Upcoming Events

• Friday, November 8 - End of First Quarter

• Sunday, November 10 - Parent Teacher Conferences

• Monday, November 11 - Teacher in-service day - No Classes

• Thursday, November 14 - Yearbook picture retakes

• Friday, November 15 - Sophomore / Junior Friday-ton - Click here for the schedule and here to sign up (to discuss financial assistance contact Mr. Yona Bildner)

• Sunday, November 17 - Israeli University Fair

• Monday, November 18 - All-School assembly with Rabbi Leo Dee

• Wednesday, November 20 - Open House for prospective students and their families 6:45 pm (Click here to register)

• Thursday, November 21 - Chesed Day

• Thursday, November 28 - Friday, November 29 - Thanksgiving Break

Click here to view ICJA's November lunch menu schedule.

Students watched a Bulls game, met Bulls staff, and enjoyed a delicious dinner and hospitality.

On Monday night, Ida Crown girls attended a special gala evening at the United Center as the Chicago Bulls invited ICGC and the Lady Aces to be their guests as the Bulls played the Utah Jazz.

Students enjoyed a delicious Sandwich Club dinner, received swag, and met with Chicago Bulls Employees before watching the game.

Thank you to the Chicago Bulls, to our Mechanchot Mrs. Kraft, Mrs. Zimmerman, and Mrs. Gold for arranging this amazing event, and to all the chaperones who attended.

Students played a 3 on 3 tournament Motzai Shabbat.

Last Motzaei Shabbat, approximately 50 boys came to school to play in an Ida Crown Boys' Club 3 on 3 basketball tournament.

Nearly 50 boys came to participate in a 3 on 3 tournament. Congratulations to seniors Aiden Zukerman and Aryeh Lowenthal and junior Noam Hellman for being the final winners.

Thank you to our mechanchim Rabbi Menachem Rosenbaum and Rabbi Mayer Simcha Stromer for organizing this fun event.

Students practiced assessing patients' breathing.

Students in Mr. Jacob Dickman's EMT class are learning how to assess patients' vital signs. Last week they held an assessment lab: students practiced using airway adjuncts and oxygen delivery devices and learned using a mannequin when to put in a supraglottic airway based on their assessments. 

Pictured above: senior Allie Stein and junior Penina Benjamin

Pictured above: senior Ella Kakon and junior Ariella Pullin

Pictured above: senior Lea Ackerman

Seniors are learning Masechet Chagiga.

Seniors in Rabbi Yishai Broner's Accelerated Gemara class are learning the third perek of Masechet Chagiga. On Wednesdays, they move to ICJA's spacious Beit Medrash to learn.

Pictured above: Koby Engel and Toby Burstyn

Pictured above: Levi Polsky and Aiden Zuckerman

Pictured above: Zev Margolin and Avi Meyer

Sophomore's played a Biblical Timeline Gameshow.

When did Ramses live? What event took place in Midbar Sin, and when?

This week, sophomores in Rabbi Binyomin Segal's honors Chumash class formed teams and played Rabbi Segal's famous Biblical Timeline Gameshow. Students played a Jeopardy-style quiz, supplying answers to the questions above and other questions about events that took place in Sefer Shemot.

Click here to see a complete list of the questions and answers.

Pictured above: Ryan Angus, Ami Appel, and Bentzion Beiles

Pictured above: Solly Robinson and Noah Ehrlich

Pictured above: Nathan Rothner, Jacob Ackerman, and Aryeh Lowenthal

Students wrote ballads, then used AI to create instrumentalized versions this week.

Seniors in Mr. Ben Kramer's Creative Writing classes have been writing different forms of poetry; last week, students wrote ballads, following the traditional ballad form of meter and rhyme scheme.

As ballads are traditionally tragic, students' ballads included topics like lost love and collective tragedies like October 7.

This week, students used AI to create instrumentalized versions of their ballads, then shared them with their class. Below are three ballads; because many students chose to share their music anonymously, they do not contain the names of the seniors who created them.

Katrina's Shadow Sings

Stages of Grief



Untitled

Students wrote and performed plays illustrating scenes in Megillat Esther.

Freshmen in Mrs. Lizi Martin's Navi class are learning Megillat Esther. This week, they wrote and acted out short plays illustrating scenes in the Megilla, then analyzed the text they'd just seen acted out.

(Pictured above: Yael Schwartz, Eliana Stolberg, Avigayil Loebmann, and Ella Jankovits)

Students practiced indirect observation skills.

Sophomores in Mrs. Chavee Gottlieb's Chemistry class are learning how scientists use indirect observation to study the characteristics of atoms.

This week, students used indirect observation to observe the internal pathways inside "black boxes" containing marbles sealed inside a box. Students used indirect ways of examining the marbles' paths inside the boxes to come up with predictions about their internal structure - much as scientists do when studying atoms.

(Pictured above: Meira Schultz displaying one of the black boxes)

Pictured above: Maayan Engel and Orli Appel

Pictured above: Jacob Ackerman and Ariella Titievsky

Pictured above: Aryeh Lowenthal, Gabriel Schreiber, and Bela Burstyn

Students were certified in first aid.

Members of ICJA's Hugo's Heroes club must be certified in both CPR and first aid. Last Sunday morning, students who weren't previously certified spent three hours received training in first aid and then passed the certification test with flying colors.

