Upcoming Events

• Wednesday, May 28 - Physics Day for juniors

• Tuesday, May 27 - Thursday, May 29 - Senior Retreat @Camp Chi

• Sunday, June 1 - Tuesday, June 3 - Shavuot Break

• Wednesday, June 4 - Study Day (no classes)

• Thursday, June 5 - Wednesday, June 11 - Finals Period

• Sunday, June 8 - Class of 5785 / 2025 Graduation 1pm

• Tuesday, June 17 - Dr. Edward A. Crown Annual Scholarship Dinner honoring Ald. Debra Silverstein (Crown Service Award), Daniel Harris (Crown Leadership Award), and Rabbi Yishai Broner (Educator of the Year) - Click here to register and/or buy an ad (See brochure below: 70% Give-Get credit for all reservations and ads received by May 10; 50% after that date)

Click here to view ICJA's cafeteria May menu.

Students enjoyed a fun hands-on lesson in preparing hot drinks on Shabbat

Sophomores in Mrs. Kochava Yitzhak's have been learning hilchot Shabbat (the laws of Shabbat). This week, they had hands-on lessons about preparing hot drinks on Shabbat.

Students discussed why common steps in preparing hot drinks are forbidden on Shabbat, and learned about differing interpretations given by modern poskim Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and the Chazon Ish which affect drink preparation on Shabbat.

Students practiced preparing four hot drinks: coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and instant soup. As they did so, they discussed different ways they could prepare warm liquids on Shabbat according to the Chazon Ish and according to Rabbi Feinstein. It was a fun and memorable way to learn about a common question we all face on Shabbat.

Pictured above: Mashi Perkins and Shira Lavi with Mrs. Yitzhak

Pictured above: Sophie Rine and Naomi Blajchman

Pictured above: Rose Matatya, Meira Shultz, and Chavi Campbell

Students are learning Sefer Shmuel Alef with Malbim.

Sophomores in Rabbi Shlomo Rosen's Navi class are learning Sefer Shmuel Alef. This week they learned Malbim's commentary on the relationship between David and Jonathan described in Shmuel 18.

Students read the Tanach and Malbim and discussed the deep bond between David and Jonathan and what this adds to our understanding of David Hamelech.

Pictured above: Megill Hameiri and Aryeh Lowenthal

Pictured above: Ryan Angus

Pictured above: William Moscovitch

Sophomores heard a first-person account of Operation Sword of Iron.

On Monday, sophomores in Rabbi Joel Gutstein's and Rabbi Shmuel Kurtz's Talmud classes came together to hear a special presentation from Rabbi Gutstein's son about his experiences in Milluim (reserve duty) in Israel over the past year and a half.

Rabbi Guttstein's son (who is not being named nor photographed for security reasons) described his work fighting against Hezbollah forces in the north of Israel. He recounted finding a cache of 300,000 weapons, described what Shabbat and Yom Tov is like during wartime, and answered students' questions.

Thank you to Rabbi Gutstein for arranging this fascinating event.

Pictured above: Rabbi Gutstein's son speaking to the classes

Pictured above: Levi Madoff, Oren Goizman, Yair Elbaz, Noah Ehrlich, and William Moscovitch asking questions after the talk

Students created "Wanted" posters for Fahrenheit 451's Protagonist.

Freshmen in Mr. Ben Kramer's English class recently read Fahrenheit 451 and are now discussing the book's themes. This week, students created "Wanted" posters for the character Guy Montag, who defies his dystopian society in the book. Students incorporated facts about the character and their own opinions about the book into their posters through such details as Guy Montag's description and what sort of reward they describe being offered.

Pictured above: Gabriel Rich consults with Mr. Kramer

Pictured above: Shiri Litwack and Eliana Stolberg with their posters

Pictured above: Jonathan Hellman with his poster

ICJA parent Mrs. Rifi Bleichman '03 led a resin art Mezuza-making workshop this week.

Juniors in Mrs. Alise Gold's Chumash class have been learning Sefer Devarim this year. This week, they completed a fun project they've been planning for a long time.

When students learned the text of Shema in Devarim earlier this year, they discussed how nice it would be to create mezuzot, which contain the Shema tefillah. Now, ICJA parent and artist Mrs. Rifi Bleichman '03 helped students realize their plan, leading a resin art workshop. Students - including Mrs. Bleichman's daughter Libby, a fourth generation ICJA student - learned how to work with resin and used real flowers and gold leaf to create beautiful mezuzot covers.

