Upcoming Events

• Friday, February 10 - Shabbat, February 11 - ICGC Shabbaton (see flyer below for more details) - Sign up here

• Monday, February 13 - Friday, February 17 - Jewish Though Seminars (in school)

• Tuesday, February 14 - Boys' Night Seder - 8-9pm at the Skokie Kollel (This is a recurring, weekly event every Tuesday and Thursday night when school is in session.)

• Thursday, February 16 - Boys' Night Seder - 8-9pm at the Skokie Kollel

• Monday, February 20 - Presidents' Day; ATT Conference - no classes

• Wednesday, February 22 - Sunday, February 26 - Ladies Aces' Varsity Basketball RASG Tournament, Miami

• Monday, March 6 - Ta'anit Esther - 2pm dismissal

• Tuesday, March 7 - Purim - no classes (To order an Academy Associates Purim e-card, click here.)

• Wednesday, March 8 - Shushan Purim

• Wednesday, March 8 - ICJA Takes the Stage girls' event: Annie at the Cadillac Theater, 7:30pm

• Wednesday, March 15 - ICJA Takes the Stage, Commemorating the Life of Batsheva Chaya Stadlan, z"l, generously sponsored by The Rella Klepak Foundation for Education in the Performing Arts, 7pm

• Tuesday, March 21 - Springboard Chicago's celebration of 18 Under 18 (including seniors Hadassah Bernstein and Hersh Linzer) at Pinstripes in Northbrook - click here to RSVP.

On Monday, students spent the morning engaged in chesed, before enjoying an ice skating party and lunch.

On Tu B'Shevat, Monday, February 6, students enjoyed the Ann Rita Schwartz, z"l Chesed Day. Students spent the morning learning about the diverse chesed opportunities in our community and working at chesed organizations throughout the Chicago area.

Students spent the morning volunteering at the Bikur Cholim Soup Kitchen at the Chicago Mitzvah Campaign, Bernie's Book Bank, the Chicago Center for Torah and Chesed, the Chicago Chesed Fund, the Ark, and Solu.

Thank you to the Schwartz Family for sponsoring this fabulous day of service.

Thanks also to Mrs. Alissa Zeffren for organizing the day's activities and to all the chaperones who helped make our Ann Rita Schwartz, z"l Chesed Day a success.

Pictured above: juniors Gabi Sander and Ilana Schwartz at the Bikur Cholim kitchen at Chicago Mitzvah Campaign

Pictured above: sophomores Kobi Engel and Yossi Burstyn at Bernie's Book Bank

Pictured above: freshman and sophomore boys sorting books during their visit to Bernie's Book Bank

Pictured above: sophomores Simcha Seruya, Sarah Lipson, Lilac Marcus and Simona Fridberg learning about homelessness and food scarcity and shopping for needy families with Solu

After a morning filled with chesed, students met at the Weber Center in Skokie, where they went ice-skating and enjoyed a gala fleishig lunch with dried fruit for dessert, in honor of Tu' B'Shevat.

Pictured above: senior Toibeh Sarah Gersten

Pictured above: juniors Joey Levy and Adam Katz enjoying lunch

Pictured above: freshmen Jack Marshall and Eli Fretzin

Pictured above: sophomores Rachel Sommer, Dana Kalutsky, freshman Mia Weiss and sophomore Ella Kakon

While most ICJA students participated in Ann Rita Schwartz, z"l Chesed Day, 22 ICJA students visited Chicago Hope Academy on the West Side.

As the Chesed program was going on, twenty-two students visited Chicago Hope Academy on the Near West Side. (The group picture is included here.)

Their tour began in Hope's athletic center with a presentation by Ike Muzikowski, the school's CEO and president/principal. He spoke with our kids about what it means to grow up on the West Side and the challenges the school faces in supporting the young men and women who attend the school. 

From there, students went to the academic building, a century old building a mile away, where our students toured the facility with Hope students, renewed acquaintances from when Hope came to ICJA, ate a lunch that ICJA provideed, and participated in an icebreaker activity. 

