Summary

Robert Katz, a Jew, visited his son in Central America to meet the boy who would soon be his adopted grandson in “Day of Awe.” Robert’s visit took place during the time of Yom Kippur. He was grieved not only because he didn’t like Mexico but also because he could not even find nine Jews with whom he could pray the prayers of forgiveness for the Jewish holiday. Although he’d practiced his Spanish before his visit, Robert still had difficulty communicating with his new grandson. The boy was hard to understand because he often dropped consonants from his words. Robert felt frustrated as he tried to communicate with the child.

During a weekend visit, Robert went with Lex, Jaime and Janet, a nurse, to visit local orphanages. Robert was touched by the way the boys at the orphanage looked...