Yesterday I learned about Aseret Yemei Teshuva from Dr. Marcovitz. During the 10 days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we add a special prayer to our daily prayers to remind us to repent and ask for forgiveness. In order to participate in Aseret Yemei Teshuva in our school, we will be having an AYT Challenge, where we will all try to focus on positive speech and refrain from Lashon Harah for at least one hour each school day.

To start us off this morning, here was our whiteboard message:

Since the students didn’t know who they would be choosing, and they didn’t know about the challenge yet, it started off a bit rocky. Some people made faces or noises of disappointment when they looked at the name on their paper. Some people tried to guess who others had based on their reaction. But after our discussion, they realized that these small gestures, that they may think are silent and invisible to others, can still cause harm. They’ve decided that we should do these Kind Word activities every morning! We can all find AT LEAST three kind things to say to each other every day.

How can you bring the idea of Aseret Yemei Teshuva into your home this week? We’d love to hear your ideas!