Upcoming Events

• Friday, March 20 - Assembly with former US Rep. Ted Deutsch

• Friday, March 20 - Freshman Fridayton - Click here to register (Email Mr. Yona Bildner to discuss financial assistance)

• Wednesday, March 25 - PACT for freshmen

• Thursday, March 26 - ICJA Takes the Stage - Click here to register

• Monday, March 30 - Friday, April 10 - Passover Break

• Monday, April 13 - School Resumes

• Thursday, April 30 - Grandparents Day 9:00 am -11:15 am - Click here to register

Thursday, April 30 is Grandparents Day!

Click here to register.

Parents: we need your help. If you have not already done so, please provide your child(ren)'s grandparent(s) contact information here.

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Students learned about the Asher Yatzar prayer and received inspiration to perform mitzvot in memory of a much-loved member of the ICJA family.

On Tuesday morning this week, juniors gathered for an incredibly meaningful Yom Iyun in memory of ICJA parent Dr. Gail Ann (Berger) Darlow ’93, z”l.

Organized by junior Sophie Darlow, the entire junior grade learned about the tefillah אשר יצר, thanking G-d for our bodies functioning. Students explored this fundamental mitzvah's deeper meaning, as well as practical halachot associated with this mitzvah.

Students then created beautiful אשר יצר wall hangings to bring this tefillah into their homes.

Thank you to Sophie for organizing this incredible event, her family, and to Rabbi Reuven Brand, Rosh Kollel of the YU Torah Mitzion Kollel of Chicago, for leading such an inspiring learning experience.

May the learning and mitzvot of our students bring an aliyah to her neshama.

Pictured above: Mr. Craig Darlow and Sophie Darlow with Rabbi Mayer Simcha Stromer

Pictured above: Sophie Darlow during the event

Pictured above: Rabbi Brand discussing the morning's topic with students

Students celebrated Rosh Chodesh Nisan this week.

On Thursday this week, students celebrated Rosh Chodesh Nisan with special all-school davening, followed by candy generously sponsored by Malkie and Yechiel Mashiach, and doughnuts! It was a sweet way to start this new month - thank you to the Mashiach family for making it even sweeter.

Students in Rabbi Binyomin Segal's Chumash 10th Grade Chumash class "used up" their flour for Rosh Chodesh.

Sophomores in Rabbi Binyomin Segal's Chumash class marked Rosh Chodesh Nisan by "using up" their flour by making hand-made pasta.

Rabbi Segal taught students how to make authentic Italian pasta dough with flour, salt, eggs, and water. Students formed their own pasta, then dried it to cook later.

It was a fun way to have Rosh Chodesh fun - and a valuable cooking lesson.

Pictured here: Emmett Gelman with Rabbi Segal

Pictured above: Bennett Kroll

Pictured above: Shmuel Scharman

Pictured above: Yair Dreytser, Lior Kirschner, and Yaakov Lehrfield

Students discussed Ramban's observations about the life of Avraham.

Seniors in Mrs. Shira Jacobs's Chumash class are learning about the life of Avraham. This week, they read Ramban's famous comment that מעשה אבות סימן לבנים, the actions of the Avot are repeated later on by their descendants.

Students discussed ways in which Abraham's and Sarah's sojourn into Egypt mirrored the Jewish people's later descent into slavery in Egypt and their subsequent rescue.

Pictured above: Elie Cherney

Pictured above: Noah Lehrfield

Pictured above: Boaz Stopek

Students read original texts and discussed changes in thinking during the Renaissance period.

Freshmen in Mrs. Rachel Polsky's World History Class are learning about the Renaissance. This week, they examined the seismic change in thinking that accompanied Copernicus's work.

Students first examined a diagram showing the ancient philosopher Ptolemy's geocentric model of the solar system, which informed conventional wisdom in Europe until the Renaissance. Students then studied and discussed Copernicus's new heliocentric model, which showed the earth rotating around the sun.

Students discussed how these models differed and why Copernicus's model was seen as a challenge to the dominance of the ruling clerical authorities at the time.

Pictured above: Abi Rosenburg, Roland Rudnick, and Eitan Falk

Pictured above: Nina Groman and Shalom Laber

Pictured above: Netanya Frazin and Maddy Goltz

Students demonstrated their ability to chart different atomic structures.

Sophomores in Mr. Jonathan Keller's Chemistry class are learning about the Lewis structures of covalent substances.

This week they each charted the atomic structure of various substances. Leah Field was able to create the Lewis structure of water while Dalia Osgood was the first to create the Lewis structure of Hydrogen Cyanide. 

Pictured above: Lior Kirschner

Pictured above: Elior Ginsberg with Mr. Keller

When and how are you allowed to open a package on Shabbat?

Freshmen in Rabbi Meir Sears's Talmud class are learning Masechet Shabbat.

This week, students learned about when and how packages may be opened on Shabbat, from untying string to undoing wrappers.

Pictured above: Molly Fogel and Zamira Elias

Pictured above: Adela Schwartz and Daniella Sommer

Pictured above: Eden Salvadori

Students gave Hebrew-language presentations about clothing.

