International events can seem distant, but as a school with a diverse population of families, Torit feels the effects. Our thoughts are with the Torit students and families affected by the tragedy in Israel.

When terrible things happen, I return to the reason I became a teacher: to make the world a better place by raising humans that value grace and courtesy, have intellectual spirit, and care deeply about community.

I’m reminded, too, that even as I strive for that ideal, I’m serving children in all their complexity. They delight and confound us. They’re wonderful and frustrating, and we can find ourselves as parents pulled back and forth by the work of raising kids. Are we doing this right? Is there a “right” to begin with?

I’m delighted when parents share their pride in their children at their best. We see it, too, in Torit’s classrooms and in informal interactions between students. We also see kids figuring out how to get along, how to regulate their minds and bodies, how to navigate disagreements and disputes. It’s hard, lifelong work.

Fortunately, beyond teachers and other parents and friends, we have centuries of great minds to help us wrestle with big questions. We teach Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson or ancient history or Montessori’s Great Lessons because we want to learn from others. We benefit from wisdom transmitted from generation to generation and discovered anew.

In that spirit, you may want to read a book called The Blessings of a Skinned Knee, by Dr. Wendy Mogul. Though it’s been out for more than 20 years, it offers insights from the Torah, Talmud, and Jewish teachings to help any parent navigate the joy and challenges of child rearing.

As we move forward in uncertain times, I recommend returning to the texts of wisdom traditions from around the world. There is much we can learn from those that struggled and persevered before us. These texts can open doors. Onward.