Upcoming Events

• Friday, March 14 - Purim - no classes

• Monday, March 17 - Post-Shushan Purim @ICJA

• Wednesday, March 19 - ICJA Takes the Stage, Commemorating the Life of Batsheva Chaya Stadlan, z"l 7pm

• Wednesday, March 26 - Freshmen pre-ACT in school

• Wednesday, April 9 - Monday, April 21 - Pesach Break



• Tuesday, April 22 - Classes resume

• Monday, May 5 - Grandparents Day 1-3:30pm (See brochure below - click here to register)

Click here to view the ICJA Cafeteria's March Menu.

חג פורים שמח

Wishing all members of the ICJA family a happy and joyful Purim!

Students shared pre-Purim gifts and good cheer.

Students distributed pre-Purim gifts and visited with their Keshet classmates this week. Students gave a pre-Purim concert to Keshet students, did Purim arts and crafts with Keshet, and made and distributed Purim treats to ICJA's essential workers.

It was a fun way to get into the spirit of Purim and helped create connections between Students, their Kershet classmates, and ICJA staff..

Pictured above: juniors Caley Gordon and Abby Gornik making a Purim project together

Pictured above: juniors Mina Brandes and Emma Nakinishi making masks for Purim

Pictured above: Mrs. Anat Tanner's 9th grade boys' Hebrew class singing Purim songs for their peers in Keshet

Pictured above: junior Yair Bell giving mishloach manot to Mrs. Nina Barkho

Pictured above: junior Noam Hellman giving mishloach manot to Mrs. Gemma Yokhana

Pictured above: junior Sophie Adams giving mishloach manot to sophomore Oren Goizman

Pictured above: junior Daniel Wolper bringing mishloach manot to Mrs. Alise Gold

Pictured above: juniors Elisheva Deangelis, Miriam Falk, Penina Benjamin, and Rivky Belsh bringing mishloach manot to Keshet students

Pictured above: Mrs. Anat Tanner's 9th grade boys' Hebrew class singing Purim songs for their peers in Keshet

We caught up with ICJA students and asked what they're looking forward to over Purim.

ICJA students love Purim celebrations. This week we asked a few students to name items they're particularly looking forward to this Purim.

Freshmen Eitan Spolter, who's looking forward to gathering together with family and friends, and Jonathan Hellman, who enjoys mishloach manot

Pictured above: seniors Daria Lennon, who is looking forward to goodies inside mishloach manot - especially Laffy Taffy, and Ella Perlman, who enjoys delivering mishloach manot

Pictured above: juniors Miriam Falk, whose favorite Purim food is hamantaschen, and Leah Jacobs, who enjoys dressing up on Purim

Pictured above: juniors Aiden Rich, who enjoys eating sweet treats on Purim, and Ezra Mauer, who is looking forward to being with family and friends

Pictured above: freshmen Jordan Rich, who enjoys exchanging mishloach manot, Yis Burgher, who enjoys being b'simcha, and Coby Gordon, who is looking forward to his costume this Purim

Pictured above: sophomores Livia Baronofsky, Maayan Engel, Orli Lubin, and Maya Kutliroff, who all enjoy the annual ICGC Purim Chagiga

38 students were inducted into the National Honor Society - Torah Chapter this week.

On Tuesday evening, 38 seniors were inducted into the National Honor Society - Torah Chapter.

Yaasher koach to the student speakers: Rachel Freed, Hadar Simkovich, Eliana Levine, Ella Kakon, Aliza Shyovitz, Allie Stein, Meital Wittlin, Avital Weiss, Leah Rina Brochin, and Ami Weiss; and mazal tov to them and the other inductees: Lea Ackerman, Shei Beiles, Yossi Burstyn, Toby Burstyn, Ezra Comrov, Ami Czako, Nava Dreyster, Koby Engel, Lauren Fensterheim, Avner Frazin, Simona Fridberg, Dana Kalutsky, Daria Lennon, Sarah Levitt, Talia Linzer, Sarah Lipson, Lilac Marcus, Avi Meyer, Avi Okner, Ella Perlman, Levi Polsky, Yardana Schayer, Elisha Shpayher, Rachel Sommer, Leora Weinberg, Avital Weiss, and Aidan Zukerman.

Thank you to Mr. Kramer, Mrs. Gold, and Mr. Zbaraz for ensuring that this meaningful event went so smoothly.

Rav Rimon discussed challenges of Israel's current war with ICJA students last week.