Freshmen in Mrs. Eliora Lavi's Hebrew class gave presentations about clothing this week.


After reading a Hebrew-language article about the history of clothes in Israel, students were challenged to research and describe the types of clothes that have been worn in the United States. Students created illustrated poster boards - then described their findings - all in Hebrew!

Pictured above: Levi Weiss

Pictured above: Asher Gelerinter

Pictured above: Eli Saltzman

Seniors created complex electronic items to aid in everyday tasks.

Students in Mr. Jonathan Keller's honors STEM class completed their distance - servo motor LCD project. The requirements were to create a device that would include a distance sensor, a motor and a display monitor that would be of use in society.

Ami Gavant (pictured here) and Aaron Katz created a smart parking assistant that had the distance sensor send a warning both as a verbal sound and a warning display on their monitor. The device also allowed the driver to set the distance of the device before it would send a signal.

Macks Kroll and Boaz Stopek created an automated garbage opener that would have the lid open up when you approach the garbage. When the garbage is full, a red LED will light up indicating to change the garbage.

Avi Rubin and Noam Hellman created a lie detector that would sense the nervous of the suspect and if the person was caught lying, have the motor swing a popsicle stick at the person's hand. 

(Pictured here: Ami Gavant delivering his presentation)

Pictured above: Avi Rubin and Noam Hellman

Pictured above: Ami Gavant and Aaron Katz

Pictured above: Boaz Stopek and Macks Kroll

Former Tanach and AJSP teacher Mrs. Miriam Jaffe returned to ICJA to teach junior and senior girls this week.

On Thursday this week, former Tanach and AJSP teacher Mrs. Miriam Jaffe - who taught at ICJA for 25 years and who is now the principal of Chedvas Bais Yaakov in Lakewood - returned to ICJA.

In an incredibly inspiring shiur given to junior and senior girls, Mrs. Jaffe discussed the deeper meanings of Hebrew terms such as Torah, mitzvah, chet, and teshuva, explaining how Judaism gives us the challenge - and the tools - to draw closer to G-d. Instead of thinking of mitzvot as a burden, chet as a "sin," and teshuva as a laborious process of repentance, Mrs. Jaffe encouraged students to look at the roots of these words and understand that these concepts are tools to infuse our lives with godliness.

Pictured here: juniors Ariella Titievsky and Sarah Leonard with Mrs. Jaffe

Freshmen boys and their relatives gathered at Agudas Yisrael of Peterson Park last Sunday.

Last Sunday, freshmen boys and their relatives gathered together at Agudas Yisrael of Peterson Park as part of our Veshinantam Levanecha program. Each Sunday, freshmen and their relatives come together at Chicago-area shuls for davening, learning, breakfast, and camaraderie. After davening on Sunday, students and fathers got to ask Rabbi Fuerst halachic questions in a fascinating, wide-ranging discussion.

This weekly program is run by award-winning Tanach teacher and freshman boys' rebbe Rabbi Louis Fliegelman.

Contact Rabbi Louis Fliegelman to learn more or to join these weekly visits.

This week we caught up with ICJA's math teacher and asked him a few questions about himself.

This is Mr. Jason Paraskevopoulos's second year teaching math at ICJA. We caught up with him this week and asked him a few questions about himself.

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

I grew up in Durban in South Africa. I met my wife Kendra when she was student teaching in South Africa. We dated long-distance, then when I finished school I moved here; the year after that we got married.

Today we live in Glenview with our kids Nicholas, who's 12, and Daniella, who's 9.

How did you decide to become a math teacher?

Originally, I thought I would become a research chemist. I attended the University of Kwazulu-Natal and completed both Bachelor's and a Master's degrees in Chemistry.

When I moved here I began tutoring math, and began working here last year.

What do you enjoy about teaching here at ICJA?

I really enjoy teaching: the best moment is when you have a student who thinks they can't do something then they learn it and understand it.

Do you have a favorite ICJA memory?

I enjoy working with the other teachers in the math department; it's nice to collaborate and work together. I also really enjoyed the Crown Prints article that Yaffa Hoberman wrote about me last year!

Do you have any hobbies?

We bought a house that we're fixing up; there are lots of house projects to do, so that's sort of become a hobby of mine. I also enjoy playing online video games with my friends. They're in New Zealand and South Africa, so it's nice to connect that way. I also enjoy watching Formula One racing.

What advice do you have?

The best way to learn is by trying to do something, regardless of whether you know ahead of time if it will work or not.

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

Watch our new 2025-6 Prospective Student Video!

Know a student who would like to learn more about ICJA? Send them our new 2025-6 Prospective Student Video! Click on the image below to watch.

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.

Parents: there are still slots to sign up to supervise lunch ball! This is a fun way to earn Give-Get. Parents are present in the gym during 5th and 6th periods while students play basketball, overseeing this fun daily event.

Volunteers earn $30 in Give-Get credit each day.

Join our Alumni Facebook Group

We are excited to announce that we have a 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 annual ICJA Israel Connect directory is out.

Last summer, ICJA gave its Class of '25 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.