forgiveness, in all its complexity, is a path to healing. It’s not forgetting, but choosing to rise beyond the hurt. And in that, there’s a victory only they can define for themselves.