Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins this Friday, October 7. On Yom Kippur, Jews all over the world take time to consider their actions of the past year and ask for forgiveness from those they may have hurt.  As parents, we need to teach our children ways to ask for forgiveness or even to say "I'm sorry."  These basic social skills will help children understand the concepts of sympathy and empathy. Too often I have witnessed parents and teachers insist that children apologize for their actions or words when they don't really understand what they are saying, and they certainly don't feel sympathy at the time. So what's a parent to do?  I came across an article that offers suggestions for teaching children the skills needed to take responsibility for their actions and to make sincere apologies: Genuine Apologies, Helping Students Get There.

Also, the PJ Library Yom Kippur book The Hardest Word is an excellent resource to teach children to offer a genuine apology.

I hope your observance of Yom Kippur is meaningful. Enjoy the fun-filled fall holidays of Sukkot, which begins Wednesday evening, Oct. 12, and Simchat Torah, which begins on Wednesday, October 12 and Thursday, October 13. The links in this e-newsletter will lead you to information about the holidays and as well as to local celebrations.

Shanah Tovah,

Linda Kean
Co-coordinator, PJ Library Cincinnati