Upcoming Events

• Friday, December 22, 2023 - January 2, 2024 - Winter Break - no classes

• Wednesday, January 3, 2024 - Classes resume

• Sunday, December 17, 2023 - Thursday, January 11, 2024 - ICJA Senior Class Mission to Israel

• Thursday, January 11, 2024 - Bader Hillel vs. ICJA Aces @Fiserv Forum home of the Milwaukee Bucks

Wishing all ICJA students a wonderful Winter Break. We will see you again IY"H on Wednesday, January 3, 2024!

Please let us know if you know any families in the Chicago area where a parent left to fight in the war and could use some support from ICJA students (babysitting, playtime, homework help, etc.). Click here and complete the form; we will contact the family to see how we can help.

Seniors have been volunteering in Israel and Chicago, helping their fellow Jews.

Over three dozen ICJA seniors landed in Israel on Monday and went straight to the Kotel (pictured here) before settling into their accommodations in Kibbutz Kfar Etzion.

Seniors in Israel have been working pruning trees, weeding a vineyard, picking olives, packing meals for chayalim to eat on Shabbat, and more. The appreciation they have received from the Israelis they're helping has been touching. As well as providing much-needed farm work, our students are sending a message to Medinat Yisrael that they are not alone and that Jews as far away as Chicago stand with them.

Follow the seniors activities in Israel on Insagram at @icjainisrael

Seniors who were not able to travel to Israel are working hard to help klal Yisrael here in Chicago. On Wednesday, seniors volunteered at the Bikur Cholim kitchen, preparing meals that will be delivered to needy recipients throughout Chicago this Shabbat. Afterwards, students enjoyed lunch at Sandwich Club. Thank you to Mrs. Alissa Zeffren and Ms. Sheri Goldstein for chaperoning this event.

Sophomores reviewed Gemaras about Chanukah.

Where should you light a channukiah? With what brachot? When should you include an extra light? From which activities ought one to refrain on Chanukah? Which activities are allowed and which are prohibited while the chanuukiah burns?

Sophomores in Rabbi Gutstein's Talmud class learned these and other mitzvot during Chanukah last week; this week, they reviewed and prepared for a test on the subject.

Pictured above: Josh Miller

Pictured above: Avi Rubin

Pictured above: Noah Lehrfield and Aaron Katz

Students are learning the laws of shofar.

Students in Rabbi Matanky's Talmud class might be missing some of their classmates and their teacher, who are volunteering in Israel, but they made the most of their time and substitute teacher Rabbi Zev Drutman this week.

Ahead of a test on the laws of shofar, which they've been learning, students studied b'chavruta this week.

Pictured above: juniors Daria Lennon and Talia Linzer

Pictured above: juniors Hadar Simkovich and Nava Dreytser

Pictured above: junior Tali Weiss

Students are choreographing and practicing dance numbers for the Springtime show.

ICJA Takes the Stage isn't util the Spring - at a date still to be determined - but preparations for the gala show are in full swing. Juniors Emily Darlow, Dana Kalutsky, Ella Perlman, and Ella Kakon (pictured here) are choreographing dance numbers and teaching them to their peers.

Students learned why CO2 creates acidic conditions and what effect this has on living organisms.

Freshmen in Ms. Ruth Gleicher's Biology class learned about pH this week, including what molecular changes make items acidic or basic, and how to measure substances on the pH scale.

In a fun demonstration, Mrs. Gleicher blew into pH indicators using a straw, as students observed the indicator turn yellow, meaning the solution became acidic (pictured here). Students then discussed the effects of acidic environments on living organisms.

Pictured above: Ariella Titievsky, Archer Gradstein, and Yakira Wittlin

Pictured above: Hillel Lennon, Maya Kutliroff, and Caleb Novick

Pictured above: Jacob Thomas, Livia Baronofsky, and Orli Lubin

Students are using their skills to analyze children's books.

Sophomores in Mrs. Michelle Prince's English class are preparing to read The Little Prince over Winter Break. To help them learn how to analyze a children's book using adult literary tools, students practiced with other children's books this week, writing character sketches and discussing literary techniques in some popular fun books.

Pictured above: Jessica Michaeli, Devorah Kaplowitz, and Alyssa Blumberg

Pictured above: Elisheva Deangelis, ayden Perlman, and Elie Cherney

Pictured above: Aidan Jones and Dani Allswag confer with Mrs. Prince

Students discussed King Ahav's encounter with the Prophet Elijah.

