IDA CROWN JEWISH ACADEMY

Upcoming Events


  • Sunday, September 11 - Father and Son Minyan and Learning with Rabbi Reiss - 8:20 am


  • Thursday, September 15 - Senior Class picture and JUF Annual Meeting


  • Tuesday, September 20 - Wednesday, September 21 - All school retreat at Camp Chi


  • Monday, September 26 - Tuesday, September 27 - Rosh Hashana - no classes


  • Wednesday, September 28 - Fast of Gedaliah - 2:30pm dismissal


  • Thursday, September 29 - Club Hub during 5th and 6th periods


  • Tuesday, October 4 - Erev Yom Kippur - no classes


  • Monday, October 10 - Wednesday, October 19 - Sukkot break


  • Thursday, October 20 - Classes resume


  • Wednesday, October 26 - New Parent Orientation; Senior Parent Meeting; Simulated School Night - 4:30pm dismissal


  • Wednesday, November 16 - Prospective Students Open House


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

Pop-Up Fun

On Wednesday, students enjoyed

the first Pop-Up of the year.

This week students enjoyed our first surprise Pop-Up of the year: each grade was excused from one of their morning classes to to participate in fun activities. 


With Rosh Hashana approaching, we're each thinking about "hitting our targets" for the coming year, and this week's Pop-Up echoed that, featuring ax throwing (using real axes!), archery, and fun games of "archery" tag.

Pictured above: freshman Ben Rosenberg

Pictured above: sophomore Maytal Needle

Pictured above: freshman Leah Jacobs

Pictured above: sophomore Simcha Seruya

Pictured above: junior Gabriella Zipperstein

Pictured above: senior Adam Schwartz




Thank you Mrs. Alissa Zeffren for organizing this event. 


After so many years of arranging Pop-Ups for our students, Mrs. Zeffren has become an ace archer. Check out her target - with nearly all bullseyes - pictured here.

Pictured above: junior Adam Katz

Pictured above: seniors Nechama Tarshish, Shaina Tarshish, and Rachel Adar

Rabbi Louis Fliegelman's

9th Grade Boys' Talmud Class

Students in Rabbi Fliegelman's Gemara (Talmud) class enjoyed two extra meetings over the long weekend.

Over Labor Day weekend, some students in Rabbi Fliegelman's Gemara class were able to join him for a special class shalosh seudas at his home on Shabbat afternoon.  Students shared divrei Torah, enjoyed a delicious meal, singing, and the chance to get to know each other outside of school.


On Sunday, Rabbi Fliegelman resumed his class tradition of davening with his students (and, optionally, their family members) in a different Chicago-area shul each weekend.  Students (and their fathers and/or grandfathers) gathered at Congregation Or Torah in Skokie to pray Shacharit, then eat breakfast and share divre Torah and conversation.

Pictured above: Daniel Allswang, Rabbi Fliegelman, Jesse Goldberg, Ezra Netzky, Avraham Rubin, Eli Cherney, and Max Gorenstein

Pictured above: Rabbi Louis Fliegelman, Dr. Robert Rubin, Mr. Joel Gorenstein, Max Gorenstein, Gabriel Boshes, Mr. Jeremy Rine, Natan Rine, Josh Miller, Mr. David Miller, Ori Hellman, the Hon. Mitchell Goldberg, Jesse Goldberg, Daniel Allswang, Mr. Yisroel Allswang, Rabbi Zvi Engel

First Rabbi Menachem Rosenbaum's 9th Grade Boys' Chumash Class

This week, students discussed how to use Rashi's commentaries on Shemot (Exodus).

In Rabbi Rosenbaum's 9th grade Chumash class, students are learning how "supercommentaries" - rabbis who comment on Rashi - can help them understand Chumash as the class learns Shemot. 


The students are primarily using commentaries by גור אריה and העמק דבר (who is not a supercommentary). This week, students learned a comment of שפתי חכמים. 

Pictured above: Yehuda Goldstein

Pictured above: Avi Rubin and Jonah Strahlberg

Mrs. Alissa Zeffren's

10th Grade Jewish History Class

Students created timelines of Biblical Jewish history.

Sophomores in Mrs. Zeffren's Jewish History class made timelines this week of events in Jewish history from 1800 BCE to 100 BCE.  "We're showing events in Tanach, including slavery, the giving of the Torah, the kings...  It's fun stuff" noted Zev Margolin (pictured below with his partner on this project, Avi Chen.

