Upcoming Events

• Friday, February 2 - Shabbat, February 3, 2024 - Ida Club Girls' Club Shabbaton

• Friday, February 9 - Shabbat, February 10, 2024 - Ida Crown Boys' Club Shabbaton - register here (To discuss financial assistance for the Shabbaton, contact Michael London.)

• Tuesday, March 12, 2024 - NHS Induction Ceremony

• Sunday, April 7, 2024 - 18 Under 18 Awards Event

• Thursday, April 11, 2024 - ICJA Takes the Stage, Commemorating the Life of Batsheva Chaya Stalin z"l, generously sponsored by The Ralla Klepak Foundation for Education in the Performing Arts

Rabbi Louis Fliegelman has received the Hartman Family Foundation's top Educator of the Year Award.

Mazal Tov, Rabbi Louis Fliegelman, on being honored by ATT with the Hartman Family Foundation's top Educator of the Year Award, granted in memory of former ICJA parent and Arie Crown teacher Mrs. Gail Anne Herwitz.

For years, Rabbi Fliegelman has touched the lives of countless ICJA students in myriad ways. His Veshinantam Levanecha program brings freshmen and their relatives to different Chicago-area shuls each Sunday morning. (See below for a picture of the most recent visit.) He serves as a mentor to all ICJA students, is Freshman Boys' Rebbe, and is a popular Talmud teacher. Rabbi Fliegelman's Talmud classes bring the beauty of learning to life for his students. We are so proud of Rabbi Fliegelman on this well deserved honor.

Freshmen are creating presentations about concepts they've learned to share with their peers.

Freshmen in Rabbi Louis Fliegelman's Talmud class are learning Masechet Brachot. This week, they began building slide shows explaining topics they have learned, including how to know when it is time for saying Shema, and the rules of terumah.

Pictured above: Aryeh Lowenthal and Jacob Ackerman with Rabbi Fliegelman

Pictured above: Aidan Itzhaki and Asher Gadd

Pictured above: Oren Goizman

Freshmen held "speed conversations," speaking and learning with classmates.

On Thursday, ICJA's newest faculty member, Mrs. Noa Nussbaum, and ICJA social worker Mrs. Etty Gugenheim held what will be the first of several teambuilding programs for freshmen girls. It incorporated personal growth programs used at Neve Chana High School in Gush Etzion, where Mrs. Nussbaum worked as a mechanechet prior to coming to ICJA. This week's activity was designed to help students get to know more of their classmates.

In a whirlwind morning, students paired with different students for mini conversations about different topics, before switching places and embarking on a new conversation with a new partner. The morning concluded with students learning Pirkei Avot 1:6 together and discussing the meaning of Yehoshua ben Perachia's advice: "Make for yourself a mentor, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every person as meritorious."

Pictured above: Emuna Arnold and Eliana Levitt

Pictured above Sarah Cherney and Sarah Leonard

Pictured above: Ariana Needle and Shira Lavi

Seniors learned that making eye contact with each and every listener enhances a speech.

This semester's new Public Speaking class teaches seniors how to become an effective speaker.

Students started by practicing making eye contact with each person in their audience, and noted how doing so enhances a speech, making it sound more interesting and important, and drawing listeners in.

(Pictured here: Ms. Goldstein modelling eye contact as she gives her speech)

Pictured above: Ayelet Appel

Pictured above: Rami Ripstein

Pictured above: Taly Benzaquen

This week, ICJA welcomed some of its Class of 2028.

On Wednesday, Hillel Torah sent its 8th grade to visit ICJA. Students heard from Rabbi Matanky, Mr. Phil ("Doc") Zbaraz, and our Mechanchim, and had the chance to learn about Ida Crown and ask questions about our school.

Following a delicious lunch, next year's freshmen went on a spirited scavenger hunt around the school with our Mechanchim and other staff members.

Thank you to our Senior Leaders, Mechanchim, teachers, administrators, and Mrs. Suzy Nusbaum for making this visit a great success.

Sophomores started off the new semester with an epic fleishig breakfast feast.

Sophomores in Rabbi Binyomin Segal's Chumash class began the new semester with a gourmet breakfast Monday morning.

Rabbi Segal cooked an array of meats, eggs, and biscuits, and spent the fun morning shmoozing with his students, sharing divrei Torah, and bonding as a class.

Pictured above: Eli Fretzin and Avi Zayan

Pictured above: Daniel Wolper and Boaz Stopek

Pictured above: Moshe Nedwin and Macks Kroll

Students walked in the footsteps of Mendeleyev, crafting the Periodic Table of the Elements.

Sophomores in Mrs. Chavee Gottlieb's Chemistry class recreated the work of Dmitri Mendeleyev, father of the Periodic Table of the Elements. Students were given cards with different stick figures on them in which each different trait (hair, eyes, arms, etc.) corresponded to an elemental property.

Students were challenged to find a way to arrange the cards in logical order, much as Mendeleyev did with his Periodic Table. Afterwards, each student group realized that one stick figure was missing, and drew the missing figure.

Pictured above: Eli Gelb

Pictured above: Yehuda Goldstein and Esther Fretzin

Pictured above: Adin Jones and Michael Matveyev

Seniors created Hebrew language scrapbooks of their month volunteering in Israel.

Seniors in Mrs. Orit Marmel's honors Hebrew class created Hebrew-language scrapbooks of their month volunteering in Israel. This week, they shared their creations with their peers.

Pictured above: Noa Gavant

Pictured above: Rena Neiger

Pictured above: Ilana Schwartz

Freshmen are learning Masechet Megillah.