Thank you to Mrs. Bleichman for this fun and meaningful end of year project.

(Pictured above: Libby Bleichman and Ariella Pullin with Mrs. Bleichman)

Pictured above: Leah Jacobs and Lily Douek

Pictured above: Temima Marshak

Pictured above: Mia Weiss and Esther Fretzin

Juniors celebrated a mini-siyum this week.

Mazal tov to juniors in Rabbi Mayer Simcha Stromer's Talmud class, who finished the first perek of Meseches Taanit this week.

Following their siyum during first period, the class celebrated with a fun game of kickball in the gym second period.

Pictured above: Eli Gelb, Jonah Glass, Yona Jones, Adin Jones, Eli Cherney, and Natan Rine with Rabbi Stromer (Not pictured: Gabe Boshes, Aaron Katz, and Noah Lehrfield)

Students gained a deeper understanding of justice.

Sophomores in Mrs. Marsha Arons's honors English class are reading Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, which critiques the systematic racism and inequality of Apartheid-era South Africa. This week students discussed themes of justice and equality before the law by gaining a deeper Jewish perspective.

Rabbi Menachem Rosenbaum (pictured above) visited the class and described examples of how King David adjudicated legal cases, including incorporating mercy and individualized attention in the cases he heard.

Thank you to Rabbi Rosenbaum for providing this fresh look at the themes students are reading about and discussing in class.

Pictured above: Yakira Wittlin and Sarah Leonard

Pictured above: Chavi Campbell and Dov Kaiserman listening to Rabbi Rosenbaum's remarks

This week we asked ICJA's Math Department Chair and popular math teacher about herself.

Mrs. Stephanie Pederson's patience in explaining math concepts helps make ICJA's Math Department, which she chairs, a warm and welcoming place. This week we caught up with Mrs. Pederson and asked her a few questions about herself.

Where did you grow up? And where do you live now?

I grew up in Aurora, Illinois. Today, I live in Chicago with my husband Steve. Our daughters, Carley and Christa, are both students at Northern Illinois University.

My family is familiar with ICJA. Steve used to teach Band here at ICJA. Carley and Christa have each worked at ICJA in the front office!

How did you decide to become a math teacher?

In elementary school it looked like it would be fun to grade papers!  Then, as I got older, I really liked math. I saw a lot of friends struggling with math and I just thought everybody should be able to have help in the subject. I enjoyed math and was good at it, so I pursued a career in math education.

I spent four years at the University of Missouri, St. Lous, where I played volleyball. I finished my degree at Northern Illinois University, majoring in Math and Education.

My very first job was in a small farming community in Newark, Illinois. One day I was walking down the hallway and I heard a student ask a friend if he could get a ride home. His friend said no, I drove the tractor to school today! I've been teaching at Ida Crown for 25 years now; for most of that time, I've been head of the Math Department.

What do you enjoy about working at ICJA?

I love getting to know the kids. It's fun that I can have all the kids in a family as students. I enjoy the camaraderie of the teachers here too; it's like a family.

I also enjoy that at a small school like Ida Crown you get to teach a lot of different subjects. I like to teach multiple things within math.

Do you have any hobbies?

I enjoy sewing. I also like playing volleyball. And I enjoy playing card games and hanging out. This year during retreat, I had fun playing card games with students.

What advice do you have for students?

Give yourself space and time to think. It's such an important skill.

Is there anything that most people don't know about you that you'd like to share here?

Yes - I enjoy doing Calculus. I do Calculus to relax!

Freshmen and their relatives davened together last Sunday at ICJA in the final Veshinatam Levanecha minyan of the current academic year.

Many Sunday mornings, ICJA's freshmen boys' rebbe, Rabbi Louis Fliegelman, arranges for students and their fathers (and grandfathers and other relatives) to meet at a different Chicago-area shul to daven Shacharit together and enjoy breakfast and learning.

Last Sunday, students and their relatives davened and learned together in the final Veshinantam Levanecha program of the academic year here at ICJA. It was a moving event, attended by many students and their famililes. Thank you to Mr. Josh Rosen '94 for sponsoring the delicious breakfast. Thank you to the many students and their relatives who made this year's Veshinantam Levanecha program such a success. And thank you to Rabbi Louis Fliegelman for running this popular and important program which has affected so many of our students and their families.

