Upcoming Events

• Tuesay, November 8 - Seminary Fair

• Friday, November 11 - End of First Quarter

• Friday, November 11 - Junior-Senior Fridayton (see flyer below for more information; click here to sign upr)

• Thursday, November 16 - Prospective Students Open House (see flyer below for more information; click here to register)

• Sunday, November 13 - Parent Teacher Conferences

• Sunday, November 27 - ICJA Israel reunion, Jerusalem (see flyer below fore more information; click here to sign up)



• Friday, December 2 - Saturday, December 3 - Senior Shabbaton

This week, students heard from award-winning journalist Zvika Klein about Jewish issues around the world.

On Thursday, October 27, Zvika Klein, Jewish World analyst for The Jerusalem Post, visited ICJA and shared some of his fascinating stories about reporting on Jewish life.

Mr. Klein is considered one of the world's top journalists specializing in Jewish Diaspora affairs. He previously served as advisor to Israel's president's office on Israel-Jewish diaspora relations 

His article "10 hours of fear and loathing in Paris" became viral, and his video, showing a 10-hour walk in Paris wearing a Kippah, received millions of views. Mr. Klein shared his memories of creating this video, as well as what it was like to cover the refugee story in Ukraine, anti-Semitic terror attacks in France, the American Jewish community, and next week's Israeli election.

Asked what one of his most impactful recent assignments has been, Mr. Klein told students "(covering) Ukraine was inspiring - the fact that the whole Jewish world mobilized" to help refugees changed the way he looked at global Jewry.

Pictured above: senior Kayla Kupietzky speaking with Zvika Klein

Pictured above: junior Yitzchak Mishkin wpeaking with Zvika Klein

On Wednesday, Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, ICGC held its first Rosh Chabura for ICJA girls during lunch.

This week on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, the ICGC Inspiration Committee organized its first-ever Rosh Chodesh Chabura! Students enjoyed a pizza lunch, listened to an inspirational dvar Torah about renewal by seniors Michal Bechhofer and Toibeh Sarah Gersten and had a chance to socialize and have fun in a different setting. 

Yaasher kochachen to all the students who organized this meaningful event.

ICGC is generously supported by a grant from The Walder Foundation.

Students met with journalist Zvika Klein and discussed coverage of Kanye West's anti-Semitic outbursts.

Following Zvika Klein's talk to the entire student body, students in New Media and Communications met with Mr. Klein to talk about journalistic best practice. Students asked him about the coverage of Kanye West and heard how Mr. Klein and other journalists have been writing about this pressing issue.

Pictured above: Zvika Klein speaking with the class

Pictured above: senior Tehila Weiner asking a question

This week, our Mechanchim hosted the year's first Night Seder for ICJA boys.

This week, dozens of ICJA students attended the year's first night seder, organized by our Mechanchim Rabbi Mayer Simcha Stromer and Rabbi Menachem Rosenbaum. Students enjoyed snacks and drinks together and learned b'chavurah.

ICGC's Mechanchim program is generously sponsored

by Natalie Schleifer of the Jack P. Schleifer Foundation.

Students rehearsed scenes from Antigone by Sophocles.

This week sophomores in Mrs. Arons' honors English class began to act out scenes from Antigone.  After dividing into small groups, students discussed their scenes, planning how they would read their lines and stage their portions of the play.

Pictured above: Talia Linzer and Daria Lennon

Pictured above: Toby Burstyn, Elisha Shpayher and Avi Meyer

Pictured above: Eliana Levine, Aliza Shyovitz and Lauren Fensterheim

Pictured above: Levi Polsky, Allie Stein and Nava Dreyster

Each day, students sing the names of the books of the Tanach as they get ready to start class.

In Rabbi Michael Myers' freshmen boys' honors Chumash (Bible) class, students are learning Sefer Shemot.  Yet some of their learning takes place before the boys even take their seats.  Each morning, as they enter their classroom, take out their Chumashim and sit down, students sing a beautiful song whose words comprise the books in the Tanach (the 24 Books of the Hebrew Bible), helping them to remember their order awhile fostering a beautiful class spirit.

Students parsed the meanings of תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ

with the aid of a Hebrew Concordance.

The Chumash describes the early moments of creation as characterized by תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ, sometimes translated as "void and waste" - but what do these words actually mean? This week, students in Mrs. Lynn Kraft's senior girls' honors Chumash class spent time examining each instance of the words תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ in the Chumash, comparing and contrasting their various meanings and nuances.

