Upcoming Events

• 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

• Thursday, November 16 - Prospective Students Open House

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



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

This week, ICJA students and staff enjoyed two jam-packed days filled with learning, fun, sports, singing and playing games at beautiful Camp Chi.

This week, ICJA students were able to spend two exciting days recharging their batteries, learning, and having fun as they prepared for the Yomim Noraim. The theme of this year's All-School Retreat was "AchDo-It!" and much of our learning focused on achdut (Jewish unity) and personal growth.

Thanks to Leslie and Tom Silverstein (both '81) for sponsoring this fabulous retreat.

Thanks also to Mrs. Alissa Zeffren for organizing two days of fun, and to the many faculty and staff members who helped make retreat a success.

After davening and breakfast at school on Tuesday, students boarded busses to Camp Chi. Once we arrived at the champ, students unpacked, ate lunch, went on rides on World War II-era "DUKW" boats in nearby Lake Delton, and had small-group shiurim on the meaning of וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ.

Pictured above: sophomore Menachem Friedman listening to a shiur

Pictured above: Rabbi Binyomin Segal leading a shiur with freshman boys

Pictured above: Mrs. Ayala Zimmerman teaching sophomore girls

Pictured above: Mrs. Chavee Gottlieb, Mrs. Heather Hobbie, and sophomores Emily Darlow and Simona Fridberg, freshman Ariella Pullin, and sophomores Ella Kakon, Rachel Sommer and Dana Kalutsky

Pictured above: junior and senior girls davening Mincha at Camp Chi

Pictured above: senior boys on a DUKW boat

Pictured above: Rabbi Menachem Rosenbaum leading a shiur with freshman boys

Pictured above: juniors Leeya Starck, Leah Zelden, Nava Cohen and Bella Schwartz

On Tuesday afternoon, students played sports, ate dinner together, then enjoyed a night time "game show" tochnit, and later gathered for by grade for bonfires where they sang, shared divrei Torah and made s'mores. 

The night ended with an all-school Mishmar where students ate cholent and learned about Rambam's Laws of Teshuva.

Pictured above: boys playing touch football

Pictured above: senior Nechama Tarshish 

Pictured above: juniors Gabe Klein, Sam Gorenstein, Joseph Rothner, Jordanna Zwelling, Adam Katz, Ayelet Appel, Ben Baronofsky and Noa Gavant playing the night tochnit game show

Pictured above: seniors happy that their team scored a point at the night tochnit game show

Pictured above: seniors Ben Boyarskiy, Zach Goldberg, Yonatan Nudman, Kenny Shapiro, Gabe Simon, Phillip Maiman and Moshe Osgood with Rabbi Menachem Rosenbaum

Pictured above: freshmen Aiden Rich, Boaz Stopek and Chanani Stone learning at the Mishmar with Rabbi Daniel Fox

Pictured above: freshmen Daniel Allswang, Boaz Stopek, Eli Fretzin, Esther Fretzin and Rivka Belsh formed one of the teams at the night tochnit game show

Pictured above: senior Hadassah Bernstein answering a question posed by Rabbi Leonard Matanky at the night tochnit game show

Pictured above: freshmen Tali Weiss, Sarah Lipson, Rachel Freed, Sarah Levitt, Allie Stein and Daria Lennon

Pictured above: Rabbi Leonard Matanky teaching seniors Hadassah Bernstein, Michal Bechhofer, Kayla Kupietzky and Toibeh Sarah Gersten, juniors Noa Gavant, Jordana Zwelling and Ayelet Appel, and sophomore Hadar Simkovich at the nighttime Mishmar

On Wednesday, students davened, learned together, and enjoyed a faculty-student basketball game and a visit to America's Action Territory amusement complex, before arriving back at ICJA.

Pictured above: Rabbi Mayer Simcha Stromer, senior Kenny Shapiro, Mr. Josh Cooper, senior Gabe Simon, Rabbi Daniel Fox and senior Avi Zeller at the faculty-student basketball game

Pictured above: ICJA students in bumper cars at America's Action Territory

Pictured above: seniors Kayla Kupietzky and Jordyn Baker, freshman Libby Bleichman, sophomores Lilac Marcus, Daria Lennon and Dana Kalutsky, freshmen Ariella Pullin and Esther Fretzin and sophomore Talia Linzer with Mrs. Alise Gold and Mrs. Lynn Kraft at a ICGC board meeting held at retreat

Pictured above: freshmen Ezra Mauer, Nate Spiegel, Hillel Wolkenfeld, Zachary Fogel, Esther Fretzin and Penina Benjamin at America's Action Territory 

Each grade posed for a group photo on Retreat.

Pictured above: Seniors

Pictured above: Sophomores

Pictured above: Juniors

Pictured above: Freshmen

Students competed to build efficient cell models.

On Monday, students in AP Biology experimented with designing models made out of agar. They were challenged to create the most efficient cell model that had the fastest rate of diffusion.

The winning cell was designed by seniors Hadassah Bernstein and Gideon Miller, who empolyed a strategy of creating a very thin model with a lot of folds. They now are tasked with finding a similar model from nature that uses the same strategy to maximize diffusion.

Pictured above: seniors Tehila Weiner and Menachem Reed

Pictured above: seniors Hadassah Bernstein and Gideon Miller

Students shared artifact project presentations.

Students in Mrs. Alissa Zeffren's 10th Grade Jewish History class researched, compared, and contrasted ancient artifacts with Biblical verses of the same events.  They then created digital exhibits to present to their classmates.