Last Friday, ICJA students were privileged to welcome Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon, Nasi of World Mizrachi and an internationally acclaimed posek of halacha, author, educator, and lecturer, to our school.

In an inspirational talk, Rav Rimon described some of the halachic questions he has grappled with during Israel's current war and described his work supporting widows and orphans in Israel. Rav Rimon noted that despite the terrible hardships of the current war, he would not wish to live in any other period of Jewish history, and described the incredible resilience, achdut, and spirituality that permeate Israel today even in the midst of terrible danger and hardship.

Mathletes won 1st, 2nd and 3rd Places in last week's Conference Meet!

Last Thursday evening, ICJA Mathletes competed in our Conference Meet at Glenbrook South High School - and racked up some impressive victories.

ICJA - represented by senior Levi Polsky - won 1st Place in the Oral Competition.

ICJA sophomores - represented by Caleb Novick, Ayelet Klein, and Emily Darlow - won 2nd Place in the Sophomore Division.

ICJA 3rd Place overall in the Conference Meet! Yasher koach to our team members, faculty advisor Stephanie Pederson, and all our Math Department teachers.

Pictured above: senior Levi Polsky, who took 1st place in the Oral Competition

Pictured above: sophomores Caleb Novick, Ayelet Klein, and Emily Adler, who took 2nd place in the Sophomore Division

ICJA's new Creative Writing Club gives students a chance to discuss literature and share their work.

(Pictured here: club members frehmen Ari Shyovitz and Menachem Steinberg during the lunchtime meeting)

ICJA's new Creative Writing Club met this week. Members discussed literary devices in short stories they read together and talked about how they are incorporating them into their own creative writing work.

Pictured above: club president freshman Zachary Kupietzy and freshman Bennett Kroll

Pictured above: freshmen Dahlia Osgood and Emily Adler

Pictured above: faculty advisor Mrs. Marsha Arons during the meeting

Students are learning about Birkat Cohanim.

Sophomores in Rabbi Binyomin Segal's Chumash class are learning Sefer Bamidbar. This week, they read and discussed Hashem's instruction to Aharon to bless the Jewish people in Numbers 6:22-27, the Birkat Cohanim.

Pictured above: Ryan Angus

Pictured above: Ami Appel and Jacob Ackerman

Pictured above: Noah Ehrlich reading aloud in class

Students educated their peers with creative presentations about freedom and Yirmiyahu.

Juniors in Mrs. Beth Pogonitz's Navi class are learning about the prophet Yirmiyahu's life and actions. This week they presented the results of individual research about different aspects of the concept of freedom in Yirmiyahu's life.

Pictured above: Esther Meyerson discussing the ways in which Yirmiyahu's life of service took away personal freedoms from him in order to empower him to serve Hashem

Pictured above: Channie Gelerinter showing an item she crocheted, drawing a parallel with Israeli prisoner Agam Berger, who braided hair in captivity, and discussing how freedom to pursue one's own project is a form of freedom

Pictured above: Mia Weiss and Lily Douek discussing ways that different Disney movie plots can be interpreted as bids for personal empowerment and freedom

Students experimented with Genotypes and Phenotypes.

(Pictured here: Menachem Dukes and Elissheva Sudin consulting with Mr. Peter Sahyouni)

Freshmen in Mr. Peter Sahyouni's Biology class are learning about different ways to describe organisms' traits.

This week, they performed an experiment to illustrate the relationship between genotypes (genetic code) and phenotypes (the physical expression of a trait). Students were each given two cups of differently colored beans, representing two parents; students then randomly selected a bean from each cup, representing gametes. Students them repeated this step over and over, and documented the resulting offspring's genotype and phenotype for that particular trait.

Pictured above: Ari Shyovitz, Yis Burgher, and Avi Friedman

Pictured above: Michal Belsh and Adi Gryka

Pictured above: Jonah Krule and Eitan Spolter

Students put on an insightful Purim play incorporating Rashi and Malbim.

(Pictured here: Ronit Kinar as Esther and Adi Gryka as Mordechai)

Freshmen in Mrs. Alissa Zeffren's honors Navi class have been learning Megillat Esther with Rashi and Malbim. On Thursday this week, they put on a Purim play for students in in other classes with a twist - Rashi and Malbim were two of the characters, contributing their insights throughout the play.

It was a fun and informative way to learn about the Megillah and about major peirushim of it at the same time.