Thank you, Karli Salinger, '05 for leading this important event.

Pictured above: freshmen Samuel Bajtner and Zachary Kupietzky

Pictured above: senior Meital Wittlin and junior Temima Marshak

Students continued acting out Oedipus and Antigone.

Sophomores in Mrs. Marsha Arons's honors English class have read Sophocles's play Oedipus and Antigone and are continuing to act out the play in class, discussing each scene and debating what props to use and why.

(Pictured above: students creating a prop showing the place where Antigone's body was laid)

Freshmen and their relatives davened together last Sunday at Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue.

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

Last Sunday, students davened together at Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue.



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

Students participated in an ersatz election in school.

On Tuesday, as the nation went to the polls, ICJA students also voted. Student Council set up a mock election center in the cafeteria during lunchtime, complete with realistic online ballots and "I Voted" stickers.

After all the votes were tallied, it turned out that ICJA students' voting preferences mirrored those of the country.

Pictured above: seniors Meir Zayan and Yaakov Friedman and junior Eli Cherney

Pictured above: sophomores Bela Burstyn and Ilya Friedman

Pictured above: sophomores Yair Elbaz and Dov Kaiserman

ICJA is looking for a girls' basketball and girls soccer coach.

ICJA is looking for a girl's JV basketball head coach. The season runs from November 3 thru mid-February. It's a three day per week commitment. You can find the schedule on the ICJA website. Please reach out to athletic director Brittany Peters at bpeters@icja.org with any interest. 

We are also in need of a girls' varsity soccer head coach for the spring season. This is also a 3 day per week commitment. The season runs from the beginning of March thru mid-May. Anyone interested can also reach out to athletic director Brittany Peters at bpeters@icja.org.

Give-Get is available.

On Wednesday, students received hearing and vision screening in school.

On Wednesday, students received hearing and vision screening in school.

(Pictured here: freshman Yaakov Lehrfield during his screening)

Last Friday, students and staff received 'flu and Covid vaccines.

Over 85 people received 'flu and Covid vaccines at last week's vaccine clinic at ICJA.

Thank you to Stan Gertz '94 of CareOne Pharmacy for facilitating the clinic and to ICJA grandparent Rosi Lennon '69 and Lydia Karoll (pictured here) for administering the vaccines.

This week's learning dedications include:

30th of Tishrei, 5785, Friday, November 1, 2024, by the Feldman, Levine, Karesh and Katz Families, in loving memory of Arthur Feldman, z”l

אליהו העניך בן אהרן שלמה

in commemoration of his 21st Yahrtzeit on 1 Cheshvan

6th of Cheshvan, 5785, Thursday, November 7, 2024, by the Yellin Family

in loving memory of Judy Yellin, z''l

יהודית מאשה בת אליעזר וחוה ילין

to commemorate the 30th yahrzeit of our dear daughter and sister

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.

This week we caught up with ICJA's Administrative Assistant Mrs. Tamar Mishkin and asked her a few questions about herself.

Students are used to receiving a smile and a hello from Mrs. Tamar Mishkin as soon as they walk in each morning. This week we caught up with Mrs. Mishkin and asked her a few questions about herself.

Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Teaneck where I attended Bruria High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Afterwards I attended Darchei Bina in Israel.

I did my BA here in Chicago at Teachers Institute, majoring in Education. Then I earned a Master's degree in Education Administration from Loyola University.

When did you move to Chicago?

I moved here in 1999 after marrying my husband Josh. We live in West Rogers Park. We have a daughter, Rivka Miriam, and a son Yitzchak, who graduated from ICJA in 2024.

Why did you decide to go into education and where have you worked?

I enjoy the thrill of imparting knowledge. I also like working with students individually.

I've worked as a teacher in several schools, including Arie Crown. I've also worked as an office administrators in two different shuls: Beis Medrash Mikor HaChaim and Ohel Shalom Torah Center.

I've worked here at ICJA for the past two and a half years.

What do you enjoy about being here at ICJA?

I love the people I work with! I like the environment. I think the school is very visionary and innovative; they're always thinking of the next thing to do.

ICJA is amazing in terms of what they offer their students. Having been both a parent and a staff member, and seeing both sides, it's really impressive.

Can you describe a favorite ICJA memory?

Hearing that the students were going to Israel last year was just incredible. Seeing the pictures of the students in Israel was unbelievable.

I love that the opportunities for the students here are so profound. The speakers and technology and the dynamic teachers here are really incredible.

Do you have any hobbies?

I enjoy working with the mental health organization I founded and directed, La'briut. La'briut is a mental health peer support group for Jewish women nationwide.

Every month, I run support groups on Zoom; sometimes I also run fun events for women in the community.

Watch "Connect with ICJA," our newest 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 our seniors participated in during their month-long Mission to Israel!

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.

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.

Calling all 3^rd – 12^th grade students attending an ATT school! It’s time for the Pogrund Family Essay and Judaic Artwork Contests! Demonstrate your writing and/or art skills as you explore a Judaic topic. Winners receive a $50.00 check. Deadline for art/essay submission is Wednesday, January 15, 2025. FOR ESSAY/ARTWORK RULES AND GUIDELINES, visit www.att.org → For Students or call ATT at 773-973-2828 

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.