Pictured above: girls eating lunch together

Pictured above: learning about Hope Academy

Pictured above: boys eating lunch together

On Tuesday night, the JV Lady Aces clinched first place in the Chicago Prep Conference Championship.

Tuesday night, February 7, the Ladies JV Aces beat Chicago Hope Academy 22-23 to clinch First Place in the CPC Conference Championship.

The Ladies Aces were second place Champions in this year's Chicago Prep Conference.

Yasher kochachen to the Ladies Aces. In a hard fought game on Thursday night, the Ladies Aces lost to Hope Academy 48-41, but made history in the process as they cemented their place as 2nd place Champions in the Chicago Prep Conference.

Congratulations to senior Emma Felix and juniors Rena Neiger and Ilana Schwartz on being named all conference players.

ICJA Junior Ilana Schwartz is the 2022-23 Chicago Prep Conference Girls Basketball Player of the Year. 

Junior Ilana Schwartz has been named the 2022-23 Chicago Prep Conference Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Ilana averaged 17 points per game in conference and helped lead the Lady Aces to their first ever Chicago Prep Conference regular season championship.

Yasher kaoch to Ilana on her hard work and success this season!

Sophomores in Mrs. Marsha Arons's honors English class learned about recognizing implicit bias from former ICJA Board Chair Mrs. Michelle Friedman '75.

Sophomores in Mrs. Marsha Arons' English classes have been reading works addressing racial and other kinds of biases and discussing prejudice and bias in class.

This week, they had the chance to hear from Mrs. Michelle Friedman '75, a former ICJA Board President and the current Chair of the Board of Keshet. Mrs. Friedman discussed her personal experiences as a blind woman and her career working with people with disabilities, and offered students concrete tools they can use when speaking with and learning from people with disabilities.

Students will use Mrs. Friedman's tools and advice in their upcoming assignment, which is to research specific disabilities, interview someone with a disability, and write an essay about their interview subjects' experiences.

In this new class, students are using a Punnett Square to analyze the chances of passing along color blindness.

In the most recent addition to ICJA's course list, Dr. Rochelle Green, our Director of 21st Century Teaching, is offering a semester-long class on Jewish Genetics. In this first week, students learned how to use a Punnett Square, a graphical representation of the possible genotypes of an offspring arising from a particular breeding event.

Students flipped coins to determine whether a hypothetical parent possessed either homozygous or heterozygous genes for colorblindness (or for an absence of colorblindness). Students then determined the chances of any two parents' offspring having colorblindness.

The course has already garnered rave reviews. "It's really interesting to learn how everything factors into genetics." - senior Mika Gabay

Pictured above: senior Zachary Miller

Pictured above: seniors Mika Gabay and Danielle Cohen

Pictured above: seniors Adi Seruya and Rachel Adar

The Aces triumphed over Lycée Français 57-15 on Senior Night, Monday, February 6.

This Monday, February 6 was Aces Senior Night. The evening ended in victory for ICJA as five players ended their ICJA Aces career.

Pictured above: Noah Strahlberg, Yonatan Nudman, Adam Schwartz, Kenny Shapiro, and Josh Felix

Photot credit: junior Yonah Rubin

On Sunday, February 5, freshmen boys and dads davened at the Agudas Yisroel of West Rogers Park.

Last Sunday, February 5, freshmen and their family members davened at Agudas Yisroel of West Rogers Park. Rabbi Furest, Av Beit Din for Agudah, meet with our group after davening and answered questions from a wide range of topics including returning lost money in the school, reporting cheating, monetary damages caused while playing sports, a person who usually davens nusach ashkenaz who finds himself in a Sepharic shul, and more.

Rabbi Furest also gave divrei chizuk, encouraging us to be an “or l’goyim” by keeping the mitzvot and realizing one can’t lose by following halacha. 

Pictured above: Boaz Stopek with his siblings Uri and Levi and his grandfather, Edward Stopkek; Natan Rine and his father Mr. Yudi Rine; Eli Gelb with his father Dr. Mike Gelb; and Judah Well and his father Mr. David Well

Students analyzed financial outlooks for high tech firms.

