Upcoming Events

• May 22, 2024 - 11th Grade Physics Day at Great America

• May 23, 2024 - Yearbook/Student Council Assembly

• Tuesday, June 4 - Thursday, June 6 - Senior Retreat

• Sunday, June 9 - Graduation 1pm

• Monday, June 17 - Edward A. Crown Scholarship Dinner honoring Eric Rothner (Crown Leadership Award), Leslie Wortman (Crown Service Award), and Chavee Gottlieb (Educator of the Year Award) - Click here to reserve your ad and dinner reservation

Students marked Yom HaZikaron on Monday with learning, prayer, and remembrance.

Students spent Monday morning, Yom HaZikaron, learning about the many meanings of remembrance. Reading both Jewish and modern Israeli sources, students discussed differences between remembering and not forgetting and the role of remembrance in Jewish identity and history.

Freshman Yakira Wittlin and junior Ella Perlman opened our all-school tekes with Tehillim. Students then learned about several specific people who were killed during Israel's wars and in terror attacks, and lit yahrzeit candles in their memories. Thank you to Rabbi Reuven Brand, Rosh Kollel of the YU Torah Mitzion of Chicago, Rav Eyal Reuveni, Judaic teacher at Hillel Torah and IDF officer, and the many ICJA students and teachers who participated in this this powerful event.

Thanks also to freshman Yair Elbaz, who created the audiovisual for the entire program, and freshman Emunah Arnold, junior Rachel Freed, and sophomores Caley Gordon, Devorah Kaplowitz, and Jessica Michaeli, who, together with their classes, interviewed and researched the stories of the four families that lost family members through acts of terror and in the war.

In the afternoon, students read the last letter written by Sgt. Adi Leon, who died in Operation Swords of Iron, and discussed this powerful letter in class.

Pictured above: students viewing the names and photos of fallen Israeli soldiers and civilians

Pictured above: Rabbi Rosenbaum's 11th grade boys' Talmud class discussing the nature of remembrance

Pictured above: students in Mrs. Anat Tanner's 10th grade girls' Hebrew class learning about Yom HaZikaron

Students celebrated Israel's 76th year with a day filled with fun and meaningful activities.

Tuesday morning, Yom HaAtzmaut, began with special davening and then a visit from Israeli Consul General Yinam Cohen, who noted that whenever he returns to ICJA he feels at home.

Students then enjoyed a slice of Israel transported to ICJA, with music, Israeli food and drink stations, crafts, and other activities. Thank you to the students and staff who helped make this day's activities so wonderful.

Yom haAtzmaut at ICJA is sponsored by the Gertz family in memory of Doris and Paul Rosenberg.

Pictured above: sophomore Caley Gordon and junior Levi Polsky serving homemade hummus

Pictured above: Consul General Yinam Cohen celebrating with ICJA students

Pictured above: freshman Archer Gradstein and sophomore Esther Fretzin

After the morning's celebrations, students boarded busses to attend the JUF's Together with Israel Rally at Daley Plaza.

Back at school, students enjoyed an Israeli-style barbeque cooked by our very own Rabbi Binyomin Segal, music and dancing.

Seniors delivered speeches reflecting on their time at ICJA

On Wednesday evening, students, family members, and teachers gathered at ICJA for the 26th annual Oratory Fair. Seniors in Ms. Sheri Goldstein's Public Speaking class delivered a series of moving speeches reflecting on themes of personal growth and their years at Ida Crown. The event was particularly touching as this is the final year that Ms. Goldstein is teaching Public Speaking.

Yasher koach to the many students who participated, and to Ms. Sheri Goldstein for creating a beautiful evening.

Pictured above: participants with Ms. Goldstein

Pictured above: Ms. Goldstein with senior Jacob Friedman, whom Ms. Goldstein taught her final year working full-time at ICJA, and Dr. Benjamin Friedman '90, whom she taught her first year at ICJA

Pictured above: senior Nava Cohen speaking on "I Found Myself in Words"

Juniors gave presentations about different mitzvot.

