MONSEY (VINNews) – It’s hard to believe that it’s been 36 days since my eight year old granddaughter Charlotte Herzberg passed away in a tragic accident.

It’s even harder to believe just how much has happened since that awful day, with a movement to spread shalom all across the globe gaining momentum daily, with rabbis, camps, journalists, and members of the Jewish community all doing their part to carry Charlotte’s legacy forward.

As previously reported on VIN News Shalom for Charlotte was unofficially launched at the levaya, with my son in law Yudi publicly announcing that instead of being angry at the driver of the car that hit her, Charlotte’s passing would become a platform to spread forgiveness and peace. That initiative further coalesced during the shiva, when my children comforted those who came to console them by asking their visitors to let go of grievances and grudges they might be harboring as a zechus for Charlotte.

Word of their extraordinary response to our heartbreaking loss spread quickly, and we’ve been blown away by the stories pouring in from all over the world of people who are taking significant and often extraordinary steps to make shalom. As of this writing, the Shalom for Charlotte website has recorded 2,453 stories of people who have chosen to share their stories of forgiveness with my children, a figure that my son in law believes to be just a tiny fraction of the number of times shalom been made in Charlotte’s memory.

“The volume of the stories doesn’t surprise me, but the substance of the stories does,” explains Yudi. “We’ve heard about people who have forgiven those who wronged them, people they haven’t spoken to in years, and about family members who reconnected with each other after a decade of silence.”

One story on the Shalom for Charlotte website reads, “A family member owes me over $60,000 and I chose to forgive them and did not let it ruin our relationship.”

Another comes from someone who shared that 30 years ago, their high school acceptance had been rescinded after someone had shared a negative opinion of them with the yeshiva’s principal.

“I was left scrambling and had to go to an awful high school,” recounts the anonymous man. “My next four years were a disaster and it was all because of this selfish parent. I swore I’d never forgive and forget. I saw this initiative a few weeks ago and I dug in with my stance. This popped up on my phone again tonight, and I saw this little girl’s face, and I said, ok, I’m ready to bury the hatchet of hatred. I’m now fully moichel.”

My children aren’t the only ones spreading shalom in Charlotte’s honor. Singer Shaindy Plotzker recently announced a post-summer concert for women and girls titled Zochreinu L’Chaim, a Shalom for Charlotte initiative whose proceeds she’ll be donating to Hatzolah EMS of Rockland County.

“This one’s personal,” writes Shaindy in one of the many social media clips she has posted mentioning my granddaughter. “Sweet, sweet 8 year old Charlotte Herzberg, a girl in my choir and a family friend, a girl who I loved with all my heart…she was riding her bike when she was hit by a car and did not survive. The driver? Charlotte’s father’s best friend. And it was Charlotte’s parents’ reaction to this that shook the entire world. Forgiveness. Peace. Greatness. A choice that made waves around the world.”

We’ve also been thrilled to see six summer camps picking up on the Shalom for Charlotte theme completely on their own on Shiva Asar B’Tamuz. Those camps spanned the Jewish community’s religious spectrum, each one running their own Charlotte-themed programming on shalom to kick off the three weeks. With the nine days rapidly approaching, Shalom for Charlotte has a free booklet available to camps and the general public featuring excerpts from the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation’s Live the Blessing, an ArtScroll publication that offers guidance on living in peace.

An awareness event taking place in Monsey on July 9th in Charlotte’s memory is expected to attract hundreds of people who will hear messages from Rabbi Binyomin Eisenberger, Rabbi Heshy Kahn, and my son in law Yudi on the importance of taking shalom viral. Shalom for Charlotte’s universal appeal to every segment of the Jewish community, as well as the world at large, is something that Yudi believes stems from the knowledge that the world is a better place when shalom prevails and when people respect each other, despite their differences.

“I think the reason that this is spreading so widely because it is unadulterated goodness,” said Yudi. “We’re not asking anyone for anything, and there are no ulterior motives, just the basic understanding that Hashem wants shalom. Obviously, it’s a Jewish concept that Moshiach will only come when there’s ahavas chinam, but on a very broad level, I think everyone, Jewish or not, recognizes that shalom is something we all strive for.”

It goes without saying that the last 36 days have been the stuff nightmares are made of. But seeing the incredible amount of goodness spreading through the world because of Charlotte has been amazingly comforting.

Charlotte, we’re so proud of all that you’ve been accomplishing up there.

Don’t stop now – we need more shalom.

To download the Shalom for Charlotte 9 days booklet, click here