Pictured above: the class working

Pictured above: Ranon Ginsberg

Pictured above: Zev Margolin and Avi Chen

Pictured above: Allie Stein and Yardana Schayer

Ms. Susan Sennett's

AP European History Class

Students debated who did most

to usher in the Renaissance.

Who did most to usher in Renaissance thought: Gutenberg, Copernicus, Luther, Magellan, Henry VIII or Erasmus? 


After reading about these pivotal historical figures over Summer break, Ms. Sennett's AP European History class had a spirited debate, with each student arguing in favor a different thinker.  They class took advantage of ICJA's outdoor tent and Adirondack chairs to enjoy the beautiful Fall weather.

Freshman Boys' Mechanchim Lunch

This week freshmen boys got to know the Mechanchim - and bond together as a class.

On Wednesday, freshmen boys came together for a fun lunch of pizza, french fries - and great conversation.


Our Mechanchim (Jewish educators serving as guidance counselors) cultivate positive and meaningful relationships with students, serve as religious advisors to our students. Rabbi Mayer Simcha Stromer and Rabbi Menachem Rosenbaum advise our male students, while Mrs. Lynn Kraft and Mrs. Alise Gold advise our female students. 


It's common to see Rabbi Stromer and Rabbi Rosenbaum eating lunch with students, and this week's special freshmen lunch gave them an extra chance to get to know the freshmen even more.

Rabbi Leonard Matanky's 12th Grade

Girls' Accelerated Talmud Class

Students are learning Masechet Megilla.

Students in Rabbi Matanky's 12th Grade girls' Talmud class are learning Masechet Megilla and discussed a range of topics and halachot this week, including tzedakah and praising Hashem.


"...We were learning the Mitzvah of Tzedakah. We were talking about the minimum and maximum of giving, who we must give to, the individual vs. an organization, and taking care of one’s community first." - Kayla Kupietzky


"...We did review on our Gemara, and we learned about the pasuk "Mi Yimallel Gevurot Hashem Yashmia Kol Tehilato." We talked about who really can tell every aspect of how amazing Hashem is? No one really can because He does so much. Additionally, we don't want to stop the praises to Him in the wrong spot because on some level it can degrade Hashem because the person isn't saying enough amazing things about Him." - Charli Ernstein

Pictured above: Charli Ernstein

Pictured above: Kayla Kupietzky answering a question in class

Ms. Sheri Goldstein's

New Freshman English Seminar

The popular English Seminar

is now available for freshmen too.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors have long treasured Ms. Goldstein's English Seminar, an optional, once-a-week class that meets before school hours or during lunch.  It provides interested students with a way to delve into texts and have discussions about literature that they wouldn't otherwise have.


This year, Ms. Goldstein is extending her English Seminar to Freshman, and the first class met this Wednesday.  Students discussed some of their favorite poems.  If any students are interested in joining Freshman Seminar, please contact Ms. Goldstein at sgoldstein@icja.org.


(Pictured above: Ms. Goldstein, Natan Miller, Aiden Rich and Zachary Fogel)

Cross Country 2nd Place Win

Lady Aces triumphed on Wednesday.

ICJA Cross Country is off to a great start with over 50 runners on the team – one of the biggest teams in ICJA history. On Wednesday we participated in the Beacon Invitational in Evanston against 8 other schools.


The Girls’ squad finished 2nd (to St. Viator) led by “The 3 E’s”: sophomore Ella Kakon (9th overall), freshman Ellie Deangelis (10th) and Co-Captain, senior Emma Felix (13th). (The Boys Team finished fourth.)


Three runners, sophomores Ella Kakon, Sarah Levitt, and junior Leah Zelden, set PRs (Personal Records) and 21 runners ran a 3 mile race for the first time.

Pictured above: freshman Jonah Strahlberg

Pictured above: sophomore Dana Kalutsky and junior Leah Zelden

Yasher Koach to an Alumna

Tamar Dallal '18 won the Ronald Filler Scholarship in the Program in Jewish Culture & Society at UIUC.

Yasher koach ICJA alumna Tamar Dallal ’18, an Engineering Physics major at UIUC, on winning the Ronald Filler Scholarship in the Program in Jewish Culture & Society. Tamar has worked as mashgicha in the UIUC, tutored students in Champaign and in the Chicago area, and has worked with Prof. Liat Alon on the Central Illinois Jewish Communities Archives, learning more about how small Jewish communities came to be and what daily life looked like in the past.  