Juniors in Mrs. Alise Gold's Chumash class have been learning Sefer Devarim this year. This week they took turns presenting one of their final projects, sharing research they've undertaken about a specific mitzvah in Parshat Ki Teizei and answering classmates' questions. Each student researched their chosen mitzvah in depth, referring to Sefer HaChinuch, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, as well as modern Jewish articles.

Mitzvot that students researched include hasheivat aveida (returning lost items), timing of Jewish burials, and the laws of ribbit (interest).

Pictured above: Rachel Freed discussing the mitzvah of shiluach hakan, shooing away a mother bird before gathering eggs from a nest

Pictured above: Shei Beiles presenting about the halacha of interest and owing money to Jews and to Gentiles

Yasher koach to the Aces on last Sunday's victory against Fasman Yeshiva High School.

Last Sunday, the Aces beat Skokie Yeshiva 9-2. Best of luck to the Aces as they head into the Columbus Baseball Invitational tournament this Sunday!

Thank you to ICJA dad Noah Mishkin for these Aces photos.

Pictured above: senior Moshe Wiesenberg

Pictured above: senior Yonah Rubin

Pictured above: senior Jed Marcus

Seniors put the themes they learned this year into perspective on a Chicago Architecure Boat Tour.

Seniors in Dr. Gavriel Brown's Architecture class got back together this week for an architectural boat tour downtown. Students had the chance to view and discuss many of the architectural elements they studied in class.

Yasher koach to six students on winning this prestigious ICJA art award!

Yasher koach to sophomores Natan Miller and Lily Douek (sharing 1st Place), senior Dina Osgood (3rd Place), junior Jacob Friedman (4th Place), and seniors Gabriella Zipperstein (5th Place) and Gabrielle Sander (6th Place) on winning this year’s Bonnie Dayan z”l Visual Art Awards. Winning pictures are on display in ICJA's front lobby through May 22.

Thank you to Harvey z”l and Yetta Saltzman for endowing this award in memory of their daughter, and for encouraging outstanding ICJA artists.

Pictured above: sophomores Lily Douek and Natan Miller and junior Jacob Friedman with Ms. Kathleen Kelly, alongside this year's winning pictures

Students learned about ICJA alumnus Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel, z"l '61.

On Thursday morning, students welcomed noted author and educator Rabbi Hanoch Teller back to ICJA.

Rabbi Teller entertained studetns with stories about ICJA alumnus Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel, z”l, ’61, former Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva. Afterwards, each student received a copy of Rabbi Teller’s biography of Rabbi Finkel, "For the Love of Torah: Stories and Insights of Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel z"l".

Thank you, Jeff Aeder and family, for sponsoring this wonderful gift for our students.

This week's learning dedications include

Tuesday, the 6th of Iyar, 5784, May 14, 2024, by Henry '73 and Lisa Goldberg, Jonathan '75 and Gelah Goldberg, and Devorah '79 and Alan Aranoff in loving memory of their mother Sonia Goldberg, a''h, שרה רות בת הרב חיים הלוי ע"ה, on the occasion of her second yahrzeit

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 "Connect with ICJA," our newest 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 our seniors participated in during their month-long Mission to Israel!

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.

Support ICJA's Annual Scholarship Fund and enter for the chance to win two tickets to Israel! Drawing will be June 28, 2024.

ICJA's Keter Yearbook

The 2023-2024 Yearbook is out! Click here to purchase a copy.

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.

The Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago invites the community to its Evening with the Stars. Join the ATT as it presents student awards at its Awards Presentation and Annual Meeting, on Wednesday evening, May 22, 2024, at Ida Crown Jewish Academy, 8233 Central Park, Skokie. The program will begin at 7:15 pm. For more information, call the ATT: 773-973-2828.

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 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.