Upcoming Events

• Motzei Shabbat, November 4 - 3on3 Basketball Tournament @ICJA with pizza and Gatorade - 8pm

• November 12, 2023 - Parent Teacher Online Conferences 12:45–5:45 pm

• Wednesday, November 15 - ICJA Open House for 7th and 8th grade students and their families - 6:45pm - 9:15pm (Click here to register.)

Please let us know if you know any families in the Chicago area where a parent left to fight in the war and could use some support from ICJA students (babysitting, playtime, homework help, etc.). Click here and complete the form; we will contact the family to see how we can help.

Students enjoyed a fun Friday of roller skating and cameraderie, followed by a meaningful erev Shabbat.

Last Friday was the sophomore-junior Fridayton. Students enjoyed morning of roller skating and arcade games. After a pizza lunch (pictured here), students went home to prepare for Shabbat, then regrouped at school.

Sophomores and juniors enjoyed beautiful davening together, then shared a meaningful Shabbat dinner full of divrei Torah, singing, and camaraderie. At the end of the evening, students walked back to Skokie and West Roger's Park together.

Last Sunday, ICJA's Cross Country team Run for Israel drew over 125 participants and raised funds for Israel.

Last Sunday, 200 students, family and community members ran to aid Israel. The fun event raised nearly $6,000 for Israeli charities.

Students discussed hilchot of reading Megilla and Torah.

Sophomores in Rabbi Shmuel Kurtz's Talmud class continue their learning of Masechet Megilla.

This week they compared and contrasted the opinions of Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch on whether or not more than one person can lein the Megillah on Purim or the Sefer Torah in shul.

Pictured above: Benny Kalman and Adin Jones

Pictured above: Eli Fretzin and Judah Well

Pictured above: Aaron Koenig and Boaz Stopek

Students gave presentations on The Scarlet Letter.

Students in Mrs. Tirzah Kahan's AP Literature are reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This week, they took turns giving presentations to their peers about symbolism in the book, supporting their assertions with quotes and analysis.

Pictured above: juniors Aliza Shyovitz, Maytal Needle, and Avi Meyer discussing differences between public and private repentance

Pictured above: juniorsMeital Wittlin, Allie Stein, and Eliana Levine explaining themes of sin and repentance

Students joined with their peers from other ATT schools for a morning of tefillot and achdut.

On Tuesday, ICJA girls travelled to Bais Yaakov High School to join with students from their host school, plus Hannah Sacks Bais Yaakov High School and Lubavitch Girls' High School, for an inspirational morning of chizuk and Tehillim.

Rabbi Yaakov Robinson, son of former ICJA Talmud teacher Rabbi Barry Robinson, z"l, and Mrs. Suzy Robinson, spoke at the start of the session, reminding the students that their tefillot are crucial to the peace and continuation of Am Yisrael. Students then recited Tehillim together, before concluding the emotional morning by singing Acheinu and Ani Ma'amin.

Pictured above: freshmen Orli Lubin and Talia Bielak

Pictured above: freshman Baila Laber

Pictured above: freshmen Ariana Needle and Orli Appel

Students provided an overview of the war in Israel.

On Tuesday, juniors Tali Weiss, Eliana Levine and Hadar Simkovich gave a comprehensive update about the Israel-Hamas war and the rise in antisemitism here in the United States. View this important presentation here. 

This week, ICJA students discussed the current war with Hamas, propaganda, and Middle Eastern history in ICJA's History classes.

This week, all ICJA History classes took a break from their regular units to focus on the current Israel-Hamas war. Students read articles and watched videos about the conflict, then discussed issues related to the conduct of the war, questions of proportionality, anti-Israel propaganda, and Israel's goals in fighting Hamas.

