This season's main headlines are about the Senate confirmation hearings for a Supreme Court Justice. Regardless of where you stand on the appropriateness of the candidate, many issues are being brought up and they are certainly flooding the media. While best practice is to limit younger children's exposure to the news, many children inevitably hear things - whether it be listening to the radio in the car, on TV at home, on the internet or from a friend in the playground. As parents we struggle to protect our children from things that might be traumatic, and at the same time, we need to prepare our children for the world that they will be entering. News headlines might present us with an opportunity to teach our children important skills, as long as we are careful to frame things in an appropriate way. A colleague shared with me that after her children heard something about the confirmation hearings, she took the opportunity to discuss with them the role of a Supreme Court Justice, and ask them what qualities they thought might be important for such a role. "There are people who feel that the nominee may not have all of those qualities, and right now, the Senate is checking to see if he does." This simple explanation is a great lesson for her children in the structure and workings of the U.S. government and for an exploration of values that are important for justice to be served.

In addition, regardless of what actually may or may not have happened in the nominee's past, the headlines provide an opportunity to discuss the importance of consent, to address notions of stereotypes as an excuse for inappropriate behaviors, such as "boys will be boys", the importance of self-advocacy, speaking up, and being truthful in our word.

Tomorrow morning at Yavneh, and in Jewish communities around the globe early next week, we will be celebrating Simchat Torah. As we finish a year's worth of Torah readings, we will immediately begin reading the scroll again. The sages teach "hafoch bah vahafoch bah - turn it and turn it, for all is in it" -Pirkei Avot 5:21. Far from a book of fairy tales, the Torah is filled with stories that range from examples of goodness, to ones with controversy and immorality. Every time we read the Torah, we are provided opportunities for new lessons. Similarly, one may turn everything with which our children are in contact into an opportunity for learning, including news headlines. I hope the close of this holiday season brings us calmer headlines with which  to engage and from which to learn! Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom -Zvi