IDA CROWN JEWISH ACADEMY

Upcoming Events



  • Sunday, June 1 - Tuesday, June 3 - Shavuot Break


  • Wednesday, June 4 - Study Day (no classes)


  • Thursday, June 5 - Wednesday, June 11 - Finals Period - Click here to view finals schedule


  • Sunday, June 8 - Class of 5785 / 2025 Graduation 1pm


  • Tuesday, June 17 - Dr. Edward A. Crown Annual Scholarship Dinner honoring Ald. Debra Silverstein (Crown Service Award), Daniel Harris (Crown Leadership Award), and Rabbi Yishai Broner (Educator of the Year) - Click here to register and/or buy an ad (See brochure below: 70% Give-Get credit for all reservations and ads received by May 10; 50% after that date)

End of Year Reflections

What were some highlights of this year?

As the school year draws to a close, we asked students to name some of the highlights of the previous ten months. What have you most loved about the 2024-5 school year here at ICJA?

Pictured above: sophomores Maya Kutliroff and Sheindy Worch who both agreed "Yom HaAtzmaut and the Purim chagiga were really fun."

Pictured above: juniors Aaron Katz - "I enjoyed the ICBC Shabbaton and Cubs game; it was fun hanging out with my friends and peers." - and Penina Benjamin - "I enjoyed Yom HaAtzmanut celebrations - they were high energy and everyone was really into it!"

Pictured above: juniors Boaz Stopek - "I've really enjoyed taking Art this year" and Adin Jones - "One highlight of this year was wrestling, especially winning Wittenberg for the second year in a row!"

Pictured above: freshmen Elior Ginsberg - "I enjoyed getting to know new people from different schools and different places" - and Coby Gordon - "I enjoy eating lunch with my friends - especially on Thursdays with there's shnitzel."

Pictured above: freshmen Ronit Kinar - "I really liked making new friends and getting to learn new things" - Adi Gryka - "I've enjoyed making new friends" - Michal Belsh - "I really like the fact that if I'm struggling with learning a topic I can go to a teacher during my free or during lunch" - and Ella Jankovits - "I've enjoyed all the new opportunities to learn more and try new things"

Pictured above: juniors Yair Bell - "I've enjoyed being with my friends this year," - Lily Douek ' "A highlight was Mr. Sears' phone lottery," - and Mia Weiss - "I've enjoyed spending time with my friends" - and sophomore Archer Gradstein - "I've enjoyed ICJA's open campus rules and going out for lunch with friends."

Pictured above Rabbi Joel Gutstein with freshmen Bennett Kroll and Mason Gorenstein who both feel "Rabbi Gutstein's Navi class, and especially Rabbi Gutstein's jokes" was a highlight of their year

Pictured above: juniors Ezra Mauer - "I enjoyed all the ruach and dancing of Yom HaAtzmaut" - and Ami Gavant - "I really enjoyed the Columbus Baseball Tournament; it was fun to be with the team on the bus."

Pictured above: sophomore Oren Goizman who notes that "One of the highlights of this year was reading Frankenstein in Mrs. Prince's English class."

Rabbi Joel Gutstein's 9th Grade Boys' Navi Class

Students and their families celebrated the end of the school year.

Last Sunday, freshmen in Rabbi Joel Gutstein's Navi class, and their families, gathered at Rabbi Gutstein's house for an end of the year barbeque. It was a fun way to share divrei Torah and to bond at the conclusion of a year of learning. Thank you, Rabbi Gutstein, for hosting this wonderful event.

Mrs. Ayala Zimmerman's 10th Grade Girls' Chumash Class

Students taught their peers about Sefer Bamidbar.

Sophomores in Mrs. Ayala Zimmerman's Chumash Class learned Sefer Bamidbar (Numbers) this year. This week they each prepared their own chaburot (lessons) on the perakim at the end of Bamidbar and presented their lessons to the class.


It was a fun and rewarding way to celebrate students' knowledge and their growth in their ability to learn on their knowledge to share their scholarship.

Pictured above: Eliana Levitt, Iyla Friedman, and Chavi Campbell

Pictured above: Mia Saltzman

Mr. Allen Sears’s 11th Grade Physics Classes

Students conducted physics research at Great America.

On Thursday, juniors in Mr. Allen Sears’s Physics classes (plus some juniors who are in AP Chemistry this year instead of Physics) traveled to Great America for Physics Day.


Students wore sensors, measuring speed and distance on the rides. Afterwords, students completed calculations and answered questions about the acceleration, velocity, snd other physical characteristics of several rides.


Thank you Mr. Sears for making this day fun and educational.

Mrs. Michelle Prince's 10th Grade English Class

How does storytelling affect our perception?

(Pictured here: Sophie Rine and Sarah Cherney analyzing Serial)


Sophomores in Mrs. Michelle Prince's English class finished reading Othello last week. This week they're listening to Serial Season 1 Episode 1, which is a modern take on the story.


After listening to the episode, students analyzed the piece's tone and connotation and explored how storytelling and memory shape what we believe to be true.

Rabbi Daniel Fox’s 9th and 10th Grade Honors Gemara Class

Students visited a Beit Din - and celebrated the conclusion of the school year.

