Upcoming Events

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

• Friday, April 4 - Freshman Fridayton - Click here to sign up (To discuss financial assistance, email Mr. Yona Bildner ybildner@icja.org.)

• 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.

Students put on a gala performance for a sold out crowd of over 600 women and girls.

On Wednesday night, over 600 women and girls packed into ICJA's gym for ICJA Takes the Stage, commemorating the life of Batsheva Chaya Stadlan, z”l, generously sponsored by the Ralla Klepak Foundation for Education in the Performing Arts. 

It was an incredible evening of music, dance, ruach, fashion, and Torah as students explored the Jewish value of Tocho K'boro, making sure that our exterior apperance matches our interior values.

Thank you to Mrs. Carolyn Soffer and Mrs. Deva Zwelling for all their work in making this event a success, our Mechanchot, and to student producers - Allie Stein, Maytal Needle, Nava Dryster, and Sarah Levitt, and emcees Dana Kalutsky, Rachel Sommer, Ella Perlman, Emily Darlow, Eliya Sander and Daria Lennon.

Pictured above: seniors at the conclusion of the show

Pictured above: senior Eliana Levine in a dress that she mad

Pictured above: sophomore Mia Saltzman

Pictured above: a high-energy dance number

Pictured above: sophomore Goldie Boyarskiy

Pictured above: freshmen Shiri Litwack and Chaya Suss

Pictured above: the choir performing during the show

Pictured above: junior Esti Mora

Pictured above: junior Mia Weiss

On Monday, students celebrated with a fun post-Shushan Purim day.

This week we extended the Purim festivities a little longer, holding a late post-Shushan Purim day filled with fun.

After davening, students gathered for a basketball game between faculty and senior boys. (Congrats seniors, on your victory!) Students then viewed this year's senior boys' Purim Shpiel. Students then headed to Dave & Buster's for games and a delicious pizza lunch.

Thank you to our many faculty members who helped make this event so special, and to Mrs. Alissa Zeffren for coordinating the day's activitties.

Students celebrated together on Purim.

Students had opportunities to celebrate together on Purim itself too.

Pictured here: the annual ICJA Wrestling Aces Purim Seuda and the Ida Crown Girls' Club Purim party

ICJA Librarian Mrs. Debbie Steinberg helped students evaluate new books.

On Tuesday, the ICJA's Learning Commons came to Mrs. Marsha Arons's 10th grade English class. Students heard about different genres carried in our library and listened to Mrs. Steinberg (pictured here) describe different examples of each.

Each student selected several books and answered brief questions about them, first evaluating how they felt about the book and whether they were likely to want to read it after just looking at the title and back cover. Students then read the first page of each book they selected and answered questions about whether they were likely to continue reading the book.

At the end of class, students checked out books to continue reading at home.

Pictured above: Nathan Rothner

Pictured above: Rose Matatya (in her Purim hat)

(Pictured above: Yair Elbaz (still in his Purim costume)

Students learned about the history of the Talmud with guest speaker Rabbi David Martin

This week, Mrs. Lizi Martin's father Rabbi David Martin was visiting from Israel and stopped by ICJA to guest-teach Mrs. Martin's honors Talmud class.

Students heard Rabbi Martin describe the evolution of the written form of the Talmud we learn today, from its ancient origins as it was first committed to writing to the way printers in the modern era have decided how to lay out the Talmud in books.

Throughout his talk, Rabbi Martin kept commenting how impressed he was with the high level of students' knowledge and sophisticated questions and insights.

Students are learning two Masechtot of the Gemara.

Seniors in Rabbi Yishai Broner's accelerated Talmud class are learning two Masechtot of the Gemara simultaneously: they are learning Masechet Chagiga Bekiyut (quickly) and Masechet Kiddushin Iyun (in-depth).

This week, students spent time learning about forbidden relationships in Masechet Chagiga.

Pictured above: Toby

Pictured above: Koby Engel

Pictured above: Zev Margolin

Students recorded visual observations during an experiment.

Sophomores in Mrs. Chavee Gottlieb's Chemistry class this week heated Copper 2 Sulfate, and recorded their visual observations of the chemical changes, including the evaporation of water molecules in the form of steam and color changes as the Copper 2 Sulfate became anhydrous (lacking water molecules).

Afterwards, students reintroduced water and observed the Copper 2 Sulfate's ensuing changes. It was a great way for students to understand chemical changes and to practice their lab reports.

Pictured above: Shoshana Boshes and Maayan Engel

Pictured above: Jacob Ackerman, Orli Lubin, and Orli Appel

Students learned about cell division in the context of cancer cells.