Pictured above: Mrs. Kraft explaining how to use various Jewish Concordances, works which every place a given word is used in the Tanach and in other Jewish works

Pictured above: Gabrielle Rosenzweig and Dena Simon-Hakalir discussing a passage

Students learned the Malbim's discussions on the differences between the words תְּהִלָּה and שָׁבַח.

Students in Rabbi Shlomo Rosen's sophomore boys' Chumash class are delving into Psalm 145. This week they took a closer look at two words connected to the Psalm. תְּהִלָּה and שָׁבַח. can both be translated as "praise" in English; students learned how the Malbim discussed these words and the nuances of how they're used in Tanach.

Pictured above: Zev Margolin

Pictured above: Aaron Hartman

Which solution was likely to have been the digested stomach contents of a carnivore?

And which was likely from an herbivore?

Students have been learning about the nutrition and macromolecules (polymers made of smaller molecules such as proteins, lipids and carbohydrates.) This week, students took their knowledge to the next step.

They tested two different solutions, then determined which macromolecules were present in each solution. Based on that, students were able to determine which of the solutions was likely to have been the digested stomach contents of a carnivore, and which solution was the digested stomach contents of an herbivore.

Pictured above: Jonah Strahlberg, Yair Bell, Eli Cherney, Ben Rosenburg

Pictured above: Yoshi Bernstein, Judah Well, Jack Marshall

This week several ICJA students gathered together during lunch to prepare for the Chidon Ha'Tanach Bible Quiz.

Several ICJA students have decided to participate in the 2022-3 Chidon Ha'Tanach, the international Bible contest which culminates in a publicly broadcast contest between the world's top contenders in Jerusalem on Yom Ha'Atzmaut.

This week, students gave up their lunch period to work together and prepare.

Pictured above: sophomore Meital Witlin

Pictured above: freshman Yedidya Bechhofer

This week we caught up with therapist Mrs. Abby Goldsmith, LSW, who is providing maternity leave cover for ICJA therapist Mrs. Julie Avner, LPC.

While ICJA therapist Mrs. Julie Avner, LPC is on maternity leave, Mrs. Abby Goldsmith, LSW is working with students (along with Mr. Phil Zbaraz, LCPC, CCATP, Director of Student Social Services). This week we caught up with Mrs. Goldsmith and asked her a few questions about herself.

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

I grew up in Skokie and attended Ida Crown! I graduated in the class of 2005. Today I live in Skokie with my husband and two sons.

How did you decide to go into social work? And how have you enjoyed working at ICJA?

I went into social work because I like interacting with others, and I'm a good listener. I wanted to help people. I recently started working here at Ida Crown. I really like the students I've met so far, and the faculty. Everyone's been so nice and welcoming.

What’s a favorite ICJA memory?

My best friends today are my best friends from Ida Crown!

Do you have any hobbies?

I enjoy exercising and walking. I spend a lot of time taking care of my kids, but I make time for reading too.

Mrs. Goldsmith is working in Mrs. Avner's office just off the cafeteria and would love to meet more ICJA students. Stop in and say hello!

• Lev Hatorah - November 15, 5th period

• Bar Ilan - November 7, 5th period

• Atzmona Otzem - November 15, Breakfast

• Netziv Aryeh - November 10, breakfast

• Reisheit - November 3, 6th period

• Migdal Hatorah - November 1, 6th period

• TVA - November 18, breakfast

• Mevaseret - November 28, 5th/6th periods

• Orayta - November 16, 5th/6th periods

• Derech Eitz Chaim - November 16, breakfast

• Eretz Hatzvi - November 9, breakfast

• Hakotel - December 12th, 5th/6th periods

• Mechina Keshet Yehuda - December 14, breakfast

• Shaalvim - December 7, 5th/6th periods

Wednesday, Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, 5783 and Thursday, the 2nd of Cheshvan, 5783, October 26 and 27, 2022, Adele Feldman, Sharon and Jonathan Levine, Ilana and Howard Karesh and  Aviva and Dov Katz and  Families in loving memory of Arthur Feldman, z”l, אליהו העניך בן אהרן שלמה, in commemoration of his 20th Yahrtzeit

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.

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.

Charlotte's Web is funded by a grant from The Susan and Joseph Ament Fund.

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.