Freshmen and sophomores in Rabbi Daniel Fox’s Honors Gemara class visited the CRC Beit Din this week and met with Rabbi Aaron Kraft, a dayan (judge) and the husband of ICJA’s Tanach Department Chair Mrs. Lynn Kraft (pictured above). Thank you to Rabbi Kraft for answering our students’ questions and explaining how a Beit Din works.


At the end of the week, students celebrated the end of the school year with a fun freshmen versus sophomores kickball game (pictured below). Sophomores won 11-2. MVP was Hillel Lennon who went 4-5 with 2 HRs. Everyone had a great time.

Senior Retreat

Seniors celebrated their years at ICJA in a meaningful Senior Retreat.

This week ICJA seniors had a blast at their Senior Retreat at Camp Chi in Wisconsin. Students learned, hung out, visited Six Flags Great America and the Wild West boat rides, and bonded with each other and their teachers.


At the concluding banquet, student were given awards and read letters they wrote to themselves freshman year. Students then read letters from teachers expressing strengths that each student possesses, and teachers’ hopes for them in the future. It was an emotional, beautiful moment that students will carry with them long beyond graduation.


Thank you to Mrs. Alissa Zeffren, the Mechanchim and Mechanchot, and all the teachers and staff who made this Retreat so wonderful and meaningful.

Spotlight on Mrs. Alissa Zeffren

This week we asked ICJA's Tanach and History teacher and Director of Student Life about herself.

Every ICJA student has Mrs. Alissa Zeffren, who teaches Jewish History and Modern Jewish History, as well as other courses. Mrs. Zeffren also makes a difference in every student's life through her role as student activities director. This week we caught up with Mrs. Zeffren and asked her a few questions about herself.


Where did you grow up? And where do you live now?

I grew up in Lincolnwood and West Rogers Park. Today I live in Skokie with my husband Levi and our children: Ozzie, who's 14 and planning to come to the Academy in the Fall; Kira, who's 11; Elan, 8; and Nava, who's almost three years old.


I attended ICJA, class of 2005. After high school I learned for two years at Be'er Miriam in Israel. Then I attended Teachers Institute, majoring in Jewish History and Judaic Studies and minoring in English. Afterwards, I completed two Masters degrees at Loyola University: one in Modern European History and one in American History. I'm currently working on my Doctorate in Education at the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration at YU.

 

How did you decide to become a teacher?

I realized that I wanted to share my love of Torah and learning with high school students. I love the fact that I get to help students as they develop their worldview as Torah observant Jews and take ownership of what it means to be an observant Jew in the modern world.


What do you enjoy about working at ICJA?

The community! ICJA feels like a family. I appreciate my colleagues here. I also enjoy teaching different siblings in a family and getting to know ICJA families through the years.


Can you describe a favorite ICJA memory?

I really enjoy all the student activities that I plan. It's an opportunity to connect with students and create memories they'll carry with them beyond their high school years. (Also, after years of practice, I've honed my archery, axe-throwing, and laser tag skills!)


Do you have any hobbies?

I enjoy reading, especially nonfiction. I have a lot of stacks of books about Torah, about education, and about popular psychology. I'm also always listening to a podcast: I enjoy podcasts about Israel, Jewish history, the weekly Parsha, Jewish Thought, and Torah.


Most of all, I enjoy hanging out with my kids. We have impromptu dance parties in the kitchen.


What advice do you have for students?

Follow what you're passionate about! Take the time to make Torah your own. Think about ways you can make the Jewish community and the world a better place. And remember: you don't have to have it all figured out - none of us do!


Is there anything that most people don't know about you that you'd like to share here?

Yes - I know Sign Language. My grandparents on my father's side were deaf and that's how we communicated.

This Week's Learning Dedications

This week's learning dedications include:

Thursday, the 2 of Sivan, 5785, May 29, 2025, by by Ashira (Rapoport) & Rabbi Joe Ozarowski, Gitelle Rapoport & Gershom Szydlowski, and Chaya (Rapoport) Schwartz, in loving memory of Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Rapoport, z"l, beloved ICJA Principal for 35 years, in commemoration of his 22nd yahrzeit on the 2nd day of Sivan.




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 the ICJA Prospective Student Video

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!

ICJA Seniors Israel Mission Video 

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!

Learning Commons Passwords 

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.

Enter to win $1,000 for Reviewing ICJA

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.

Send Your School News to the ICJA Newsletter

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.

School Announcements

Support the ICJA Scholarship Fund and win a trip to Israel!

There is no limit to the number of tickets you can purchase. Winners will be announced June 27, 2025.

Click here or on the flyer above to register and/or buy an ad for the Dr. Edward A. Crown Annual Scholarship Dinner honoring Ald. Debra Silverstein (Crown Service Award), Daniel Harris (Crown Leadership Award), and Rabbi Yishai Broner (Educator of the Year)


70% Give-Get credit for all reservations and ads received by May 10; 50% after that date

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.

Community Announcements

ICJA ISRAEL CONNECT:

Connecting ICJA Alumni in Israel

The first ICJA Israel Connect directory is out.

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.

Inspiring bnei and bnot Torah to thrive in the modern world
ICJA is an affiliate of the Associated Talmud Torahs and a partner with JUF in serving our community.


Ida Crown Jewish Academy
8233 Central Park Avenue
Skokie, Illinois 60076

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