Each year students across Illinois are invited to read a book of their choice then write a letter to the author explaining why their work was impactful. Out of thousands of entries annually, ICJA students have won first place in Illinois’ statewide contest two years running.

This year’s First Place Winner is ICJA Junior Joshua Kupietzky, for his letter to Primo Levi, author of Survival in Auschwitz. In his winning letter, Joshua described how the book moved him to investigate his own family history: “After reading your book, I…asked my Grandfather to tell me about his father’s life during the Holocaust… I learned that after trying to escape France, he was sent to Auschwitz and only survived through his courage to escape.”

In addition to Josh Kupietzky’s First Place award, seven other ICJA juniors received awards. ICJA juniors Ben Boyarskiy, Samuel Gurvich and Adina Margolin were named Semi-Finalists. Phillip Maiman, Kayla Kupietzky and Emma Felix received Honorable Mentions.

This year’s Illinois Letters About Literature awards was granted in an in-person ceremony led by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White on May 12, 2022 in Springfield, IL.

Last year’s First Place statewide Letters About Literature winner was ICJA senior Sarah Friedman, who wrote to Jean-Dominique Bauby, author of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. In 2008, the First Place Winner was ICJA student Amy Nathan, who wrote to Mitch Albom about his book Tuesdays with Morrie.

ICJA’s winning entries were submitted to the Statewide contest by Mrs Tirza Kahan. She feels that Letters About Literature’s challenge that students write to a favorite author strengthens students’ writing. “It teaches them to write to a purpose, and to an audience,” Mrs. Kahan explains; “Writing for an audience is what writing is all about.”

Letters About Literature is sponsored by the Library of Congress and runs in all 50 states. It has been holding annual contests each year for 30 years: over one million students have submitted letters in that time. Students in grades 4-12 are eligible to submit letters. ICJA’s students competed in the High School Division.

Pictured Above (left to right): juniors Joshua Kupietzky, Samuel Gurvich, Benjamin Boyarskiy, Phillip Maiman, Mrs. Tirza Kahan, juniors Hadassah Bernstein, Adina Margolin, Kayla Kupietzky and Emma Felix

In Mrs. Wainkrantz's senior girls' Honors Prophets class, students are learning Aishet Chayil, King Solomon's ideal "Woman of Valor."

This week, students discussed the pasuk describing how the Aishet Chayil makes fine clothing: "She seeks wool and flax and works willingly with her hands" (Proverbs 31:13).

Mrs. Wainkrantz explained the deeper meanings of this pasuk and that it's possible to emulate this quality of seeking out materials and fashioning them into something useful and good in our own lives, no matter what our circumstances.

This quality is possible to emulate "whether you're a wife, whether you're a mother, or a doctor, or a college student, or President," Mrs. Wainkrantz told her students.

This week Mrs. Wainkrantz's seniors said goodbye. Pictured above: Attar Benmelech, Sarah Friedman, Laura Bellows, Leora Lakser, Abigail Aberman, Maya Wassserman, Shiri Kolim, Hannah Stein and Hannah Rothner

On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, over 70 ICJA grandparents visited our school. They heard updates about ICJA from Rabbi Matanky and from Mrs. Elaine Rothner, an ICJA former parent and the grandparent of senior Hannah Rothner and sophomore Joseph Rothner, and enjoyed an outdoor lunch buffet with their grandchildren.

Following lunch, grandparents were invited to accompany their grandchildren to 7th and 8th period classes. At the end of their visits, each grandparent left with ICJA swag: bags, water bottles and "ICJA Grandparent" sweatshirts.

Thank you Mrs. Deva Zwelling, ICJA's Director of Development, for putting together this wonderful event.

Junior Carmel Schreiber with her grandmother Susan Jona

Freshman Eliana Levine with her grandmother Adele Feldman

Mrs. Elaine Rothner, grandmother of senior Hannah Rothner and sophomore Joseph Rothner, addressing the crowd at lunch

Sophomore Benjamin Baronofsky with his grandparents Mitchell and Helene Blivaiss

Sophomore Noa Gavant with her grandmother Malka Pressner

Starr Kosher Catering created a delicious fleishig salad bar and soup station lunch, with cookies for dessert.