Freshmen in Rabbi Daniel Fox's accelerated Talmud class are learning about the differences between celebrating Purim in walled and in unwalled cities. This week they took advantage of the Math Science Commons, moving their learning there for a change of scene.

Pictured above: Orli Appel and Bela Burstyn

Pictured above: Rabbi Fox, Eliana Neiger, and Mia Saltzman

Students came out to celebrate Ladies' Aces Senior Night and an ICJA victory on Wednesday night.

Wednesday evening marked Senior Night for the ICJA Varsity Girls Basketball Team. Students, supporters, and ICJA teachers turned out to celebrate the careers of our five retiring seniors (pictured below): Ilana Schwartz, Jordana Zwelling, Ayelet Appel, Noa Gavant, and Rena Neiger.

Yasher koach to the Lady Aces for going on to win the game 75-4 against Our Lady of Tepeyac.

Students debuted Netflix-style series they created telling the life story of King Shlomo.

Juniors in Mrs. Olivia Friedman's have been creating detailed Netflix-syle series telling the life of Shlomo Hamelech's life, including his rise to power, threats to his rule, and his policies as king.

This week, students took turns presenting their television series to their peers in a fun viewing party, complete with popcorn.

(Pictured above: Leah Rina Brochin, Rachel Freed, and Lauren Fensterheim)

Pictured above: Ella Perlman and Talia Linzer enjoying popcorn

Pictured above: Allie Stein, Eliana Levine, and Meital Wittlin

Pictured above: Sheindel Beiles explaining the series she created with Simcha Seruya

Students got a hands-on lesson in the halachot of squeezing citrus on Shabbat.

This week, sophomores in Mrs. Yochava Yitzhak's Oral Law class learned the halachot of squeezing citrus fruits of Shabbat for Ashkenazim and Sephardim - then practiced what they learned by making lemonade and fruit salad.

Pictured above: Mina Brandes illustrating squeezing lemon on Shabbat (albeit onto a plastic lizard)

Pictured above: Caley Gordon squeezing a lemon for a drink

Pictured above: Libby Bleichman, Mia Weiss, and Esther Fretzin making fruit salad

Freshmen and their relatives davened together at Congregation Anshe Motele last Sunday.

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, some members of the ICJA family, including students, fathers, and other relatives, davened at Congregation Anshe Motele in West Rogers Park, then chatted and shared breakfast, divrei Torah, and conversation with eachother and with Rabbi Alan M. Abramson, who told students about the history of his schul, which is over 125 years old, and the town of Motele in Belarus where the shul originated.

For more information about the Veshinantam Levanecha program, email Rabbi Louis Fliegelman at [email protected].

Students learned how camera height affects the mood of a scene.

This week marked the start of Mrs. Marsha Arons's Second Semester Film and Drama course. Students learned about different camera heights and evaluated how different angles can affect the mood of a movie scene, creating a feeling of dread or helping viewers feel immersed in a scene.

Pictured above: seniors Maayan Dallal and Aviva Dallal

Pictured above: senior Jakob Wortman trying out a knee-high camera angle

Pictured above: seniors Noa Gavant and Aryeh Neiger

Students presented to over 400 teens at Naperville Central High School this week.

On Monday, ICJA and other students gave presentations about Judaism and Jewish life to over 400 students throughout the day at Naperville Central High School's World Cultures and World History classes.

Senior Ayelet Appel beautifully shared how Judaism gives meaning to all aspects of her daily life. Junior Simona Fridberg described Shabbat and explained that it is her favorite time of the week and also fills the rest of her week with meaning and renewed connection with friends and family.

Yasher koach to the many presenters and chaperones who enabled this fabulous day of outreach and learning.

In ICGC's Babka and Bubbies, students bake sweet treats, then bring them to Park Plaza Friday after school.

Last Friday, ten ICGC students brought homemade treats to Park Plaza after school in Babka and Bubbies. Students joined residents in Oneg Shabbat singing. One staff member told the ICGC students that their singing transforms the event and lifts everyone's spirits.

The rabbi who usually delivers a dvar Torah at Park Plaza's Oneg Shabbat was out of town, so juniors Yardana Schayer and Sarah Levitt (pictured) delivered an impromptu drasha on what they'd learned in school that day.

This week's learning dedications include:

Thursday, the 22nd of Shevat, 5784, February 1, 2023, by Yael and David Shiner, Rebecca, Sarah & Isaac Jacob, Rikki & Shimon, in loving memory of Shimon Rahamim ben Hana, z''l, Raymond Dayan, o commemorate his 13th yahrzeit

Tuesday, the 20th of Shevat, 5784, January 30, 2023, by David and Laura Allswang and family, Shari and Azi Feifel and family, and Elliot and Leah Allswang and family, in loving memory of Marilyn Allswang Eisenberg, z''l, to commemorate her 7th yahrzeit on the 20th of Shevat

Monday, the 19th of Shevat, 5784, January 29, 2023, by the Golds, Campbells, and Pearl Hirsch, in loving memory of Kievie Hirsch, a"h, Akiva Ben Yehoshua, on the occasion of his Yahrtzeit on the 19th of Shevat

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 [email protected].

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!

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  [email protected] her to pick up your updated passwords to access our online material. ICJA's subscriptions are available at icja.libguides.com/home.

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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected] if you have any questions about this new effort.

Last summer, ICJA gave its Class of '23 alumni the second 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.

The directory was sent out to the emails of '22 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 [email protected].

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.