Week 13, November 29 – December 3
29 Kislev 5782
December 3, 2021
Dear ICJA Family:
Once again, I get to start today’s update with something from yesterday – our Student to Student presentations with Neuqua Valley High School (Naperville). Over sixty students from Neuqua Valley participated, and so much of what our students had to say was totally new to them! Special shout out to the ICJA presenters: Laura Bellows, Kayla Well, Emma Felix, Rina Yahav, and first-time presenters Tehila Weiner, Taly Benzaquen, and Danielle Zaretsky.
This morning, after davening, I hosted Rabbi Wendy Geffen, a Reform rabbi, to speak with our senior boys as part of the seminar we’ve been having on Modern Orthodoxy. Rabbi Geffen and I have been friends for years and have worked together on behalf of JUF, and she graciously agreed to come with little advance notice.
But why did I invite her? Because in our senior Jewish Thought seminar, we are studying the foundation principles of Orthodoxy and the unique features of Modern/Centrist Orthodoxy. But to do so, I wanted to help the students understand how we fit in the broader Jewish community. While doing so, Yonatan Chavel asked me – why am I describing Reform and Conservative streams – why not invite a Reform woman Rabbi – so I did.
The boys’ questions were respectful and on target. And through the conversation, not only did they gain a better understanding of Reform Judaism, but a better appreciation for our beliefs in Torah miSinai, G-d, mesorah, and daat Torah. (Unfortunately, Rabbi Geffen’s schedule didn’t allow for her to speak with the girls – but we find some time in the future.)
At lunch today, our students feasted on a special treat – “Cinnaholic” cinnamon buns, courtesy of the grandchildren of Ann Rita Schwartz, z”l. A lot of brachot were recited with her in mind, and a lot of smiles were garnered through this special treat.
Monday will be the final Jewish Thought seminar, and it is also the first day of Spirit Week. Spirit Week is sponsored by Student Council and is an old ICJA tradition. Each day we ask our students to wear something special to create a stronger sense of community and add to our school spirit. Being that it’s the 8th day of Chanukah – Monday is Chanukah sweater day.
On a very different note, we are already beginning to receive inquiries from some students about taking outside courses (in the summer or during the year) for credit at ICJA. With the demise of the State of Illinois Virtual School (which worked closely with us, adapting curriculum and cooperating with our guidance department), our policy has changed.
The following is the new policy regarding outside credits that will take effect with the end of the current school year:
Students are granted approval to take external credits under the following conditions:
1. To move up to another level course for the following year.
2. To take an AP course that is not offered at ICJA.
3. To take a regular ICJA course that we are unable to schedule. In such an instance, ICJA will bear the online course costs.
4. Students with an IEP and receiving academic support may be eligible for online classes on a case-by-case basis. A specific recommendation from Academic Support and approval by ICJA administration. Course progress needs to be monitored weekly by Academic support.
Candle lighting tonight is at 3:59 pm. Remember that motzaei Shabbat (December 4), we begin to say v’tain tal u’matar in our shemona esrei.
Don’t forget to follow the ICJA Alumni online Chanukah feature – “Spread the Light.” Every night we will highlight alumni who have made a real difference in peoples’ lives! https://www.icja.org/spread-the-light/
Shabbat Shalom, Chodesh Tov, Chanukah Sameach, stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!
B’vracha,
LAM
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy
28 Kislev 5782
December 2, 2021
Dear ICJA Family
This morning the school was filled with the wonderful scent of latkes, as Rabbi Binyomin Segal used his culinary skills to prepare 200 homemade latkes for our students. But that’s not all – because, for his classes, he also prepared “fried ice cream” and “fried Oreos” – not necessarily a traditional Chanukah treat, but his students enjoyed every bite!
Our Jewish Thought Seminars continue, and I had a great exchange with 10th grader Julia Benditzson and 12th grader Liba Mott. I saw them talking during a free period and asked how the seminars were going. Julia couldn’t stop talking about how great they were – that her class today had learned about our responsibilities to those who are less fortunate through a Mishna and other texts. And Liba then told her about what she had been learning – about the various streams of Judaism and the different segments of Orthodoxy. Nachas!