Pictured above: Adi Gryka, Amalia Strosberg, Dana Stein, and Ronit Kinar with Mrs. Alissa Zeffren

Pictured above: Michal Belsh as Rashi and Miriam Linzer as Malbim

Pictured above: Emily Adler, Ronit Kinar, Adi Gryka, Dana Stein, Michal Belsh, Amalia Strosberg, and Miriam Linzer

What was life like during the era of The Great Gatsby?

Juniors in Mrs. Tirza Kahan's AP Language classes read The Great Gatsby. This week, they took turns presenting the results of in-depth research they conducted, teaching their peers about the cultural world of the 1920s to help enhance their classmates' appreciation of the book.

Pictured above: Elisheva Deangelis explaining changes to men's and women's fashion in the post-World War I era

Pictured above: Natan Miller discussing music influences and trends in the 1920s

Pictured above: Jack Marshall and Ben Rosenburg explaining how the rise of radio helped increase the opularity of sports, particularly baseball and college football, in the 1920s

Students welcomed disability advocate and author Mrs. Michelle Friedman '75

Sophomores in Mrs. Marsha Arons's honors English class have embarked on a new unit about "Demystifying Disability," involving reading texts, interviewing, and writing about people with disabilities. This week, they welcomed Mrs. Michelle Friedman '75, Board Chair of Keshet, former ICJA Board chair, author, and disability advocate.

In a wide-ranging discussion with students, Mrs. Friedman described her experiences as a blind woman and the concept of "ableism." Mrs. Friedman advised students how to be more inclusive and ensure they and spaces they inhabit are welcoming and accessible to people of all abilities.

Students read and discussed an essay by a noted Israeli chef and author - in Hebrew.

This week, seniors in Mrs. Orit Marmel's honors Hebrew class read the essay קציצות גבינה by Israeli chef and food writer Gil Chovav, in which he describes his childhood in a large Yemenite family in Israel.

Students discussed their high-level conversation about this Hebrew language essay entirely in Hebrew, improving their fluency and ease with Hebrew conversation.

Pictured above: Ami Weiss and Toby Burstyn

Pictured above: Avi Chen and Avi Meyer

Pictured above: Levi Polsky and Ami Czeko

Alumni learned in memory of Caleb Maeir, z"l '16.

On Monday, Rabbi Matanky travelled to University of Illinois, Ubrana-Champaign to deliver a meaningful shiur in memory of Caleb Maeir, z”l '16. The topic was halachic and centered on what bracha to recite on the release of hostages from Gaza. It was wonderful to see so many ICJA alumni, including Yael Appel '21, Will Blumberg '22, Noah Brody '21, Shuli Falk'24, Ari Klein '24, Ezra Landman-Feigelson '21, Samantha Levy '21, Jonah Matanky '21, Menachem Reed '23, Shayna Weinstein '24, Ori Wasserman '23, and Donny Zeller '21.

Freshmen and their relatives davened together last Sunday at Bnei Ruven in West Roger's Park.

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 at Bnei Ruven. This is a letter that Rabbi Fliegelman sent to students and parents afterwards:

Dear Talmidim and Parents,

Today’s 29th Sunday davening at B’nei Ruven was truly special in several ways.

First and foremost, I want to commend the boys for their dedication—waking up an hour earlier due to the time change to attend minyan is no small feat, and their commitment was truly inspiring. A heartfelt thank you as well to the parents and grandparents who joined us; your presence made the experience even more meaningful.

Additionally, it was touching to hear from several parents that their own fathers began davening at B’nei Ruven 40–50 years ago. This connection to the past added a nostalgic and profound dimension to our visit, reminding us of the connections to the past, and our mission towards the future.

A special thank you to Rabbi Hertz for sharing his insights and giving us a greater appreciation for the incredible work Chabad does, both locally and nationally, in strengthening Jewish communities.

Wishing everyone a great week,

Rabbi Fliegelman

For more information about the Veshinantam Levanecha program, email Rabbi Louis Fliegelman at lfliegelman@icja.org.

This week's learning dedications include:

Monday, 10th of Adar, 5785, March 10, 2025, by the Rosenblum, Kirshenbaum, Bokor, and Garfinkel families, in loving memory of our father and grandfather Rabbi Dov Ber Rosenblum z''l to commemorate his 31st yahrzeit on the 8th of Adar

Monday, 10 of Adar, 5785, March 10, 2025, by the Bellows family, in loving memory of Shael Bellows, z"l, on his 2nd yahrzeit on the 10th of Adar

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.

ICJA Takes the stage is sold out. Please contact Deva Zwelling dzwelling@icja.org if you would like to be placed on a wait-list for tickets.

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.