Celebrating a Special Birthday at ICJA

Mrs. Marlene Wasserstrom celebrated a milestone birthday at school this week.

On Monday, ICJA teachers surprised Mrs. Wasserstrom with a birthday cake and card, celebrating her 80th birthday with colleagues who have become friends. Mrs. Wasserstom has been teaching at ICJA for most of the past eight decades.


After a brief birthday party, Mrs. Wasserstrom returned to what she does best: teaching kids to love and understand math.

Spotlight on Ms. Susan Weiss

This week we caught up with Ms. Susan Weiss, the newest member of ICJA's Dr. Tammy Kaplan, z"l College Guidance Department, and asked her a few questions.

This year, ICJA students will work with two college guidance counselors: Rabbi Fliegelman, the Director of ICJA's Dr. Tammy Kaplan, z"l College Guidance Department, and Ms. Susan Weiss, our newest college guidance counsellor. We asked Ms. Weiss a little about herself.


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

I was born in Skokie and grew up in Highland Park. Now I live in South Evanston with my husband Toby and my children Miriam, who's fourteen, and Ethan, who's eleven.


How did you go into college guidance?

After ten years working in undergraduate admission at Loyola University in Chicago, I moved to the other side of the desk. I worked in College Counseling at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago for 17 years. 


I have loved working with students and their families to help navigate the college search process and to find their fit. The questions are the same but every student comes to the table with their own experiences.

 

What drew you to working at Ida Crown?

I was drawn to the position to work with ICJA community as an opportunity to take my professional experience and serve a Jewish community. Working with a much smaller community was also very attractive in order to develop personal relationships which will help my students achieve their goals. 


What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

I love to be outside and any day at the beach or in the forest is a good day to me. I love a creative project where I can see the results of my work. I have been called industrious and I love an opportunity to prove that I can do it, for instance, change the headlight in my car, replace rotten boards in my deck, replace the spring in my dishwasher. I also love to read and watch just about anything with my family. 


What do you look forward to now that you're at ICJA?

Being a cheerleader for students on their journey has been incredibly rewarding. I celebrate their future!

Upcoming College Visits

  • University of Maryland: Tuesday, September 13 at 11:50-12:30 pm
  • Yeshiva University: Wednesday, September 14 at 9:05 am
  • Washington University in St. Louis (Wash U) Wed. September 14 at 11:50am
  • Boston University: Thursday September 15 at 1:58pm
  • University of Chicago: Monday September 19 at 11:50am-12:30pm
  • Brandeis University: Monday September 19 at 12:30am-1:10pm
  • Indiana University: Thursday September 22
  • Princeton University : Friday October 21 at 11:50am

This Week's Learning Dedications

This week's sponsors included:

Tuesday, the 10th of Elul, 5782, September 6, 2022, and Wednesday, the 11th of Elul, September 7, 2022, by the Landes family in loving memory of David J. Landes, z"l, ICJA Class of 1973, to commemorate his 3rd yahrzeit on the 13th of Elul.


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.

New Learning Commons Passwords 

Be sure to pick up your updated

ICJA Learning Commons passwords!

ICJA's Learning Commons contains 8,000 books and 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.  


Please stop by our librarian Mrs. Steinberg's desk in the Learning Commons or email her to pick up your updated passwords to access our online material. ICJA's subscriptions are available at icja.libguides.com/home.

School Announcements

Click here to register for the ICJA Israel Reunion.

Community Announcements

VOLUNTEER FOR MAOT CHITIM!


Maot Chitim Delivery Day is Sunday, September 18th, and their are 2 ways to help Maot Chitim.


As a driver: Sign up to deliver packages for those in need. 


In the warehouse: Packing starts at 5:50 AM, Shachrit with the YU Kollel at 6:15 AM. 1610 Deerfield Rd., Highland Park, IL 60035

Introducing ICJA Bar Association for Alumni

Introducing ICJA Bar Association: a way for ICJA alumni
who are lawyers to form informal connections.
ICJA ISRAEL CONNECT:
Connecting ICJA Alumni in Israel
The first ICJA Israel Connect directory is out.

This 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.

Support ICJA when you shop on Amazon - Here's How

Win-win! You can support Ida Crown Jewish Academy, while shopping via Smile.Amazon.com
Inspiring bnei and bnot Torah to thrive in the modern world
ICJA is an affiliate of the Associated Talmud Torahs and a partner with JUF in serving our community.


Ida Crown Jewish Academy
8233 Central Park Avenue
Skokie, Illinois 60076

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