I dropped in for the last few minutes of Mrs. Kahan’s English class. They were reading from Huck Finn, and Moshe Drutman had just finished his part when the music started playing to signal the end of the period. It was the song “Those were the nights of Chanukah,” which for some reason have been playing more often than the other Chanukah songs on our “bell playlist.” But the kids told me that it’s their favorite – and that Mr. Sears even has a dance for it!
So, I ran over to his class to see – and Mr. Sears does have a Chanukah dance. As Carmel Schreiber and Yael Kolsky, who was standing there, told me (I think “tongue in cheek”), we should get him to be part of an erev shira! But there is no doubt that the Chanukah spirit is everywhere at ICJA – even our physics!
Over in the Chem lab, Mrs. Gottlieb was running her famous mystery metal ions experiment – lighting a flame with different metal ions and having students collect data to identify the metals. Gabriel Klein and Jed Marcus were the first students to identify the mystery metals by using the data they collected in their flame test lab. It’s was also in the holiday spirit – different color flames for the holiday of lights!
On a more serious note, one more of our students was diagnosed with COVID. 12th grader Yolie Starck is doing well, and we wish her a refuah shlaima. B”H almost all of our students are vaccinated and there is no need to quarantine. However, please remember if you have any flu-like symptoms, please do not come to school until you have consulted with your physician and taken a COVID test.
Tomorrow is erev Shabbat, and we will skip 3rd period in the morning, and periods 7, 8, and 9 meet.
At lunch, we will have a special Chanukah treat – Cinnaholic cinnamon buns for everyone in honor of Chanukah. The treat is in commemoration of the yahrzeit of Ann Rita Schwartz, z”l (class of 1959), and is sponsored by her grandchildren Chuck Moscovitch (’22), Adam Schwartz (’23), and Ilana Schwartz (’24). And the family has one request when you make a bracha to eat the treat, have the neshama of Mrs. Schwartz – חנה רות בת נפתלי הרץ in mind!
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the mechanchim and all of our staff for two great programs last night. Over 2/3 of our students participated in a special after-school activity between the scavenger hunt and the basketball game. Amazing!
Don’t forget to follow the ICJA Alumni online Chanukah feature – “Spread the Light.” Every night we will highlight alumni who have made a real difference in peoples’ lives! https://www.icja.org/spread-the-light/
Chanukah Sameach, stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!
B’vracha,
LAM
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy
27 Kislev 5782
December 1, 2021
Dear ICJA Family
What a great day today was – and it’s not over yet.
But before I tell you why it was so great, let me first share something for yesterday’s 12th period West Civ class. As a part of the Renaissance unit, the students read an excerpt from Machiavelli’s The Prince. They discussedwhether the ends ever justify the means – especially when the means harm another person. It was then that the girls got all excited and told Ms. Sennett that they were talking about almost the exact subject in their limudei kodesh class! And to Ms. Sennett’s great joy, the girls, especially Eliya Sander, Simcha Seruya, and Allie Stein, lead a lively discussion about the ethical dilemma of killing one person to save the lives of many. Wow!
And now to today – first a great video that the Keshet Peer Buddies sent to me of their first in-person interaction with our Keshet students. In the video are three Keshet students, Julian, Rachel and Emma and ICJA students Kayla Kupietzky, Audrey Perlman, Noah Fensterheim and Hadassah Bernstein (Maya Wasserman was not able to be there). If you want to get some nachas from ICJA students in action – watch how they interact and have created friendships with their peers in Keshet! Click here to watch the video –
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CW6P8YFp6lY/?utm_medium=share_sheet
Which brings me to breakfast and the teachers who hosted their classes, serving everything from Moroccan donuts (Mrs. Yitzchak and Mrs. Stopek) to salami and eggs (Rabbi Broner). It was a great way to celebrate Chanukah while creating stronger bonds between teachers and students and it’s a tribute to our teachers for going the extra mile!
But one breakfast was even more special. Because at Mrs. Zeffren’s home. Toibeh Sarah Gersten made a siyum! Toibeh Sarah has been studying mesechet Sukkah since the beginning of the year, learning an amud a day. And today, she celebrated Chanukah with her very first siyum on a mesechet!
