To view ICJA's Covid-19 guidelines (Updated March 16, 2022), click here.

Last Friday afternoon, April 8, students and faculty members travelled up to the Northbrook Hilton. They got there in time to enjoy some girls-only swimming in the hotel's pool, then got ready for Shabbat.

The girls enjoyed beautiful davening, gala Shabbat meals, singing and divrei Torah. Faculty members brought their spouses, ensuring that there was a minyan. Some highlights of the Shabbaton included a Haggadah d'var Torah round robin, and panels with teachers and alumni where students could ask them wide-ranging questions.

Following Shabbat, students participated in a professionally run game show experience and enjoyed a pizza dinner together before traveling back home.

Thank you to the ICGC board for organizing this wonderful event, and also for creating the beautiful laminated benching cards. Thank you to Mrs. Aliza Aberman, Ms. Julie Avner, Rabbi Gavriel Brown, Mrs. Olivia Friedman, Mrs. Alise Gold, Mrs. Chavee Gottlieb, Mrs. Lynn Kraft, assistant basketball coach Mrs. Avi Levinson, Mrs. Carolyn Soffer, and Mrs. Alissa Zefrren for taking part in this Shabbaton. Thank you to Rabbi Yoni Gold for leining.

Pictured above: sophomores Noa Gavant, Jordana Zwelling, and Ilana Schwartz.

Pictured below:

Freshmen Lilac Marcus, Ariela Bielak, Emily Darlow, Nina Ripstein, Daria Lennon and Dana Kalutsky

Seniors Laura Bellows, Talia Jacobs, Attar Benmelech, Hannah Rothner, Carly Sorscher and Tova Litwak

Juniors Dena Simon-Hakalir, Nechama Tarshish, Shaina Tarshish and Chaya Laber

Seniors Hannah Stein and Tova Litwack with freshmen Aliza Shyovitz, Hadar Simkovich and Leah Rina Brochin

Moshe Wiesenberg, Millo Benmelech, Yitzchak Mishkin and Gabriella Zipperstein gave the initial "Rabbi Bracket" presentation, featuring the "Sweet Sixteen" of featured Medieval Jewish sages. Their clever presentation can be viewed here.

Adam Katz, Danielle Zaretsky, Jed Marcus and Noa Gavant prepared a slideshow showing the progression of the various rabbis towards the championship, which can be viewed here.

Pictured below left: Sammy Polster, Joey Levy, Uriel Kolom, Yaakov Holman and Moshe Seruya

Pictured below right: Gabrielle Sander, Leeya Starck, Bella Schwartz and Leah Zelden

On some Sunday mornings, students in Rabbi Fliegelman's freshman boys' Talmud class have the option of gathering to daven and learn together along with their relatives at local synagogues.

Last Sunday, April 3, students met at Congregation Yehuda Moshe.

They davened Shacharit, ate breakfast, and shared insights of Torah learning that they learned in their classroom.

Students pictured here: Ezra Comrov and Ami Weiss and Jacob Friedman

Students in Mrs. Tanner's and Mrs. Stopek's freshman girls' Hebrew classes came together for a joint project on Monday, April 4 to practice baking a Pesach cake. The recipe, all the instructions and even the students' conversations during this project were all in Hebrew.

Freshman Rachel Sommer (pictured right with Maytal Needle) translated a favorite recipe into Hebrew for the class to use.

"My mom made it last year - it didn't taste like a Pesach cake." - Rachel Sommer

To see Rachel's Hebrew translation of this delicious recipe, click here.

Students in Rabbi Segal's sophomore Honors Navi class celebrated their recent Siyum on Shmuel Alef with a special barbecue on Monday, April 11.

It was a chance to have fun together, enjoy the beautiful weather, and have a last taste of chametz before Pesach.

Pictured left: Jacob Friedman and Dory Marshall

Pictured below left: Ari Klein, Gabe Klein and Aryeh Neiger

Pictured below right: Adam Katz and Josh Paskoff

On Monday, April 11, Student to Student presenters talked about Jewish life and practice with students at St. Ignatius.

On Wednesday, April 13, Student to Student presenters are scheduled to give several presentations to Loyola Academy.

Pictured here: junior Emma Felix, sophomore Aryeh Neiger and junior Andrew Bersson, along with other Student to Student presenters, speaking to students at St. Ignatius.

Check out Student to Student Chicago's Facebook page here and their Instagram page here.

Three members of the ICJA class of 2020 joined the Israeli Defense Forces last week: Ray Goltz, Ben Miller and Yaakov Rosenberg, pictured below.

When Yaakov arrived on his new base, he recognized one of the intake soldiers there as old friend: Tova Kahan, also a member of the ICJA class of 2020 (pictured below). They join Max Miller, '20, who enlisted previously as well.

Yasher koach to these members of the ICJA family and others who are serving in the IDF!

Pelah Cohen was named one of ten scholars in Yeshiva University's inaugural cohort of its new Leadership Scholars program.

Leadership Scholars will participate in ongoing seminars, extracurricular leadership activities, and cohort-based programming. Yasher koach Pelah!

Click here to make reservations and to reserve an ad in our ad book today.

Students can submit poetry, prose, essays, photography and more. Click here to submit your work.

(Charlotte's Web is supported by the Susan and Joseph Ament Fund.)

Celebrate Jewish Community Night at the United Center! Purchase through this special offer and receive an exclusive scarf with every ticket! A portion from every ticket sold will be donated to the Jewish United Fund. Click here to buy tickets.

Over Chanukah, ICJA gave its Class of '21 alumni a Chanukah gift: a brand-new directory that lists ICJA alumni who live in Israel and have graciously offered to open their homes to recent ICJA '21 grads who are currently spending a gap year in Israel this year.

The directory was sent out to the emails of '21 grads that we have on file. 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.

Win-win! You can support Ida Crown Jewish Academy, while shopping via Smile.Amazon.com