Upcoming Events

• Thursday, May 4 - Wednesday, May 10 - Boys' Baseball Chicago Prep Conference Tournament

• Motzei Shabbat, May 6 - Motzei Shabbat, May 13 - Girls' Varsity Soccer IHSA Regionals

• Monday, May 8 - "Academy Sports Academy," a weekly workshop for boys ages 10-17 at ICJA (see flyer below for more details) - 5:45-7:15pm

• Tuesday, May 9 - Lag B'Omer

• Tuesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 11 - Boys' Night Seder @Skokie Kollel - 8pm (This a biweekly, recurring activity when school is in session.)

• Wednesday, May 10 - Charlotte's Web Presentation (see flyer below) - 6pm

• Thursday, May 11 - Oratory Fair (see flyer below) - 6pm



• Tuesday, May 16 - CIJE Innovation Fair @ICJA (see flyer below)

• Friday, May 19 - Yom Yerushalayim

• Sunday, May 21 - Concert for Women and Girls with Israeli Singing Sensation Inbar Tabib '95 - 7:30pm (There is no charge but registration is required - click here to register.)

• Sunday, May 21 - Tuesday, May 23 - Columbus Baseball Tournament

• Friday, May 26 - Saturday, May 27 - Shavuot Break

• Monday, May 28 - Memorial Day (no school)

• Thursday, May 30 - Thursday, June 1 - Senior Retreat - click here to sign up (To discuss financial assistance for this event, please email Michael London, mlondon@icja.org.)

• Sunday, June 4 - Graduation - 1pm

• Monday, June 12 - Edward A. Crown Scholarship Dinner - click here to register

ICJA newest team cleaned up at the USA Chidon Ha-Tanach finals last Sunday, winning 1st, 2nd, 5th, 12th, and Honorable Mentions (and scoring higher than any other school in the country)!

Yasher koach to ICJA's newest team, formed entirely by students this year, the ICJA Chidon Ha-Tanach team, led by its captains, sophomores Levi Polsky and Aliza Shyovitz, and faculty advisor Dr. Gavriel Brown.

All eight team members qualified for the Nationals last Sunday in New York. Once there, ICJA placed better than any other school in the country.

Yasher koach to junior Aidan Novick, who won 1st place in the 12th grade category, and to senior Michal Bechhofer, who took 2nd place in the same category.

Yasher koach to sophomore and team co-capitain Aliza Shyovitz, for placing 5th in the 9th-11th grade category, to freshman Penina Benjamin for placing 12th and to freshman Ami Gavant for being named a National Finalist.

Pictured above: 1st Place Winner, junior Aiden Noick

Pictured above: 2nd Place Winner, senior Michal Bechhofer

Pictured above: 5th Place Winner team co-captain, sophomore Aliza Shyovitz

Pictured above: 12th Place Winner, freshman Penina Benjamin

Pictured above: National Finalist Winner, freshman Ami Gavant

After learning Devarim, students catalogued mitzvot in Ki Teytzey, and chose a mitzvah to research and present to their peers.

Students in Mrs. Alise Gold's junior girls' Chumash class have been learning Sefer Devarim. When learning Parshat Ki Tetzeh, students catalogued each mitzvah in the parsha, then each chose one to research in depth.

This week, students presented their research, discussing their chosen mitzvah in light of the psak, Rashi, Ibn' Ezra, the Sefer HaChinuch, and modern thinkers. As each student discussed their mitzvah, their fellow students took notes and wrote about how each mitzvah ato their own life.

Pictured above: Nava Cohen discussing the rules regarding remaariage

Pictured above: Sofia Douek discussing Tza'arat

Pictured above: Elana Druk discussing the mitvah of ribit (not charging interest)

Mrs. Gleicher's and Mrs. Pogonitz's Biology classes combined this week to discuss and model cell division.

On Tuesday this week, students in Mrs. Ruth Gleicher's and Mrs. Beth Pogonitz's Biology classes held a joint class in which they learned about different forms of cell division. Students discussed which sorts of cells divide by mitosis and which by myosis, and used beads and dry erase crayons to model these processes.