(Pictured here: Akiva Joseph)

Freshmen in Mr. Peter Sahyouni's Biology class have been learning about different methods of cell division.

This week, they turned their attention to ways that various kinds of cancer cells divide.

Students traveled to different stations inside ICJA's Biology Lab, reading about a different kind of cancer cell at each station. Students then theorized about how each variety of abnormal cell divided and why. Afterwards, students shared and discussed their work.

Pictured above: Talia Bajtner

Pictured above: David Carlsen

Pictured above: Emily Itzhaki

Students described their בית החלומות.

Sophomores in Mrs. Orit Marmel's honors Hebrew class took turns this week giving Hebrew-language presentations describing their בית החלומות, their house of dreams. While each student described their ideal home, their classmates took notes - again, all in Hebrew

(Pictured above: Jacob Thomas explaining that his dream home would have a dog and a large dining room for lots of guests)

Pictured above: Levi Madoff, describing how his house of dreams would include a dog, among other elements

Pictured above: Caleb Novick, describing not only his own amenities, but luxuries he'd wish for his sister as well

Pictured above: William Moscovitch, describing how his dream house would contain a swimming pool and a ba

Students are creating unique illustrated Haggadot.

(Pictured here: Michal Belsh with Mrs. Tanner)

Freshmen in Mrs. Anat Tanner's Hebrew class are creating a unique class Haggadah - with help from ICJA Art teacher Mrs. Julie Thomas.

Mrs. Thomas taught students about illustrated Hebrew documents from the Middle Ages. This week, students used the Art room to work on their own illustrated Haggadot. Each student chose a page from the Haggadah to create, along with at least one Peirush and one family minhag.

Afterwards, students will combine all their pages to create a unique illustrated Haggadah reflecting their and their classmates' work.

Pictured above: Mrs. Julie Thomas working with students

Pictured above: Eliana Stolberg and Dina Osgood

Pictured above: Abigail Monteros and Emma Elkaim

Students shared feedback on personal essays.

ICJA's new Creative Writing club meets during both 5th and 6th period each week, allowing all students to take part no matter when they have lunch.

This week, students shared personal essays, and offered each other feedback about improving their writing. Anyone interested in joining this fun new club should contact club president Zachary Kupietzky or faculty advisor Mrs. Marsha Arons.

Pictured above: freshman Menachem Steinberg conferring with Mrs. Arons

Pictured above: freshmen Binyamin Friedman, Bennett Kroll, Zachary Kupietzky, and Mrs. Arons discuss students' work

This annual reward honors students and teachers who enrich our school.

Yasher koach to junior Devorah Kaplowitz, sophomore William Moscovitch, and ICJA Associate Dean Mrs. Alise Gold on winning the 2025 Masliansky Awards this week.

The Masliansky Family established the award in memory of Joseph and Tsippora Masliansky, a”h, who firmly believed in Jewish education and the power of one person to make a difference in the lives of others. Our winners were voted on by the entire ICJA family and represent students and teachers who brings a sense of joy to the school and whose actions encourage others to be involved in student learning and activities.

Thank you Ronnie and Susan Masliansky for sponsoring this meaningful annual event.

(Pictured above: Ronnie Masliansky, Devorah Kaplowitz, William Moscovoitch, and Rabbi Leonard Matanky)

The Gold - Campbell family has loaned a Sefer Torah to ICJA.

On Monday, sophomore Chavi Campbell's family visited ICJA bringing a very special gift to the school: a Sefer Torah they are loaning to ICJA.

Chavi's grandparents Irwin and Deedie (Dorothy) Gold own the Sefer Torah and brought it to school. Chavi's father Ariel Campbell and her four-year-old brother Eli came to school too, and together they placed the Sefer Torah into its new home in the Aron in the Math and Science Commons.

Thank you to the Gold and Campbell families for this incredible contribution to our school.

Pictured above: Mr. Irwin Gold, Mr. Ariel Campbell, Chavi Campbell, and Eli Campbell in front of the Aron

Pictured above: Mr. Irwin Gold and Rabbi Leonard Matanky with the Sefer Torah

The Chicago Bulls recognized the Lady Aces during Women's History Month.

The Chicago Bulls have featured the Lady Aces in a video for Women's History Month. View this uplifting Instagram post here.

Freshmen and their relatives davened together last Sunday at Kehilat Chovevei Tzion's Sephardic Minyan.

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 KCT's Sephardic Minyan. After davening, ICJA's Tanach and Talmud teacher Rabbi Netanel Isaacs showed students the congregation's Sefer Torah, which was brought from Iran.



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

Click here to sign up for the Freshman Fridayton. To discuss assistance with payment, email Yona Bildner.

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.