Upcoming Events

• Thursday, November 24 - Sunday, November 25 - Thanksgiving break; no classes

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

• Monday, November 28 - Junior Family College Orientation Meeting



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

• Thursday, December 15 - ICJA Pep Rally

• Tuesday, December 6 - Assembly - Mr. Yaakov HaGoel, Chairman of the Executive of the World Zionist Organization (parents are invited), 2 pm

Students learned about chesed, volunteered for local organizations, then enjoyed a pizza and bowling party.

Monday, November 21, was our first Ann Rita Schwartz z"l Chesed Day of the year. Students spent the morning in shiurim about chesed, then divided into groups to learn about and volunteer for local chesed organizations.

Thank you to Mrs. Alissa Zeffren for organizing this day and to the many teachers who chaperoned our students.

Freshmen and sophomores remained in school for their chesed morning: freshman boys learned about Yachad; sophomore girls learned about Chai Lifeline; and freshman and sophomore girls learned about Sharsheret. After learning about the programs, each group created special packages: freshman boys packed bags for an upcoming Yachad Shabbaton; sophomore boys packed Shabbat kits to distribute in area hospitals; and the girls created care kits to be distributed at cancer treatment centers.

Pictured above: freshmen Daniel Allswang, Yehuda Goldstein, Avi Zayan, Ami Gavant, Aiden Rich, Josh Miller, Rabbi Aron Wogel from Yachad, and Michael Matveyev packing bags for an upcoming Yachad Shabbaton

Pictured above: sophomores Ami Czako and Yossi Burstyn packing bags for Chai Lifeline to distribute to patients

Pictured above: (back row) sophomore Eliana Ebert, freshmen Yaffa Hoberman and Jayden Perlman, sophomores Elisha Shpayher, Nava Dreyster and Sarah Levitt and (front row): sophomores Allie Stein, Eliana Levine and Maital Wittlin packing care bags for Sharsheret

Pictured above: sophomores Talia Linzer and Nina Ripstein writing notes for Sharsheret to distribute to patients

While freshmen and sophomores performed chesed in school, upperclassmen went to visit different organizations in the community.

Junior boys travelled to Bernie's Books to sort through used books which will be distributed to Chicago-area children. Junior girls went to the Ark to help in the food pantry. Senior boys and girls assemble Thanksgiving assembled baskets for Solu/Connections for the Homeless, then distributed the baskets at Connections for the Homeless' shelter in Evanston.

Pictured above, juniors Ayetet Appel, Ilana Schwartz and Jordana Zwelling at the Ark

Pictured above: senior girls packing Thanksgiving baskets for the Solu-Connections for the Homeless

Pictured above: seniors dropping off the Thanksgiving baskets they made at Connections for the Homeless' shelter in Evanston

Pictured above: senior boys writing notes to include in Thanksgiving care packages for the homeless

After the morning's shiurim and chesed, students met at Bowlero for a pizza lunch and bowling, capping off a fun morning before heading back to school.

Students are gaining skills writing persuasive essays.

Juniors in Mrs. Marsha Arons’s Concepts English class are writing persuasive essays on topics of their choice to an audience of their choice.

A few examples illustrate the breadth of the topics covered: Meir Aberman is writing to a sixty-something grandmother about the benefits of working out. Julia Benditzson is writing about the benefits of volunteering with special needs kids. Yitzchak Mishkin is writing about the benefits of gaming. Nava Cohen is writing about why teens should travel. Jacob Wortman thinks all incoming freshmen should go out for the basketball team. Through their essays, students are learning how to take a position and develop arguments with support from approved sources.

Students created "Briah" boards, conveying what they learned in Bereshit visually.

Senior girls in Mrs. Kraft's Chumash class summarized their learning of the first two פסוקים in ספר בראשית by creating בריאה Boards. Modeled after the popular "Vision Boards," the students utilized both pictures and text to demonstrate their understanding of every word and phrase in בראשית פרק א פסוקים א-ב according to the various approaches they learned together in class.  

How many details can you include in a sentence?

Freshmen in Mrs. Dana Rubin's Hebrew class tackled a challenge this week: after learning a new list of Hebrew words, students wrote sentences incorporating as many details as they could.

Brainstorming led to some fun class discussions - with plenty of vocabulary practice along the way.

Pictured above: Eli Fretzin and Yair Bell

Pictured above: Nate Spiegel and Avi Zayan

ICGC held a Chabura on Wednesday, Erev Rosh Chodesh.

On Wednesday, November 23, erev Rosh Chodesh Kislev, ICGC organized a girls' Chabura during lunch. Students enjoyed pizza and listened to senior Hadassah Bernstein and freshman Mina Brandes deliver an inspiring shiur about gratitude and the month of Kislev.

Pictured above: students enjoying lunch

Pictured above: senior Hadassah Bernstein and freshman Mina Brandes delivering their shiur

The Aces triumphed over the HRK Eagles of Gurnee.

On Tuesday night, November 22, the Varsity Aces beat the HRK Eagles by an impressive 66 to 38.

