Toggle Menu


15 Kislev 5782

November 19, 2021

Dear ICJA Family:

Shabbat is coming (very quickly!), so I’ll make this one quick – even though there is a lot to share.

This morning, I was in my office getting ready for another glorious ICJA day when Rabbi Stromer popped in and asked if I had a few minutes to speak with his 11th grade Talmud class. Gabe Simon had a question about the halachic propriety of vending non-kosher hot dogs at Wrigley Field. 

So I went into his class and had a chance to talk with them about the halachic issues, including deriving benefit from a mixture of milk and meat (הנאה מבשר בחלב) and doing business with non-kosher items (סחורה בדבר האסור). It was a great conversation. But one of the things I enjoyed the most was the bulletin board covered with pictures of famous rabbis. And so when I mentioned Rabbi Gedaliah Dov Schwartz, ztz”l, and Rabbi Stromer asked the boys where he was on the board, Caleb Gutstein was able to point him out – without hesitation.

On my way back to the office, I walked past Mrs. Pogonitz’s 12th grade Chumash class, and she stepped out and invited me in to observe. But she wasn’t teaching the class Rabbi Drutman was – and he was teaching them Snell’s law – a mathematical law that allows a person to calculate the different refraction angles for the different frequencies of light that gives a rainbow its colors. The board was filled with equations, and the girls were hard at work solving them and doing the calculations. In fact, at one point, Attar Benmelech asked that Rabbi Drutman let them try to solve the equation – what nachas!!

But what did that have to do with Chumash?

The answer is that Mrs. Pogonitz’s class was studying the story of the Flood and the commentators who discuss the meaning of the rainbow. Both the Abarbanel and Malbim discuss the properties of light refracting through moist air, and the Akeidat Yitzchak explains why this refraction of light is the sign of G-d’s promise not to destroy the world through a flood. Wow!

By the way, on the subject of “wow,” Rabbi Fliegelman told me about last night’s mishmar that he had for his class. Fathers and grandfathers joined in to learn from his students, explaining sections of the Gemara they learned. There was pizza, french fries, and a Coke/Pepsi challenge – but even more, there was a lot of nachas all around. Yaasher koach to Gabe Aberman, Ezra Comrov, Jacob Friedman, Eyal Gutstein, Aaron Hartman and Ami Weiss.

Boys’ JV and Varsity basketball teams have a parent meeting on Tuesday, November 23, 7:00-8:00 pm in Room 419. New staff members Coach Dr. Jonathan Rich and Coach Jeremy Geller will answer questions and talk about expectations for the season. 

Erika’s Lighthouse Mental Health Awareness Club is planning its next event and looking for a student speaker to share their story of dealing with depression. If students are willing to share their story in any form (in-person or via an anonymous essay), please email Mrs. Friedman at ofriedman@icja.org by Tuesday, November 23 at 9 am. Thank you! 

Candle lighting tonight is at 4:06 pm. 

Shabbat Shalom, stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!

B’vracha,

LAM

Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.

Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy 


14 Kislev 5782

November 18, 2021

Dear ICJA Family:

I know that I’ve been writing about the Open House for weeks, but I need to add a postscript after last night’s spectacular event. 

So here goes – we have a great school! Our teachers go the extra mile, our students are filled with enthusiasm and talent, and our lay leadership inspires us to be even better. And it was self-evident last night! For those who came – I’m sure you agree that it was a “wow moment.” Thank you to everyone who made it happen – to our staff and our administration and especially to Suzy Nussbaum, our director of admissions. 

The Student Council pre-Thanksgiving Food Drive is going strong. Today, I saw students carrying in bags with cans and other non-perishables, and the boxes in the Gemara/Talmud classrooms are filling up. And, I was just told that the class which collects the most will be treated to a special pizza lunch. So let’s do some more chesed!

On Monday, November 29, the Tikvah Scholars Program will be visiting ICJA to present to our 10th and 11th-grade students an exceptional summer opportunity at Yale University. See the attached flyer for more information, or speak to Dr. Brown.

All of the grades were submitted earlier this week, and report cards will be sent via email to all families at the beginning of next week. Just a reminder to our students, if you think a teacher made a mistake in the grade, it is essential that you speak with your teacher within two weeks of receiving your report card.

Finally, we still need parent feedback from Sunday’s conferences. Please click here to take a 3-minute survey. We want to know your thoughts on the conferences, the new platform we used, and anything else you want to share.

Tomorrow we skip 3rd period, and periods 10, 11, and 12 meet.

Stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!

B’vracha,

LAM

Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.

Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy 


13 Kislev 5782

November 17, 2021

Dear ICJA Family:

Tonight’s the big night – and with over 100 families coming to our Open House, it’s sure to be a great night! Kudos to our director of admissions, Mrs. Suzy Nussbaum, for making everything happen. Special thanks to our faculty and staff who be in attendance tonight – cheering ICJA on and making all of our visitors feel a part of the family.

And a special thank you to the following students who will be serving as guides and ambassadors: Lea Ackerman, Ayelet Appel, Michal Bechhofer, Millo Benmelech, Taly Benzaquen, Hadassah Bernstein, Andrew Bersson, Ilan Blumenthal, Leah Rina Brochin, Emily Darlow, Sofia Douek, Nava Dreytser, Elana Druk, Eliana Ebert, Charli Ernstein, Shuli Falk, Lauren Fensterheim, Simona Fridberg, Jacob Friedman, Sarah Friedman, Noa Gavant, Toibeh Sarah Gersten, Sam Gurvich, Aaron Hartman, Dana Kalutsky, Ari Klein, Gabriel Klein, Kayla Kupietzky, Rotem Lavi, Eliana Levine, Sarah Levitt, Sarah Lipson, Tovi Litwack, Phillip Maiman, Lilac Marcus, Zev Margolin, Adina Margolin, Zack Miller, Yitzchak Mishkin, Maytal Needle, Aryeh Neiger, Moshe Osgood, Audrey Perlman, Kreimer Racheli, Menachem Reed, Yonah Rubin, Carmel Schreiber, Adi Seruya, Aliza Shyovitz, Hadar Simkovich, Gabe Simon, Carly Sorscher, Leeya Starck, Allie Stein, Hershel Thomas, Jonathan Thomas, Maya Wasserman, Meital Wittlin and Jordana Zwelling.