Pictured above: Jesse Goldberg and Michael Matveyev

Pictured above: Esti Mora, Yaffa Hoberman, and Aaron Katz

Pictured above: Yair Bell and Eli Fretzin

Some seniors advertised their future colleges on May 1, college decision day.

Monday, May 1, was seniors' deadline for committing to college: some seniors celebrated the day with swag from their future schools. Yasher koach to our seniors on planning fantastic futures next year and beyond, IY"H!

Pictured above: Noah Strahlberg (YU), Josh Kupietzky (NYU), Andrew Bersson (Maryland), Audrey Perlman (FIT), Carmel Schreiber (IDC-Herzliya), Shayna Tarshish (Binghamton), and Nechama Tarshish (Touro)

On Tuesday, over 120 grandparents visited our school, joining grandchildren for lunch and classroom visits.

On Tuesday, May 2, over 120 ICJA grandparents visited our school for Grandparents Day. After a tour of the building led by Rabbi Leonard Matanky (pictured here), visiting grandparents joined their grandchildren for a gala lunch in the gym.

Grandparents Day co-chairs Cheryl '77 and Dr. Gary Hoberman shared some thoughts with grandparents and students, then Mrs. Lynn Kraft led a mini shiur about the importance of grandparents teaching Torah to their grandchildren.

After lunch, grandparents had the option of accompanying their grandkids to 7th period classes. Each grandparent received an ICJA watch and a folding lawnchair as a souvenir.

Thank you to co-chairs Cheryl and Gary Hoberman, and to Deva Zwelling for coordinating the entire day's events. Thank you also to Mrs. Lynn Kraft for teaching, to Rabbi Binyomin Segal for his AV support, and to all ICJA staff who helped make this a wonderful event.

Pictured above: junior Joseph Rothner with his grandmother Elaine Rothner

Pictured above: freshman Yaffa Hoberman with her grandmother Cheryl Hoberman

Pictured above: sophomore Menachem Friedman with his grandmother Penny Fisher

Pictured above: freshman Ben Rosenburg with his grandmother Risha Rosenburg

Pictured above: senior Nechama Tarshish with her grandfather

Pictured above: sophomore Yardana Schayer with her grandparents Steven and Bobbie Schayer

Pictured above: freshman Dassy Belsky with her grandmother Chana Belsky

Pictured above: senior Andrew Bersson with his grandparents Anna and Myron Moscovitch

Pictured above: sophomore Rachel Sommer with her grandparents Miriam and Marc Sommer and Dorit and Sam Flatt

Last Sunday, freshman boys and their fathers were invited to daven together at Congregation Adas Bnei Yisrel.

Last Sunday, students and family gathered at Congregation Adas Bnei Yisroel in Peterson Park, where they enjoyed davening then breakfast and learning with Rabbi Moshe Kaufman, who discussed Sefirat Ha'Omer.

Pictured above: Dr. Robert Rubin, Avi Rubin, Josh Miller, Mr. David Miller, Rabbi Moshe Kaufman, Aaron Katz, Mr. Lev Katz, Max Gorenstein, Mr. Joel Gorenstein, and Rabbi Louis Fliegelman

What can we learn from Moshe's hesitation when Hashem asked him to approach Pharaoh?

Freshmen in Rabbi Shmuel Kurtz's boys' Chumash class are learning Sefer Shemot, and this week they discussed Rashi's explanations of why Moshe hesitated to approach Pharaoh.

Rabbi Kurtz used the analogy of the Mission Impossible tagline: "your mission, if you choose to accept it...." to spark a discussion about ways that students can embrace challenges in their own lives.

Pictured above:Josh Miller

Pictured above: Gabe Boshes

Pictured above: Max Gorenstein

Students enjoyed high-spirited discussions about fashion - all in Hebrew.

This week, sophomore and junior girls in Mrs. Shelley Stopek's Hebrew class conducted a series of high-spirited, Hebrew-language discussions about clothes. Students divided into groups to design outfits, then describe their creations to their peers.