Pictured above: sophomores Dina Gottlieb and Mina Brandes watching a video about anti-Israel propaganda in Mrs. Alissa Zeffren's Jewish History class

Pictured above: junior Ella Kakon discussing the Arab-Israeli conflict in Mr. Joshua Cooper's American History class

Pictured above: sophomores Ben Rosenburg, Eli Fretzin, and Yair Bell learning about anti-Israel propaganda in Mrs. Alissa Zeffren's Jewish History class

Pictured above: junior Yitzchak Bock talking about the Arab-Israeli conflict in Mr. Joshua Cooper's American History class

Pictured above: sophomores Natan Rine and Avi Rubin discussing the Israel-Hamas war and anti-Israel propaganda in Mrs. Alissa Zeffren's Jewish History class

Pictured above: Mr. Joshua Cooper teaching about the history of Hamas in his American History class

ICJA students helped set up a symbolic Shabbat table to remind the community of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

On Thursday, some ICJA senior girls and Mrs. Lynn Kraft travelled to the Sculpture Park in Skokie to help set up symbolic Shabbat tables for the over 250 Israelis who are being held against their will in Gaza.

Each prisoner was honored by a beautiful place setting for the Shabbat meal we all desperately wish they were free to enjoy.

Students gave presentations about feelings which connect them to Hashem.

Freshmen in Mrs. Ayala Zimmerman's Navi class are learning Sefer Yonah. After discussing what helped Yonah feel connected to Hashem, students created their own projects illustrating people, places, thoughts or objects which help them feel connected to Hashem, and shared these works with their classmates.

Pictured above: Talia Bielak and Dalia Cohen with their project, featuring pictures of relatives and the Kotel inside a sefer Torah

Pictured above: Rose Matatya with a power point presentation about how her Magen David necklace reminds her of her connection with Hashem

Pictured above: Sheindy Worch and Shoshana Boshes with their poster featuring a mosaic of pictures of Jewish symbols on a background of the Kotel

ICJA Boys' Night Seder takes place every Tuesday and Thursday evening.

Every Tuesday and Thursday evening, ICJA boys, our Mechanchim, and some ICJA teachers learn together in the Skokie Kollel from 8-9pm. Last Thursday, two fathers joined in the learning.

ICJA students and their fathers davened at Khal Chassidim last Sunday morning.

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 Khal Chasidim in West Rogers Park, then shared breakfast, divrei Torah, and conversation with Rabbi Efraim A. Twersky (son of ICJA alumnus Rabbi Michel Twersky) and with each other.

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

Freshmen boys enjoyed pizza lunches with our Mechanchim this week.

On Wednesday and Thursday this week, freshmen boys enjoyed pizza lunches with our Mechanchim, Rabbi Mayer Simcha Stromer and Rabbi Menachem Rosenbaum.

Students enjoyed bonding with their classmates in smaller groups - half of the class was invited to each lunch - and getting to know our Mechanchim better.

ICJA juniors won 1st Place; ICJA freshmen, sophomores and senior Dory Marshall each won 2nd Place.

On Wednesday night, ICJA hosted a Mathletes meet which saw several ICJA victories. Juniors won 1st Place overall. Freshmen and sophomores each won 2nd Place. Senior Dory Marshall, competing in the Orals Competition, won 2nd Place. (ICJA competed against Fasman Yeshiva HS, Maine East HS, Elk Grove HS, and De Paul College Prep.)

Yasher koach to the team: seniors Dory Marshall, Gabriel Klein, Ari Klein, and Yehoshua Zagorin; juniors Aidan Zuckerman, Ami Weiss, Levi Polsky, and Avner Frazen; sophomores Jonah Strahlberg and Jack Marshall; and freshmen Jacob Thomas, Caleb Novick, and Ayelet Klein.

ICJA students gave presentations about Judaism to 430 Students in Wheaton.

Last week, ICJA students travelled to Wheaton where they spoke with 430 of their peers at Warrensville South High School about Judaism and what it's like being a Jewish teen today. Our students received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the students and teachers at Warrensville South.