Now that’s an impressive list of shout-outs! 

Earlier today, Rabbi Rosenbaum’s Chumash class was getting ready to study about the Tower of Babel. But in preparation for that, he taught them about chiastic structures of a story. Later in the afternoon, Dr. Brown’s senior English class got to use an Oculus Virtual Reality Headset to step right into a scene from Hamlet, and Rabbi Drutman entertained them with his recitation from memory of the scene from Act 5 of Hamlet – “Alas poor Yorick!” (Back in the day, we used to memorize things in school – I still remember having to memorize Bialik’s poem of ‘Immi zichrona livracha’ – all ten stanzas- in 9th grade; and tefillat Yona in 12th grade.) I guess today was a literary day at ICJA!

But it was also a day of chesed, as:

1. Interact Club-HOPE club began selling candy grams. The cost is two dollars each and will include a full-sized chocolate bar and a pack of cookies. This treat is a sweet way to tell someone that you appreciate them. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask the club’s presidents: Zack Miller, Hadassah Bernstein, and Kayla Kupietzky. 

2. Student Council and Interact-HOPE club began their food drive for the Ark Food Pantry. Student Council reps and Interact-HOPE committee members were bringing in boxes for each classroom – and it’s a competition between classes to see who can collect the most. 

Congratulations to the Lady Aces on last night’s victory in their first game – 49-45! May it be the first of many wins this season.

Finally, and importantly, we need parent feedback from Sunday’s conferences. Please click here to take a 3-minute survey. We want to know your thoughts on the conferences, the new platform we used, and anything else you want to share.

Stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!

B’vracha,

LAM

Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.

Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy 


12 Kislev 5782

November 16, 2021

Dear ICJA Family:

Yesterday, while our teachers were calculating grades and our students were enjoying an extra day of vacation, I had the pleasure of visiting our alumni at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It’s a visit I try to do every year, but it had to be a virtual visit via zoom last year because of COVID. While there, I had the chance to see the new Chabad building with its dorm (there’s room for 32 students!), and its kosher kitchen that is part of the university meal plan. I also had the opportunity to go to the Hillel, where I gave a shiur in memory of ICJA alum Caleb Maeir (class of ’16). Caleb, z”l was an exceptional young man, who we think about often. And it was a tribute to his memory that more than 30 students, most of the ICJA alumni, came to the shiur!

Today, we started the morning with presentations to the 9th and 10th graders by two scholars from “Foundation Stone,” Rabbi Barnea Selavan and David Willner. They are in Chicago for about a week as part of the Walder Science program on archeology and Tanach.

They brought with them artifacts – everything from jug handles from the time of the Beit HaMikdash, a silver ring found in an archeological dig from the area and the time of Lavan, and 9th grader Jacob Friedman flipped an 1800-year-old coin with the face of Hadrian on it! 

When the 10th graders were meeting, Rabbi Selavan handed Aryeh Neiger a small clay vessel that was used as an oil lamp. Asked Rabbi Selavan – do you know what this lamp is called in the Mishna? Not a Menorah or a Chanukiah, but a ner! And that’s what they used to light for Chanukah!

Today, we also welcome three more students who came to shadow at ICJA. Thanks to Zevi Margolin, Allie Stein, and Maytal Wittlin for guiding them through the day! And we also hosted Rabbi Natan Brownstein of Hillel Torah, who met with our JUMP committee to plan the next step in their efforts to work as mentors for middle school students, and I got to meet the new Bnei Akiva shaliach, Yonatan Edrie. Yonatan arrived just yesterday, and we look forward to further growth and activity from Bnei Akiva.

This afternoon, I stopped into Dr. Brown’s senior English class. It’s a small class, and the way things worked out, there are only boys in the class. But I was surprised how engaged they were in studying Act 4 Scene 7 of Hamlet. At one point, Joey Cohen gave the best explanation of the Queen’s motivation in her words to Laertes following the death of his sister Ophelia, impressing the rest of the class – even Aaron Gottlieb conceded that Joey was on target! But all of the boys deserve a shout-out – Joey and Aaron, Will Blumberg, Aytan Czako, Jonah Matanky, and Jonathan Thomas. 

Before I forget, another person who came to school today was Mr. David Newman. Mr. Newman was here to get our HAM radio club up and running. The club will begin next Wednesday, November 24th, at 5:00 pm in the Biology lab. I hope a lot of students will consider joining this tremendous time-tested club!

Tomorrow is our Open House for prospective students. Registration is at 7:00 pm, and please encourage prospective families to join us! For more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Mrs. Suzy Nussbaum at snussbaum@icja.org.

Finally, and importantly, we need parent feedback from Sunday’s conferences. PARENTS, please click here to take a 3-minute survey. We want to know your thoughts on the conferences, the new platform we used, and anything else you want to share.

Tomorrow is another early dismissal day, and we will skip 9th period.

Stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!

B’vracha,

LAM

Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.

Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy 




Sign up for our Newsletter

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.