Freshmen Ami and Tali Weiss with their grandparents Judy and David Weiss

Junior Andrew Bersson with his grandmother Anne Moscovitch in class

Sophomore Moshe and senior Avi Seruya with their grandmother Batya Bromberg

Junior Kayla Kupietzky with her grandmother Barbara Hanus during class

This week, students from Rabbi Gross' freshmen boys' Honors Talmud class, his junior girls' Honors and Regular AJSP classes, and his freshmen boys' Chumash class visited his backyard in order to say the once a year Bircat Ha'Ilanot upon seeing a fruit tree (in this case a pear tree) in full bloom.

Pictured above: freshmen Aidan Zukerman, Jacob Friedman, Meir Zayan, Avi Chen and Amiel Czako

Pictured above: juniors Jordyn Baker, Gabrielle Rosenzweig, Danielle Cohen, Nechama Tarshish, Yael Kolsky, Rachel Adar, Rina Yahav and Chaya Laber

For months, students in Mr. Keller's STEM class have been engaged in long term projects to create devices that will be useful for Keshet students. STEM students spent time observing Keshet activities and spoke with Keshet students and teachers.

Our STEM students then planned ways to use their engineering skills to create devices that would assist Keshet students in their everyday activities. Our STEM students presented their ideas and critiqued each others' plans. They designed projects, anticipated what materials they would need and ordered items. Students then spent months building their devices, fine tuning their inventions and finding creative ways to overcome obstacles.

On Tuesday evening, May 9, ICJA's STEM students came together to present their inventions in an "Evening of Innovation". Joining them in a friendly competition were students from Hanna Sacks Bais Yaakov, where Mr. Keller also teaches STEM, and where he ran a similar program this year.

These projects were supported by The Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE), and Mrs. Faigy Ravitz , Vice President, Professional Development and Technology at

The Center For Initiatives In Jewish Education, flew in from New York to attend the event.

At the end of the evening, students from both school received awards for their projects. The overall top award went to an ICJA team, seniors Ezra Jacobs, David Gaffen and Aron Gottlieb with their an educational coin counter. Their invention challenges students to enter coins totaling a specific amount in a machine, helping students to hone their addition skills and also to become more familiar with the values of different coins.

Seniors Jonathan Thomas, Yonatan Arnet and Cobi Berkowitz explaining their projects to students from Hanna Sacks: Jonathan created a heart monitor; Yonatan and Cobi created a fancy night light

Seniors Raheli Kreimer and Tal Damelin explaining their project, a safe laser cutter that can replace scissors

Mr. Bob Jones, a CIJE-supported professional who assisted students create these projects, with Mrs. Faigy Ravitz and Mr. Jonathan Keller

Pictured above: the ICJA teams and their supporters waiting to hear the contest results

Seniors Aytan Czako and Joey Cohen explaining their project - a machine that lights up when a cup that is placed on top of it is full - to Mrs. Faigy Ravitz

Junior Audrey Perlman and senior Aharon Bauman explain their invention, a digital piggy bank that lights up when coins are placed inside

Seniors Ezra Jacobs, David Gaffen and Aron Gottlieb with their first place winning invention: an educational coin counter

Pictured above: ICJA students listening to Hanna Sacks students present their inventions

Inspired by the life of Hugo Paluch a"h from Johannesberg, the Hugo's Heroes Student First Responder program came to ICJA 4 years ago.

Wednesday night, students gathered at the Hatzalah headquarters to celebrate the culmination of their monthly first aid training sessions. Northshore University Glenbrook Hospital's President, Jesse Hall, came to share his journey of service and to congratulate the students for their decision to further their own. 

The program is directed by ICJA alumna and Hatzalah AHA Instructor, Karli Salinger. The students train in CPR for adults, children, and infants. During their monthly hands on training they learn about the Heimlich maneuver, tourniquet use, splinting, bandaging, environmental emergencies and more. These sessions are taught by Hatzalah Paramedics, physicians, nurses and other guest educators.

