JJP's Holiday & Shabbat Table Talk
  • About
  • Holidays
    • Rosh Hashanah >
      • Take 1: How Do We Celebrate Rosh Hashanah?
      • Take 2: Saying Sorry
      • Take 3: More Activities for Rosh HaShanah
      • Rosh Hashanah Fun Facts
    • Yom Kippur >
      • Yom Kippur Fun Facts
      • Take 1: How to Apologize
      • Take 2: Forgiveness
      • Take 3: The Book of Jonah
    • Sukkot >
      • Sukkot Fun Facts
      • Take 1: What is Sukkot?
      • Take 2: How to Build a Sukkah
      • Take 3: Shake Your Lulav
    • Simchat Torah >
      • Simchat Torah Fun Facts
      • Take 1: The Heart of the Torah
      • Take 2: Get Up for Simchat Torah
    • Hanukah >
      • Hanukah Fun Facts
      • Take 1: Dreidel Spinning Champion
      • Take 2: History of Hanukah
    • Tu B'Shvat
    • Purim
    • Passover
    • Shavuot
  • Bereishit (Genesis) בראשית
    • Families of Bereishit
    • Parshat Bereishit >
      • Take 1: Parshat Bereishit
      • Take 2: The Mystery of the Forbidden Fruit
      • Take 3: Saying No to Temptations
    • Parshat Noach >
      • Take 1: Parshat Noach
      • Take 2: Great Debates
      • Take 3: Being Righteous
      • Take 4: Tower of Babel Rap
    • Parshat Lech Lecha >
      • Take 1: Parshat Lech Lecha
      • Take 2: Smashing the Idols
      • Take 3: The Mitzvah of Hospitality: Hachnasat Orchim
      • Take 4: Mad Libs
    • Parshat Vayera >
      • Take 1: Parshat Vayera
      • Take 2: The Negotiation
      • Take 3: Ishmael and Hagar
    • Parshat Chayyei Sarah >
      • Take 1: Parshat Chayyei Sarah
      • Take 2: Matchmaker, Matchmaker
      • Take 3: Goodbye, Sarah
    • Parshat Toldot >
      • Take 1: Parshat Toldot
      • Take 2: Leaving Home and Growing Up
    • Parshat Vayetze >
      • Take 1: Parshat Vayetze
      • Take 2: The Web We Weave
      • Take 3: Dream on
    • Parshat Vayishlach >
      • Take 1: Parshat Vayishlach
      • Take 2: Facing Those We Have Wronged
      • Take 3: What's in a Name?
    • Parshat Vayeshev
    • Parshat Miketz
    • Parshat Vayigash
    • Parshat Vayechi >
      • Blessing Our Children
  • Sh'mot (Exodus) שמות
    • Parshat Shmot
    • Parshat Va'eira
    • Parshat Bo
    • Parshat B'shalach
    • Parshat Yitro
    • Parshat Mishpatim
    • Parshat Terumah
    • Parshat Tetzaveh
    • Parshat Ki Tisa
    • Parshat Vayakhel - Pikudei
  • Vayikra (Leviticus) ויקרא
    • Parshat Vayikra
    • Parshat Tzav
    • Parshat Shimini
    • Parshat Tazria-Mezora
    • Parshat Aharei Mot- Kedoshim
    • Parshat Emor
    • Parshat Behar-Bechukotai
  • FAQ's

Saying Sorry - Teshuva

 Watch this short video and read the following passage with your child/ren.
During Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, we celebrate the birthday of the world, but it is so much more than that. Rosh HaShanah is a time when we can make a fresh start. We think about how much we've grown throughout the past year and how we can do even better in the new year. 

It is a time to take a good, long, gentle look in the mirror and think:
What accomplishments am I most proud of?
What mistakes have I made and what can I learn from them?

What do I want to do differently or better in the coming year?
What new things should I try? What old habits should I give up?


Now that you have had a chance to think about your own personal goals for the new year, let's brainstorm about how we as a community can improve. Everyone has problems, challenges, and struggles. Parents, teachers, scientists, politicians. Everyone has something they want to do better. Look around and think about your school, your friends, your office, your neighborhood, your country and think:
What can we do better?
How can we do it better?
Choose one problem to focus on. What solutions can you think of for this problem?
How can you get others to help fix this problem?

For Parents:
Rosh Hashanah is a wonderful opportunity to share with your child your own experience apologizing. Explain to your child that it's difficult and sometimes embarrassing to admit you've done something wrong and then apologize. Think of an example of something that you did and wished you hadn't done. Perhaps choose an example that allows you to apologize to your child. Maybe you are a little impatient with them getting ready for school in the mornings. Maybe you have sacrificed quality family time for work. Find an example, explain how you would like to improve and apologize.

Then, go beyond that.
Demonstrate how to implement a plan to improve over the next year.
 
Your conversation might go something like this: "I've noticed that I get very impatient with you in the mornings when we are leaving for school. I'm sorry that I've yelled at you or been short tempered with you during those mornings. Next year, I want to work on this. Instead of rushing in the mornings, let's get our things ready the night before. This way we wake up prepared and we don't have to scramble. That will help me be calmer in the mornings." It's important not to assign blame or to be hyper critical. Instead, think clearly about a peaceful solution that helps everyone.

When we model this calm approach to owning up to our mistakes, we make a big impression on our children. Kids listen better when we talk about ourselves. They don’t feel defensive. We demonstrate that we all have thinks to wrong on. We give our kids the permission to think, “Wow, I guess even adults have to work on themselves. Maybe I’m not so bad….” 

    Summarize your family's discussion below

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Click here for Rosh Hashanah Fun Facts
Click here for How Do We Celebrate Rosh Hashanah
Click here for more activities to do with your child/ren in preparation for Rosh Hashanah.
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