Pictured above: seniors Evan Comrov, and Hayden Gradstein speaking to students

Pictured above: senior Aryeh Neiger writing Warrensville students' names in Hebrew

One of the Skokie police officers guarding ICJA this week was an alumna, Ariella Loew '08. We caught up with Ariella and asked her a few questions about herself.

Each morning this week, a Skokie police officer has parked outside Ida Crown. On Thursday, the officer guarding our school was an alumna: Ariella Loew '08. We asked her a few questions about herself.

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

I grew up in Lincolnwood and attended Ida Crown; I was class of 2008! Today, I live in West Rogers Park with my husband Yaakov and our sons: Joe, who's four; Zach, who's three; and Noah, who's three months old.

How long have you been with the Skokie Police Department?

I've worked for the Skokie Police Department for about a year and a half. Before that, I was a police officer at University of Chicago and then at Northwestern University.

What made you want to enter the police?

I was always interested in the police. September 11th was also a big motivator for me. I remember seeing everyone was running away from all the chaos, while the police officers were running into it to help.

I attended Drexel University for college and majored in Criminal Justice.

Is it easy being frum in the police force?

It's been good. I had some very big struggles in the beginning, especially around issues of working on Shabbat. Now, thank G-d I don't have any issues. Since I don't work on Shabbos, I make sure that I'm available to work overtime at other times.

I'm very open about explaining Jewish practice. Especially now that I'm working in Skokie, a lot of the officers have seen people observing Shabbos but they didn't know a lot of the details. A lot of officers didn't realize when it begins and ends and that it's 25 hours long.

How did ICJA prepare you for life as a police officer?

I think the Academy prepared me in general to go to college and to go out into the real world.

What are some of your favorite ICJA memories?

I have a lot of good memories from Ida Crown.... Hanging out during breakfast time with my friends... Eating lunch in Mr. Newman's classroom with my friends too. I also remember Mrs. Jaffee and doing baking projects with her.

Do you have any advice for Ida Crown students today?

If you're interested in a career in law enforcement, Skokie Police Department has a program called Skokie Police Explorers to help familiarize 14-20 year olds with this potential career path. We currently have a couple of frum participants.

This week's Learning Dedications include the following:

Monday, the 15th of Cheshvan, 5784, October 30, 2023, by Elaine Stein, Suzy and Mike Nussbaum, Vika and Jeff Stein, and Laura and Jeremy Goltz, in loving memory of Raymond Stein, z''l, רפאל חיים בן אלתר בנימין, to commemorate his yahrzeit on the 14th of Cheshvan

Tuesday, the 16th of Cheshvan 5784, October 31, 2023, by Ezra and Marla Jaffe, in honor of the Organizers of the ICJA Run for Israel: Dana Hunter, David Shyovitz (XC Coaches); Orah Katz (Parent Volunteer); Aliza Shyovitz, Dana Kalutsky and Ariela Bielak (Student Committee)

In honor of the many ICJA Alumni who are currently serving in the IDF.

If you would like to sponsor a Day of Learning for a different soldier, please contact our Director of Development, Deva Zwelling, at (773) 973-1450 ext. 115, or dzwelling@icja.org.

Watch our Open House video

for prospective students - and share it with people you know who'd like to learn more about ICJA!

Founded in 1942, ICJA is 80 years old this year. Please enjoy this 80th Anniversary Video which looks back on eight decades of excellence, close bonds, and memories.

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.

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.

Spread the word - all 7th and 8th grade students and their families are invited to come to our exciting open house and learn more about what makes ICJA the premier Modern Orthodox school in the Chicago area!

Thank you to all those who donated to our Rosh Hashana Appeal. 5784 is off to a great start for Ida Crown and we are so grateful for our generous community members who support our Annual Scholarship Fund.

We are still hoping to achieve 100% parent involvement; if you have not already donated, please use the link below to give. Your contribution helps ensure no child is denied a Jewish education due to lack of funds.

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 17, 2024. 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 '22 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 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.