The captains, juniors Kayla Kupietzky and Hersch Linzer, ensure that there is a schedule with student first responders on call each day of the week. When called on, their training can improve medical outcomes until the Hatzalah paramedics arrive on scene. 

This week was a bittersweet time as it was our seniors' last week of classes.

On Tuesday night, seniors made their final days as students here memorable, filling the school with 4,500 balloons and wrapped some items in cling wrap as they "wrapped up" their four years at ICJA.

Students and staff walking into school on Wednesday morning were in for a surprise.

Students in Dr. Brown's Architecture Class celebrated the end of a great semester with an informative architectural boat tour along the Chicago River and in Lake Michigan on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

Pictured here: seniors Raheli Kreimer and Liba Mott on board the cruise ship with Chicago's skyline in the background

Congratulations to the Lady Aces soccer team who took 3rd place in the Chicago Prep Conference! It was a wonderful end to a great season.

I grew up in the Bronx, New York, and moved to Chicago when my husband was headhunted for a job here. I am extremely proud of my three children—Jonathan, Zahava, and Zippora (both Zahava and Zippora are ICJA alumnae), their spouses and my grandchildren.

I graduated from Beth Jacob-Beth Miriam Elementary School and Yeshiva University High School for Girls in Manhattan, and earned a BA in English and MA in Secondary Education in English from City College of New York. 

I always loved reading and math. I always wanted to be a teacher. (After considering being a math major) I switched to majoring in English and never looked back.

I love learning from my students, challenging them to think logically and creatively, and demonstrating by example how to ask questions that get answered. Two years, ten years, from now they will probably never remember the names of characters they read about, but hopefully will remember the life lessons, critical thinking, and writing skills that they learned that will serve them well the rest of their lives.

ICJA has the best students in the world. Even as I challenge them, they challenge me to be on my toes and to be up to date on social media, slang, and what’s really important in their lives. ICJA students care and that is something no one can teach. Having been a graduate of the day school system, I understand first hand the challenges students face having a long school day and having to master a dual curriculum. 

My best memories are the intellectually challenging conversations with Charlotte Rosenwald ob”m, working late on yearbook (did that for 17 years), having students just show up my house on Shabbat or Sundays just to visit, spending time on school Shabbatonim where we spent half the night talking, and enjoying the friendship and camaraderie of the staff which enhances working conditions and morale, both in and out of school. 

Besides reading, especially murder mysteries and World War Two nonfiction , I enjoy cooking (with my Thermomix), traveling— both locally and internationally— and spending time with my extended family out of state and out of the country. Volunteering for various organizations, Scrabble, Wordle, and playing Jewish geography rank high on my list of fun activities. 

People don’t know that my college education was free, that I enjoy decluttering other people’s houses (wish I could declutter mine), that I used to develop photos in a dark room, that I met my husband when I was a senior in high school, that I skipped fourth grade, that I’m still close friends with those with whom I went to elementary school, that Z in my initials stands for my maiden name which no one pronounces correctly—Zaetz—and that the FBI once called for a reference for a former student.

Sophomores & Juniors, we are excited to announce that this year's Sophomore & Junior Fridayton will take place on Friday May 13. The Fridayton will include a trip to Quad Indoor Sports as well as a Friday night Shabbat program, including davening, dinner, and oneg. Drop-off and pickup from school on Friday will be at regular times.

Spread the Word!

8th Grade Girls are invited to a special ICJA Seudah Shlishit

Shabbat, May 21, 2022

at Mrs. Alise Gold's home

2736 W. Sherwin Ave.

ICJA parents" join with other day school parents as we celebrate our unified commitment to Jewish education and come together in support of the 2022 JUF Annual Campaign.

IDP is calling all high school students: Bnei Akiva Chicago is flying to New York! For more information, phone Ari at 773-407-9628 or click here to sign up.

Over Chanukah, ICJA gave its Class of '21 alumni a Chanukah gift: a brand-new directory that lists ICJA alumni who live in Israel and have graciously offered to open their homes to recent ICJA '21 grads who are currently spending a gap year in Israel this year.

The directory was sent out to the emails of '21 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.

Win-win! You can support Ida Crown Jewish Academy, while shopping via Smile.Amazon.com