Rabbi Fliegelman shared the following message he received from a parent earlier this school year which describes the impact Veshinantem Levanecha has had on their household:

“I just want to take a moment and thank you for this initiative. Each Sunday, I look forward to hearing my son and husband getting ready to go daven. The bond this creates for fathers and sons, the discipline it develops, the spiritual strength it brings to our household, and the motivation it gives me and our daughters to deepen our own tefillah—these have been invaluable. The pictures make it tangible, and I know this is a beautiful step that, B’Ezras Hashem, will continue well beyond this year.”



For more information about the Veshinantam Levanecha program and next year's shul lineup, email Rabbi Louis Fliegelman at lfliegelman@icja.org.

This week's learning dedications include:

Friday, the 11 of Iyar, 5785, May 9, 2025, by Juli, Dean, Malkaya, Chanan, Ronia and Yair Bell,in loving memory of Brett Scott Harrison, a''h, חיים בן דוב בער, on the occasion of his third yahrzeit

If you would like to sponsor a Day of Learning, please contact our Director of Development, Deva Zwelling, at (773) 973-1450 ext. 115, or dzwelling@icja.org.

Watch "Oh the Places You'll Go," our video for prospective students - and share it with people you know who'd like to learn more about ICJA!

Watch this moving video documenting some of the volunteer activities last year's seniors participated in during their month-long Mission to Israel 2023-4!

In addition to many thousands of physical books and journals, ICJA's Learning Commons contains tens of thousands of online books, journal articles and other resources, including subscriptions to newspapers such as The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, the Encyclopedia Britannica, and more. Students are able to access these resources through our portal.

Please stop by our librarian Mrs. Steinberg's desk in the Learning Commons or email her at  librarian@icja.org her to pick up your updated passwords to access our online material. ICJA's subscriptions are available at icja.libguides.com/home.

Review ICJA on Niche.com and enter a sweepstakes.

Help let people know how fabulous ICJA is! Whether you're a parent, student, teacher, or alumnus/alumna, the popular school ranking website Niche.com wants to hear from you. Plus, every person who reviews ICJA (or any other school) is automatically entered into a monthly $1,000 sweepstakes by Niche.com. For more information and to leave a review, click here.

Do you have school-related news you'd like to see in this newsletter? Let us know!

If you have exciting ICJA-related news to share about classes, sports, clubs, or other projects, please tell us! Send news items and/or photos to Dr. Yvette Miller, Director of Communications at ymiller@icja.org. Your items can enhance our newsletter and ICJA's social media presence.

Support the ICJA Scholarship Fund and win a trip to Israel!

There is no limit to the number of tickets you can purchase. Winners will be announced June 27, 2025.

Click here or on the flyer above to register and/or buy an ad for the Dr. Edward A. Crown Annual Scholarship Dinner honoring Ald. Debra Silverstein (Crown Service Award), Daniel Harris (Crown Leadership Award), and Rabbi Yishai Broner (Educator of the Year)

70% Give-Get credit for all reservations and ads received by May 10; 50% after that date

Join our New Alumni Facebook Group

We are excited to announce that we have a new private Facebook group called “ICJA Official Alumni Page.” It is a space for alumni from all graduating years to join. We will periodically post alumni reunions, events, fundraising opportunities, information about ICJA today, and news.

We are proud to have some families with us for four generations. If you are an alum, please join the group HERE and be sure to share the link with your family, friends, and fellow graduates. You can also share this link: https://www.facebook.com/share/UeTsqg16DDx4JHGK/?mibextid=hubsqH. Thanks for staying connected to ICJA!

Please reach out to Ilana Levy at ilevy@icja.org if you have any questions about this new effort.

Last summer, ICJA gave its Class of '24 alumni the third edition of our directory listing ICJA alumni who live in Israel and have graciously offered to open their homes to recent ICJA grads who are currently spending a gap year in Israel.

Thank you to the many alumni who have reached out to us, offering to host.

If you have any questions or would like to update our contact information to help recent ICJA grads obtain a copy, please contact Dr. Yvette Miller, ICJA Director of Communications, at ymiller@icja.org.

We are still taking submissions from alumni who are willing to host, to include in future copies of this directory. Please contact Dr. Miller to be included.