Pictured above: sophomores Ariela Bielak, Nina Ripstein, and Dana Kalutsky

Pictured above: juniors Elana Druk, Leeya Starck, and Nava Cohen following their presentation

Pictured above: sophomore Eliana Ebert with her designs

With AP Exams taking place this week and next, ICJA teachers have been running intense study sessions.

Students have been studying hard for AP exams as ICJA teachers run intense (and sometimes very creative) review sessions.

Pictured above: after several review sessions at the home of AP English teacher Mrs. Tirza Kahan, students gathered last Sunday at the home of junior Joseph Rothner to study

Pictured above: students reviewing for AP Computer Science being treated to buffet of lox and bagels, pastries, snacks and drinks by Rabbi Binyamin Segal

Pictured above: juniors reviewing for APUSH being treated to sushi and doughnuts by Mr. Joshua Cooper

This week we caught up with ICJA's busy Administrative Assistant Ms. Carol Nyland, and asked her a few questions about herself.

Her smiling face and caring comments greet students and teachers alike each morning - and her wishes "Have a Great Day!" accompany her daily schedule emails. This week, we caught up with Ms. Carol Nyland and asked her a few questions about herself.

Where did you grow up?

Skokie. I went to Middleton and Niles North! And then at 17 I moved to Las Vegas and went to UNLV, earning my bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

Where do you live now?

I live in Skokie with my husband Kevin and my two dogs, Samson and Maggie.

What do you like about working at ICJA?

The students! I like the students and staff and the family atmosphere here.

What is your favorite ICJA memory?

Rabbi Matanky on a camel!

Do you have any hobbies?

I used to play guitar quite a bit. Now I like listening to music and going to performances and seeing live music. I also like fishing, cooking, reading, and spending time with my grandchildren, Kyle (5) and Thea (2 months)! I also love to travel. Puerta Vallarta in Mexico is one of my favorite places to visit.

Do you have any advice you’d like to give students?

I have so much advice! But most importantly, be kind!

We're accepting donations of gently-used uniform items at the front desk.

We are collecting gently-used ICJA uniform items for our Uniform Exchange. This program allows students to purchase low-cost used uniform clothing, raising money for ICJA's Parent Academy Associates, and eliminating waste and the amount of clothing that goes into landfills.

If you would like to donate, please bring your gently used items to the front office. Thank you.

This week's sponsors include:

Tuesday, the 11th of Iyar, 5783, May 2, 2023, by Juli, Dean, Malkaya, Chanan, Ronia and Yair Bell in loving memory of Brett Scott Harrison, a''h

חיים בן דוב בער, on the occasion of his first yahrzeit

For more information or 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 this year's 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.

Watch Rabbi Berel Wein's '50 inspiring remarks at the ICJA Israel Reunion, Jerusalem, November 2022!

Watch highlights of our inspiring Israel Reunion, Jerusalem, November 2022!

Be sure to pick up your updated ICJA Learning Commons passwords to access books and journals online!

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.

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 17, 2023, at Ida Crown Jewish Academy, 8233 Central Park Avenue, Skokie. The program will begin at 7:15 pm. For more information, call the ATT: 773-973-2828.

Student Internship Opportunities

The YU Torah Mitzion Kollel is looking to hire 2 interns: one to help with program logistics and general office work and one for technology.

Program Logistics Intern

Responsibilities include: grocery shopping for events, ordering food for events, and stuffing envelopes for mailings. The work will be on an as needed basis, generally requiring no more than 2 hours on any given week.

Intern will report directly to the Director of Operations, who will meet with the intern periodically to explain assignments.  

Intern must have access to a vehicle.

Technology intern

Responsibilities include: Editing Audio and video clips, uploading media to Youtube and Podcasts, possibly some data entry. This position will include approximately 1 hour of tasks per week.

Intern will report directly to the Director of Operations, who will meet with the intern periodically to explain assignments.  

Familiarity with any form of editing software a plus but not required.

For more information or to apply, please contact Tracy Schultz, Director of Operations, admin@torahchicago.org

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.