Students in Dr. Gavriel Brown's New Media Class are creating research projects that evaluate the financial models and outlook of various popular high-tech companies.

Students are documenting companies' growth year on year

(Pictured here: senior Avi Zeller explaining how to create a revenue growth chart)

Pictured above: seniors Zach Goldberg, who is analyzing Roblox, and Charli Ernstein, who is analyzing WhatsApp

Pictured above: seniors Michal Bechhofer, and Carmel Schrebier, who are analyzing Wix

Sophomores are asked: How can you represent time using graphic design?

Sophomores in Mrs. Kathleen Kelly's art classes were challenged this week to depict "ime" in graphic design creations. Students had tight deadlines to come up with original designs, reflecting real-world conditions that professional graphic designers face.

Pictured above: Ami Czako and Gabe Aberman

Pictured above: Sarah Levitt and Sarah Lipson

Students compared and contrasted Yiftach and Avimelech.

This week in Mrs. Beth Pogonitz's freshman boys' Navi (Prophets) class, students reviewed the story of Yiftach in sefer Shoftim, in which Yiftach makes a foolish promise that, if he is successful in battle, he would bring the first thing that emerges from his house as a korban. Yiftach had expected to see an animal first, but to his dismay, his daughter is the first one who comes out to greet him.

Pictured above: Aidan Rich

Pictured above: Ben Rosenburg and Jack Marshall

ICJA's Model UN Team Competed in YUNMUN XXXIII.

This week, ICJA's Model UN team travelled to Connecticut to compete in the 33rd annual Yeshiva University Model UN (pictured here).

Students formed committees, built coalitions, and debated pressing international issues facing nations today.

Yasher koach to seniors Yaakov David, Phillip Maiman, Caleb Gutstein, and Josh Kupietzky, juniors Joseph Rothner, Jed Marcus, Ari Klein, Benji Lowenthal and Milo Benmelech, and sophomores Maytal Needle and Aliza Shyovitz, who spent months preparing and who competed in this national event.

Yasher koach to Wrestling Aces on IHSA Regional Tournament wins - and on peforming a Kiddush Hashem.

Last Friday, the ICJA Wrestling Team headed to Schiller Park for Shabbat ahead of IHSA Class 1A Melrose Park Regional Tournament at Walther Christian. In addition to their wrestling gear, the Aces packed a Sefer Torah and provisions for Shabbat meals. (Every region in the State of Illinios conducts its wrestling tournament on Saturday morning, except one: since 2007, the IHSA has mandated that the region to which Ida Crown is assigned must conduct its tournament on Saturday evening in order to permit the Aces to participate.  

The wrestlers conducted a spirited Shabbaton, complete with Moshe Osgood's stirring Carlebach-style Kabbalah Shabbat. After Havdalah, the Aces weighed in for the tournament. Five wrestlers ended the evening as place winners and the Aces secured a 6th place finish in the team standings.

Juniors Gabriel Klein (106) and Millo Benmelech (170) won second-place medals. Captain Sam Gurvich (145), Phil Maiman (160), and Gabe Simon (220) all finished in fourth place, just short of the medal stand. Sophomore Aidan Zuckerman (132), Junior Jacob Friedman (138), and Junior Dory Marshall (182) made it to the consolation semi-finals.

Senior Captain Menachem Reed (113) distinguished himself during the tournament. Menachem was paired in a consolation match against a girl from IC Catholic. This would have been an easy way for Menachem to win a bronze medal in his final appearance at the regional tournament; forfeiting would eliminate him from the tournament. Menachem graciously forfeited the match - and performed a Kiddish Hashem in the best tradition of ICJA athletics.  

The Aces will now turn their attention to preparing for the 26th Wittenberg Invitational Wrestling Tournament at The Frisch School over Presidents' Day Weekend. The Wittenberg Tournament, which serves as the championships for Jewish day schools across the country--returns after a two year COVID-induced hiatus.  

Pictured above: junior Gabe Klein winning Silver

Pictured above: junior Milo Benmelech winning Silver

Last Sunday, the Society of Patrons heard the latest news about ICJA.