Junior Aryeh Neiger's impressed with a half-court basket just as the halftime buzzer rang. Check out his shot on @ICJAHoops at https://www.instagram.com/p/ClP_EI5vV3U/.

Thank you to junior Yonah Rubin, who run's the Ace's new Sports Media Department, for taking this video and the photo below.

Pictured above: junior Aryeh Neiger

Students built automatic nightlights.

Students in Mr. Jonathan Keller's STEM-Engineering class were given a challenging design task: create an LED night light that will turn on when conditions are dark, turn off when lighting conditions are bright, and will turn different colors depending on lighting conditions.

The nightlights used Arduino coding to achieve these effects, but all wiring and circuits had to be hidden: an additional challenge was that students' nightlights must be aesthetically pleasing and look like commercial night lights.

Pictured above: seniors Zachary Goldberg and Caleb Gutstein

Pictured above: senior Moshe Osgood

Pictured above: senior Charlie Singer

Pictured above: senior Zachary Miller

The Aces began their season with a tournament this week.

After two seasons of Covid-induced limitations, the ICJA Wrestling Team began what is hoped to be a normal season on Tuesday evening, November 22, at Evanston Township High School. The wrestlers took on powerful squads from Evanston, Lane Tech, and Hope Academy.

Against host Evanston, Senior Captain Menachem Reed (106) started off the evening with an emphatic third period pin over his Wildkit opponent. In other matches, Freshman Michael Matveyev (132) needed only 55 seconds to notch his first career win and first career fall. Sophomore Avner Frazin (132) also pinned his opponent in the second period. Senior Phillip Maiman (160) claimed victory in a tense match, 5-4. Evanston won the match 51-15, as their experience and skill prevailed.

The Aces then took on Lane Tech which put forth a veteran squad. Junior Ari Klein (113) bested his opponent in 17 seconds, easily the fastest pin of the season to date. Junior Millo Benmelech (170) also added a win. Ida Crown wrestled hard, but lost 44-12.

ICJA had better fortunes against Hope, as both Senior Moshe Osgood (126) and Junior Gabriel Klein (106) claimed two wins apiece. Osgood showed determination as he pinned both of his opponents in the first period. For his part, Klein was clinical in also scoring a first period fall for one of his victories. The evening was capped off by rookie Sophomore Aidan Zuckerman (138) pinning his opponent in the third period for his first career win. Lane Tech won the match 49-27 

The team's next meet will be Wednesday November 30th as they travel to Maine East for a tri-meet with the hosts and Northridge Prep.

Founded in 1942, this year is ICJA's 80 aniversary. Here are a few views of the school in the past and today.

Yesterday's Lunchroom Today's Cafeteria

In the 1940s and 1950s, students ate lunch all together in one perod; benching was communal.

At the ringing of the dinner bell, there is a clatter of feet, a flood of queries as to 'What's the cook serving today?', and a general 'forced march' up to the lunchroom, by the students eager to satisfy their appetite...When they join their friends with a tray full of good food, they immediately engage in a discussion of the news of the day, school problems, and all sorts of table talk...Needless to add, the religious rites of netilas yadayim and bentschen are observed. - 1952 Yearbook

(Pictured above: the lunchroom in 1952)

With a much larger student body today, ICJA students have two periods for lunch, 5th and 6th. Students can buy food or bring lunch from home. Students can eat lunch in the cafeteria, Learning Commons, Math and Science Commons, outside, or off campus. Small groups form, enjoying meals together.

(Pictured above: students eating in the cafeteria and in the Learning Commons)

1940s Science and Math Club -

and HAM Radio Club, Muon Research, and Mathletes Today

The Science-Math Club is composed of those who marvel at the wonders of the test-tube and chemical retort; at why the atom, so insignificantly small, can produce such a tremendous amount of energy; what makes the radio and television set operate; and how to make with simple, home-made equipment, scientific machines and engines. - 1948 Yearbook

(Pictured above: Science-Math Club in 1948)

Today, in contrast, a number of ICJA clubs give students the chance to learn more about science and math in depth.

• ICJA's Ham Radio Club enables students to operate and maintain Ham Radios.
• ICJA students have built muon detectors and use them to perform experiments in conjunction with Fermilab and Quarknet, a federally funded research organization.
• ICJA's award winning Mathletes team competes against other local teams to solve advanced problems.

Pictured above: Mathletes members after a recent tournament

Pictured above: junior Yitzhak Mishkin of the ham Radio Club

Pictured above: students building ICJA's muon detectors in the Physics room

• Mevaseret - November 28, 5th/6th periods
• Shaalvim - December 7, 5th/6th periods
• Hakotel - December 12th, 5th/6th periods
• Mechina Keshet Yehuda - December 14, breakfast

Wednesday, the 29th of Cheshvan, 5783, November 23, 2022, by the ICJA staff in memory of Sheila Brown, z"l.

Monday, the 27th of Cheshvan, 5783, November 21, 2022, by Jeremy and Rebecca Amster and Family, as a zechus and a refuah for יקירה אריאל בת רבקה רחל, and all cholei Yisroel.



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!

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.