Pictured above: Ella Kakon, Daria Lennon, Simona Fridberg and Hadar Simkovich created a presentation about Hezikayah's Tunnel, which can be viewed here.

Pictured above: Yossi Burstyn, Elisha Shpayher, Jacob Friedman and Talia Linzer created a presentation about Sennacherib's Prism, which can be viewed here.

Students enjoyed an inspirational seudat shlishit and havdalah at Rabbi Fliegelman's home, then the following day davened at Khal Beth Yitzchok in Chicago.

Last Shabbat, some students in Rabbi Fliegelman's freshman boys' Talmud class walked to their teacher's house for an inspirational seudah shlishit filled with singing and divrei Torah, followed by Havdalah. 

The following day, Sunday, September 18, some students and some fathers came together to daven at Khal Beth Yitzchok and eat together after Shacharit.

Pictured above: Ezra Netzky, Daniel Allswang, Noah Lehrfield, Max Gorenstein, Jesse Goldberg and Mr. Joel Gorenstein at Havdalah

Pictured above: Dr. Michael Gelb, Eli Gellb, Mr. David Well, Judah Well, Mr.Yudi Rine, Natan Rine, Rabbi Yisroel Langer, Mr. Eli Kalmen, Benny Kalman, Mr. Lev Katz, Aaron Katz

Last Sunday, over 50 new students participated in

Student to Student orientation.

Last Sunday, over 50 new students who signed up to be student ambassadors with Student to Student and received training in the 2022-3 Student to Student Orientation.  

Student to Student Chicago (STS Chicago) combats antisemitism in local high schools by training local Jewish teens to speak with their peers and explain what being Jewish means to them.  STS Chicago is generously supported by JUF’s Fund for the Future.

Pictured above: senior Ben Boyarskiy giving a sample presentation

Erika's Lighthouse Mental Health Awareness Club's

first event of the year brought mental health advocate Josh Pogonitz '20 to ICJA.

On Thursday, over 40 students attended Erika's Lighthouse Mental Health Awareness Club's kickoff event 'Talking About OCD.'

Alumnus Josh Pogonitz '20 spoke about his own struggle living with OCD and shared information about his experiences living with intrusive thoughts and compulsions. He explained that one can only have courage if one first has fear, and advocated for people to reach out and seek help. Josh explained that in his case, he didn't want to admit he had a problem, but ended up benefiting from the help of professionals.

Josh's message focused on hope and how managing mental ill health is not always a linear process but rather a series of ups and downs. He maintained that growth is always possible and that living with mental illness does not people from leading beautiful and meaningful lives. 

Running Aces Win!

Last Sunday, the Running Aces went head to head against Rochelle Zell Jewish High School and won in two categories.  ICJA triumphed in the Boys' Open run and the All Girls race.  9 ICJA runners set personal records.

Students engaged in chesed last week,

delivering food with Maot Chitim.

Last Sunday, ICJA's wrestling team met at school for its regular davening at 7:30 am, conducted a short practice, then traveled to Des Plaines to perform chesed in conjunction with Maot Chitim. The wrestlers distributed nearly two dozen Rosh Hashanah food packages to needy families.

Pictured above: junior Aiden Novick, senior Avi Zeller, junior Gabe Klein, senior Menachem Reed, juniors Ari Klein and Dory Marshall, senior Moshe Osgood and junior Meir Aberman heading to Des Plaines to pick up food packages

Pictured above: freshman Yoshi Bernstein and juniors Ari Klein, Dory Marshall and Gabriel Klein davening before practice

Yinon Gurvich '21 is a Straus Scholar

at Yeshiva University.

Yasher koach to Yinon Gurvich '21 on being named a Straus Scholar at Yeshiva University! Straus Scholars undertake a rigorous course of study that includes unique interdisciplinary courses bridging Torah and the great works of art, literature, philosophy and political science, and specially designed seminars and programs. At ICJA, Yinon participated in Model UN, co-founded the ICJA chess club, and was a member of the wrestling team, winning the Wittenberg Invitational Tournament and the Most Outstanding Wrestler award his junior year. Yinon spent last year studying at Yeshivat Sha'alavim. At YU, he hopes to pursue a dual degree in mathematics and finance, with an additional focus on the humanities in the Straus Scholars Program.

• Migdal Hatorah: Friday, November 1 at 12:00pm (Skip 5/6)
• Reisheit: Thursday, November 3 at 12:30pm
• Bar Ilan: Monday, November 7 during 5th period (11:45am)
• Netziv Aryeh: Thursday, November 10 during Breakfast (8:45am)
• Atzmona Otzem: Tuesday, November 15 during Breakfast (8:30am)
• Lev Hatorah: Tuesday, November 15 during 5th period (11:11am)
• TVA: Friday, November 18 at Breakfast (8:35am)

• Northwestern University: Wednesday, September 28 at 11:15am
• Indiana University: Thursday, September 29 at 12:30pm
• Binghamton University: Friday, September 30 at 12:30pm
• Rutgers University: Thursday, October 20
• Princeton University: Friday, October 21 at 11:50am

Thursday, the 26th of Elul, 5782 September 22, 2022, by Rosi Lennon and Family, George and Julie Lennon and Family, Lori (Lennon) and Jeff Meisel and Family, in loving memory of Shirlee Lennon, z"l, Sara bat Avraham Zev

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.

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.