Juniors in Rabbi Shmuel Oren’s junior boys’ Navi class are learning Melachim Alef 18, in which the wicked King Asaf confronts the prophet Elijah and accuses him of being the oker, the “troublemaker”, of Israel. 

Students discussed the irony of Asaf accusing Elijah of being the source of Israel’s troubles. Avi Chen pointed out that Asaf can think of Elijah as evil only because Asaf is willfully blind to his own faults and role in Israel’s trouble and seems to be projecting them onto Elijah instead. Avner Frazin pointed out some of Asaf’s evil actions, including trying to kill some of the greatest rabbis of the time (who were later hidden by the prophet Ovadia).

Pictured above: Aidan Zukerman and Jacob Friedman

Pictured above: Dina Gottlieb and Esther Fretzin

Pictured above: Yitzchak Bock and Aaron Hartman

Students are creating multimedia presentations about the Shemona Esrei.

Freshmen in Rabbi Louis Fliegelman's Talmud class have been learning about Shemona Esrei. This week they worked with their chavrutot to create power point presentations about the various blessings in the Shemona Esrei.

Pictured above: Eliana Frankel and Iyla Friedman working on a slide discussing how maaseh avot siman banim: what occurred in the lives of the Avot and Imahot impacts us today

Faigie Bock and Arioana Needle working on their slide structure reflecting the three sections of the Shemona Esrei: praise, requests, and thanks

Pictured above: Mashi Perkins and Zahava Volkov working on a slide about praising Hashem for connecting us to our forefathers

Juniors discussed the challenges Abraham Lincoln faced immediately after his election in 1860.

This week, juniors in Mr. Cooper’s US History class held a lively class discussion about President Lincoln's position at the start of his presidency.

Students noted that the Confederacy was created between Lincoln’s election and his inauguration, giving him a huge problem to address the moment he became president. They discussed the threat of inviting foreign attacks, weakening the concept of democracy abroad, and temptations for other states to secede that the Confederacy created.

Pictured above: Toby Burstyn and Ami Czeko

Pictured above: Simone Fridburg

Pictured above: Lea Ackerman and Lilac Marcus

Students learned with YU Mitzion Kollel Fellows.

Freshmen in Mr. Kobi Greenfield's Talmud class are learning Masechet Brachot. This week they took advantage of the YU Torah Mitzion's location inside ICJA to review with some of the Kollel fellows.

Pictured above: William Moscovitch, Megill Hamieri, and Levi Madoff learn with Rabbi Ephraim Wiesenberg

Pictured above: Ami Appel, Gabriel Nudman, and Ryan Angus learn with Yehuda Rosenberg

Pictured above: Bentzion Beiles, Matar Chill, and Noah Ehrlich learn with Rabbi Yair Lichtman

This week's Learning Dedications include the following:

Monday, the 6th of Tevet 5784, December 18, 2023, through Friday, the 10th of Tevet 5784, December 22, 2023, by Cynthia A. Levin, Justine and Petachya Allerhand, and Tomy and Lily, in loving memory of Jennifer Levin Kaplan '89, z"l, for her 21st yahrzeit on the 13th of Tevet

If you would like to sponsor a Day of Learning for a different soldier, please contact our Director of Development, Deva Zwelling, at (773) 973-1450 ext. 115, or dzwelling@icja.org.

Watch "Connect with ICJA," our video

for prospective students - and share it with people you know who'd like to learn more about ICJA!

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.

Thank you to all those who donated to our Rosh Hashana Appeal. 5784 is off to a great start for Ida Crown and we are so grateful for our generous community members who support our Annual Scholarship Fund.

We are still hoping to achieve 100% parent involvement; if you have not already donated, please use the link below to give. Your contribution helps ensure no child is denied a Jewish education due to lack of funds.

Calling all 3^rd – 12^th grade students attending an ATT school! It’s time for the Pogrund Family Essay and Judaic Artwork contests! Demonstrate your writing and/or art skills as you explore a Judaic topic. Winners receive a $50.00 check. Deadline for art/essay submission is Wednesday, January 17, 2024. FOR ESSAY/ARTWORK RULES AND GUIDELINES, visit www.att.org → For Students or call ATT at 773-973-2828.

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.