Last Sunday, members of the Society of Patrons gathered to enjoy dinner together, watch comedian and ICJA alumnus Eli Lebowicz '07, hear the latest news about ICJA, and learn how charitable giving to ICJA's Annual Scholarship Campaign ensures that an ICJA education is available to all our student body.

For more information about joining ICJA's Society of Patrons, contact Mrs. Deva Zwelling, Director of Institutional Advancement.

Pictured above: ICJA parents Mr. Nathan and ICJA Board President Mrs. Julie Thomas

Pictured above: comedian Eli Lebowicz '07

Pictured above: ICJA parent Mr. Eitan Dallas and former ICJA parents Mrs. Brenda and Mr. Max Wasserman

This week we caught up with Mrs. Suzy Nussbaum, ICJA's Director of Admissions, and asked her a few questions about herself.

Every ICJA student has met her: Mrs. Suzy Nussbaum is the point person for students as they matriculate at Ida Crown, whether at the beginning of 9th grade or as transfer students later on. This week, we caught up with Mrs. Nussbaum and asked her a few questions about herself.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in West Rogers Park, attended the Academy; I was class of '81! I live in West Rogers Park today with my husband Mike (pictured here, with me). He's also an Academy grad - class of '76, the same as Rabbi Matanky! Four of my five kids went to ICJA, and my dad, Ray Stein, z"l, also went here. When my grandkids come here, IY"H, the'd be 4th generation Ida Crown students!

How did you decide to go into the field of education?

Education was always my passion, since I was a girl. I always wanted to be a teacher. I was a 3rd grade English teacher at Arie Crown from 2003 to 2018. Then I began working here at Ida Crown.

ICJA was always in my heart. When this opportunity arose, I thought: what better opportunity than to give back to this school that gave me so much?

What do you love most about working at ICJA?

There's so much! I love bringing in new students to the Ida Crown family. The excitement of seeing freshmen start school is the best feeling. I love the team I work with.

What are some of your favorite ICJA memories?

I love Yom ha'Atzmaut here in the school, when it really feels like we’re in Israel! I also love Freshman Orientation where the students come into the school all excited for the new year. 

Do you have any hobbies?

My hobby is my grandchildren. I have eight, and one more on the way!

Is there anything most people don't know about you that you'd ike to share?

Yes - my workout class is at 6:15 am, and it’s something I love to do.

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!

BeThis week's sponsors include:

Monday, the 15th of Shevat, 5783, February 6, 2023, by the Lennon & Meisel Families in loving memory of David Lennon, דוד זליג בן שרה והלל, ז׳׳ל

Tuesday, the 16th of Shevat, 578, February 7, 2023, by his friends and admirers at KCT, for a refuah shleima for Shaul ben Chana Leah,

בתוך שאר חולי ישראל

Wednesday, the 17th of Shevat, 5783, February 8, 2023, by Anonymous, in the merit of a refuah shleimah for גילה חנה בת מלכה רחל

Thursday, the 18th of Shevat, 5783, February 9, 2023, by Lesha Bellows Greengus and Samuel Greengus for a refuah shleima or Mr. Shael Bellows, שׁאול בן חנה לאה

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.

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 ites 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 Academy Associates with your Mishloach Manot this Purim!

We have opened submissions for this year's edition of Charlotte's Web, and we want to hear and see your work. Our theme this year is Time: Past, Present, and Future. However, please submit any piece of prose, poetry, or artwork even if it does not align with the theme. We will do our best to incorporate at least a part of it.

Click here to submit artwork and writing. If you have any questions, please email charlottesweb2223@gmail.com.

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

ATT proudly announces the winners of the 12th Annual Hartman Family Foundation Educator of the Year Awards: Mrs. Malka Loterstein (ACHDS) whose top award is in memory of Mrs. Gayle Anne Herwitz; Rabbi Ephraim Kletenik (YTT); and Mr. Chaim Safier (HT).

Awards are selected by a committee of educational consultants and community members. ATT and the Hartman Family Foundation hope the awarding of this prize not only recognizes three outstanding teachers in Chicago, but also elevates & ennobles the profession in the eyes of our community.

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.