When everyone returned to school, our Jewish Thought seminars continued. The 10th graders had a guest speaker, Mr. Jeff Aeder, who spoke with them about how he has been able to save hundreds of Afghani refugees, even enlisting the support of Kim Kardashian to charter a plane to fly some of them out of Afghanistan. It was inspiring and reinforced the lesson we are trying to teach of the Jewish responsibility to care for others even when they are different from us. Thanks also to Rabbi David Wolkenfeld, who helped facilitate this presentation and joined us this morning.
Later in the day, Mr. Keller came to my office to show me the latest projects from our STEM course. This year the students had to design, program, and then 3D print menorahs that would light up with a simple turn of a dial called a potentiometer. Students designed their lights using a virtual program and then transferred their code to a microprocessor that allowed the menorah to light up according to the number of days of Chanukah. Special recognition goes to Aytan Czako, Raheli Kreimer, Adam Schwartz, Gavriel Engel, and Jonathan Thomas for getting their menorahs up and running in time for Chanukah! Amazing!
And of course, there is still more to come as tonight ICGC leaves for a scavenger hunt at Navy Pier at 6:30 pm (be on time you don’t want to miss the buses), and the boys will be going en masse to the Aces home game at 7:00 pm.
What a great school we have and what amazing students and teachers I get to work with every day!
Tomorrow is a “regular day” – if there ever is such a thing. But there will also be homemade latkes for everyone as we continue to celebrate Chanukah at ICJA!
Don’t forget to follow the special ICJA Alumni online Chanukah feature – “Spread the Light.” Every night we will highlight alumni who have made a real difference in peoples’ lives! https://www.icja.org/spread-the-light/
Chanukah Sameach, stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!
B’vracha,
LAM
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy
26 Kislev 5782
November 30, 2021
Dear ICJA Family:
This morning we began our first day of five Jewish Thought Seminars. Why today? Because it’s Chanukah, and on Chanukah, we celebrate not only the military victory, but more importantly, the victory of the Jewish spirit via the rededication of the Beit HaMikdash and the light of the menorah. So what better way to remember that miracle than by learning and thinking about what it means to be a Jew.
Between today and Monday (the last day of Chanukah), each grade will have 11 periods to meet and learn about a different subject. The freshmen are learning about our relationship with G-d, the sophomores are learning about our relationship with the “other,” juniors are using Pirkei Avot to understand better themselves, and the seniors are learning about Modern Orthodoxy.
Because I am teaching the senior class seminars, I didn’t have a chance to see the other seminars in action. But Mr. Harris did, and he gave me a “thumbs up,” saying that our teachers were engaging and our students were engaged. But even more, he thought it was interesting.
I saw this first hand with the seniors – as we began our series of seminars with understanding the core values of Orthodoxy and the various streams within the Orthodox world. Mrs. Kraft and Rabbi Simkovich are working with me, but most importantly, the students are sharing their insights and thoughts.
Talmidim – why not share your impressions with your parents tonight?
Thanks to the Gendler family, today’s treats were sufganiyot – they were VERY good. Thanks so much!
On a serious note, we wish a refuah shlaima to our 10th grade student, Leeya Starck who was diagnosed with COVID. B”H her symptoms seem to be relatively mild, and we look forward to her return to school. Since 97% of our students, faculty and staff are vaccinated and we are careful regarding masking no quarantines will be necessary. However, this is the opportunity for me to remind everyone of the need to remain vigilant against COVID.
Today, I had the opportunity to check in with one of the great world Jewish leaders – Mr. Lester Crown. As you know, our school is named after his grandmother, and from time to time, we meet so that I can give him an update and some nachas, which I did my best to convey. But even more, he told me how proud he is of our students and all they accomplish. In his words, “we are preparing the future leaders of the Jewish community.” Go ICJA!!
Tomorrow, teachers will be hosting their students for breakfast (either at their homes or in school), and the seminars will continue. We skip 11th period in the afternoon. AND at 6:30 pm, ICGC will be leaving for their scavenger hunt, and at 7:00 pm, ICJA boys will be cheering on our Aces at home against CICS-Ellison. We will be serving cholent on the way out, giving away ICJA swag, holding half-time competitions, and having a raffle for all who attend for an Amazon gift card worth $1 for every ICJA student who attends (e.g., if 50 come – it’s a $50 gift card).
Charlotte’s Web —Ida Crown’s award-winning Literary Magazine— invites all writers, artists, and photographers to submit their beautiful pieces to be published. Use the following link to submit your work: https://forms.gle/PcHcG2vUsTcsS2z79 Unlimited amount of submissions allowed! Contact Hannah Stein, Sarah Friedman, or Mrs. Arons with questions.
Laura Bellows asked me to please resend the schedule of classes for Chanukah – see attached.
Don’t forget to follow the special ICJA Alumni online Chanukah feature – “Spread the Light.” Every night we will highlight alumni who have made a real difference in peoples’ lives! https://www.icja.org/spread-the-light/
And finally, next week will be Spirit Week at ICJA. Each day students will be asked to dress in a particular way to create a great school spirit. On Monday, we start with Chanukah Sweaters – and see the attached flyer for what is up each subsequent day.
Chanukah Sameach, stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!
B’vracha,
LAM
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy
25 Kislev 5782
November 29, 2021
Dear ICJA Family:
Today, we began our week-long celebration of Chanukah at ICJA with a pop-up (rollerskating), a wonderful lunch for teachers sponsored by the Academy Associates, a festive school-wide maariv, and candle lighting, Chanukah gifts for all students after maariv, and an outdoor performance by the ICJA band.
I could write reams about each item – but suffice it to say that we’ve upped our game on Chanukah. And it’s not over – because every day there will be a special “something,” and here’s a partial list of programs (as requested by Hannah Rothner):
Tuesday 11/30: We begin the special series of Jewish Thought Seminars – Boys periods 1&2 and Girls periods 4&5 (see below for locations). Freshmen- Room 402; Sophomores- Room 401; Juniors- Room 415; Seniors- Room 313. And we skip 3rd period. And there will be sufganiyot for everyone!
Wednesday 12/1: We will be having a special Chanukah Breakfast with teachers – during periods 1 & 2. The Jewish Thought Seminars will be 3rd period for the boys and 4th for the girls (same locations as on Tuesday). And special homemade latkes at lunchtime. We skip the 11th period. At 7:00 pm, the ICJA boys will be going to an Aces game – not only to cheer on our team, but also for prizes, half-time competitions, and Rabbi Fox’s famous cholent! And at 7:30 pm, ICGC will be going to Navy Pier for Scanvenger Hunt. Make sure to sign up!! (see attached flyer
Thursday 12/2: Jewish Thought Seminars continue – periods 1&2 for the boys and periods 4&5 for the girls. Student Council will be given “Chanukah gelt” (the chocolate kind) for everyone. All-school candle lighting and maariv at 4:40 pm before 12th period.
Friday 12/3: Jewish Thought Seminars continue – periods 1&2 for the boys and periods 4&5 for the girls. Skip 3rd period and periods 7,8,9 meet in the afternoon.
Monday 12/6: The Jewish Thought Seminars conclude – boys periods 1&2, girls periods 4&5. All other classes meet. And it’s a special “Chanukah Sweaters Day”!
AND don’t forget to follow the special ICJA Alumni online Chanukah feature – “Spread the Light.” Every night we will highlight alumni who have made a real difference in peoples’ lives! https://www.icja.org/spread-the-light/
Today, amid all of our Chanukah celebrations, ICJA alum Jacob Miller (’20) met with our linear algebra students. Rabbi Drutman and Mrs. Pederson invited him to share what he is learning in linear algebra at Harvard. But it wasn’t simply a “schmooze,” instead, Jacob taught some core linear algebra concepts to our class. Thanks, Jacob!
Next week, Wednesday, December 8, Erika’s Lighthouse is hosting another lunchtime program – with a special guest speaker, Marc Fein. (see the attached flyer). Please sign-up online by this Thursday, December 3 – click here.
Finally, I received the following information from Mr. Olson, our Yearbook Faculty Advisor. Recently some of our students chose to retake their yearbook pictures. To receive copies of the retakes, students have to return the original photos to the school office. Most did just that. But some students still need to return their original pictures. Please bring them to the front office by Friday, December 3, 2021. If you have not ordered pictures yet, please keep in mind that you can still order photos by visiting the photographer’s website. If you have any questions, please let me know by emailing me at volson@icja.org.
Chanukah Sameach, stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!
B’vracha,
LAM
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy