Week 15, December 13 – December 17
13 Tevet 5782
December 17, 2021
Dear ICJA Family:
Winter vacation is almost here (there’s still Saturday night’s Yeshiva/Academy game – Go ACES!). But before you head off to destinations unknown (whether your living room sofa or a distant land), I have a few requests:
1. Make an extra effort to daven with a minyan. In Chicago, there are shacharit minyanim beginning from 6:00 am until 9:15 am. And mincha-maariv minyanim are everywhere at about 4:00 pm (with late maariv minyanim until 11:00 pm). And if you are going out of town, there are minyanim there as well. Here is a search engine to find the minyan closest to you http://www.godaven.com.
2. Set aside some time every day to read a book. It’s a great way to relax and disconnect. And don’t forget to learn some Torah. I know many of our teachers have offered incentives, but the biggest incentive of all is the mitzvah we have of Talmud Torah. (By the way – for great audio shiurim – www.yutorah.com is a wellspring of resources!)
3. If you’re traveling to an exotic location outside of a Jewish community, remember that on Shabbat, there may not be an eruv. If so, remember to empty your pockets before you venture outside.
4. Have a good time and relax! Recharge your batteries and get ready for the end of the first semester and the beginning of the second semester at ICJA. And if you need us – the office will be open Monday-Thursday mornings until noon, and of course, email works at any time, day or night.
Earlier today, I spoke with Rabbi Kupchik, the principal of FYHS, about our upcoming matchup – this coming motzaei Shabbat. We are both looking forward to two exciting games and a spirited (albeit limited) crowd. But don’t forget – players and fans must be masked, and only those with tickets will be able to attend in-person.
ICJA students and fans are reminded to be in “relaxed” school dress code (boys – appropriate shirts and pants, girls – appropriate skirts and tops). In addition – Student Council wants this to be a “blackout,” – everyone, please dress in black.
And finally, and I know this is the last thing you want to think about BEFORE vacation, but when we come back, there will be only a few weeks before the end of the semester on January 21. This year will not be having semester finals, but only quarter tests. (Semester finals are cumulative tests covering material from the entire semester. Quarter tests are only on material from the quarter or less.). The tests may be given according to the regular testing schedule. Click here for more information. https://www.icja.org/student-life/additional-policies/
Candle lighting today is at 4:00 pm.
Have a wonderful Shabbat, a relaxing vacation, and we’ll see you soon!
Stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!
B’vracha,
LAM
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy
12 Tevet 5782
December 16, 2021
Dear ICJA Family:
Before I tell you about two great things I got to see today – there are a lot of announcements I was asked to share. So here goes:
1. Parents of 12th Graders
Every year, it is customary to have parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and all of the other important people in the lives of seniors write ads dedicated to their favorite high schoolers. The seniors will only graduate once, so you only get one chance to leave them a message in the senior yearbook. Would you please get those ads in by January 23 – https://www.icja.org/product/yearbook-ads/?
2. YUTMK Breakfast Learning with Rabbi Brand
Rabbi Reuven Brand, our Rosh Kollel, will begin offering a weekly breakfast learning group for students starting in January. If you would like to be in the know, please join the learning WhatsApp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/BipV382Cqw719OSGaq8UFs.
3. Yeshiva/Academy Game – BLACKOUT
This motzaei Shabbat is the first Yeshiva/Academy game. It’s always exciting and consistently one of the best-attended games of the year. Unfortunately, this year’s attendance will be limited because of COVID restrictions. There are still some tickets available for the JV game – click here if you want to reserve a ticket – https://gofan.co/p/23B9E90511704DF6BC7F85629E53AA58, and again, it’s first-come, first-serve.
And if you weren’t able to get a ticket, you can still watch the game on the “zaidy cam” (the info is below).
Everyone will be required to be masked and in “relaxed” school dress code (boys – appropriate shirts and pants, girls – appropriate skirts and tops). In addition – Student Council wants this to be a “blackout,” – everyone please dress in black.
4. Senior Shabbaton
Last call to sign up for the Senior Shabbaton – January 7-8, 2022. Reservations are due TONIGHT! Here is the link https://www.icja.org/product/senior-shabbaton/.
5. Boys’ Mishmar and Dodgeball (and cholent) TONIGHT – 8:00 pm
And now to the two great things, I saw in school today (in addition to a day yomi siyum, some fantastic learning and teaching, creative students, and collaboration…!).
Today, the ICGC Board had the pleasure to hear from Elizabeth Walder, the President of the Walder Foundation, which also funds ICGC. Mrs. Walder spoke with them about decision making and leadership – and did it through the story of the choices she had to make as a teenager, choosing music over sports, and then choosing a career in law over both. But the strongest message she gave was to be strategic in thinking. Thank you, Mrs. Walder. Maya Wasserman, Laura Bellows, and Carly Sorscher gave an excellent presentation on ICGC and the leadership opportunities it has afforded them. And thank you, Mrs. Kraft and Mrs. Gold, for putting together this series of leadership meetings for our ICGC leadership board!
And then, at the end of the day came one of my favorite physics classes – the flying pig experiment. One day – you have to see it! Mr. Sears suspends a motorized, plastic pig from the ceiling, and it “flies” in a circular path with a constant speed. Why? It’s to learn about the mathematics of uniform circular motion as the pig traces a right, conical pendulum. For the first round, students need to do their Newtonian analysis with only a metric stick!
But it’s also one of the most engaging experiments of the year- a little surprising the first time you see it. In fact, I could see Michal Bechoffer, Hersh Linzer, and Menachem Reed’s smiles even with masks on! But it makes a serious scientific point in a fun and engaging manner.
And I heard one of the best answers of the day when Ilan Blumenthal told Mr. Sears that the table he was assigned to was on the west side of the class. To which Mr. Sears responded – “Ilan, the table is on the east side – think of the direction you daven!”
I guess that’s enough for now – and one more day until vacation!
Stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!
B’vracha,
LAM
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy
11 Tevet 5782
December 15, 2021
Dear ICJA Family:
Winter vacation is almost here, but school is moving along as usual, with great learning, programming, and opportunities!
Today, Rabbi Moshe Taragin visited ICJA and gave a shiur about “doubtful ownership” to many of the senior boys (and some of the juniors). Rabbi Taragin is a rebbe at Yeshivat Har Etzion and a master educator, and watching him in action was an absolute joy! (In fact, I moved some things around just to sit in the shiur with the boys.)
But most importantly, I was so proud of our students who not only participated in the shiur but knew so much. It’s a real tribute to our Talmud department and our students.
We’re back into the season of student visits – and today, we had three prospective students shadowing at ICJA. Thanks to student ambassadors Elisha Shpayher, Hadar Simkovich, and Jacob Friedman for doing such a great job showing them around!
Earlier today, Mr. Harris had a chance to visit Rabbi Rosen’s MJH class. The students were learning about the famous episode of the bombing of the King David Hotel by the Irgun. To this day, there remains a dispute regarding this event, and 12th grader Aharon Bauman asked THE question – why the British did not evacuate the hotel when they received the warning. And if they chose not to do so – what was their level of responsibility for those who died in the bombing?
Tomorrow during breakfast, we will celebrate the daf yomi siyum of mesechet Taanit. Rabbi Rosenbaum will finish the Gemara, and Dr. Brown will do the “hadran.” All students are invited to attend and enjoy a special breakfast treat sponsored by the Masliansky family in memory of Joseph and Tzippora Masliansky.
Tomorrow there will be a Student Council meeting during 3rd period in the gym, the board of ICGC will be meeting during 6th period, and there will be a Mishmar at 8:00 pm sponsored by the mechanchim.
SENIORS, have you signed up for the Shabbaton? I know that Shabbaton is not until January 7-8, 2022 – but reservations are due this Thursday! Here is the link https://www.icja.org/product/senior-shabbaton/.
Stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!
B’vracha,
LAM
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy
10 Tevet 5782
December 14, 2021
Dear ICJA Family:
It’s a fast day, which means that school has ended earlier than normal and everyone is a little more tired than usual. Add to the mix that a large group of our students had the booster vaccine yesterday, and you’ll understand why things were a little quieter than usual today at ICJA.
But I did have a chance to visit Rabbi Yoni Fox’s senior boys Talmud class. Rabbi Fox’s name appears in many emails because, besides being one of many talented Talmud teachers, he is also a mechanech and coordinates special programs. And today, I got to watch him teach a tosafot to his class – but more importantly, I got to see some of his boys in action. Ari Baral argued his point regarding a “migu,” and Jonathan Thomas jumped in with an explanation, as did David Gaffen and Ethan Comrov. And I’m sure if I had more time, I would have seen more interaction. Kol Hakavod!
A little later tonight, I will be sending an email to the parents of our boys’ basketball team to reserve tickets for Motzaei Shabbat’s Academy-Yeshiva game. The seniors and sophomores will also receive a special link to get tickets, and starting Thursday morning, any extra tickets will be available to the entire school. (Unlike previous years, we will take a break between JV and SV games to allow a new set of ticket holders to entire the gym.) I know it sounds complicated, but we’ll make it work!
And on the topic of basketball – congratulations to our Lady Aces who won last night’s game agains RZ!
Unfortunately, today we also received news that one more student, 12th grader Eliyahu Malkin tested positive for COVID. He was not displaying any symptoms, feels fine, and we wish him a refuah shlaima. We are also grateful for our twice-weekly COVID testing for athletes that caught his COVID infection. Thanks to parent (and alum) Rebecca Gorenstein and who has been leading that effort.
SENIORS, have you signed up for the Shabbaton? It’s not until January 7-8, 2022 – but reservations are due this Thursday. Here is the link https://www.icja.org/product/senior-shabbaton/.
Tomorrow is an early dismissal day (4:58 pm), and we will skip 7th period.
Stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!
B’vracha,
LAM
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy
9 Tevet 5782
December 13, 2021
Dear ICJA Family:
Today is a very special day on the ICJA calendar. Because six years ago, on Sunday, December 13, 2015, we dedicated our new building. For those who were there, it was a spectacular day, filled with pride and community. But it was nothing like what has happened in the building ever since, as ICJA continues to inspire our students to reach ever higher in Torah uMaddah, in personal growth and communal leadership.
To everyone involved in making this building possible, our building chairs, Jacques Gliksberg and David Strulowitz, and especially the Crown Goodman Family and the JUF – thank you for everything you did to make this building possible.
Tomorrow is the 10th of Tevet and a fast day. While school will start at its regular time of 8:05 am, periods 7, 8, and 9 will meet in the afternoon, and dismissal is at 2:30 pm (see attached).
Thursday at 8:00 pm there will be a boys’ mishmar, and on motzaei Shabbat, our boys’ basketball teams will be playing FYHS. The JV game will begin at 7:30 pm, and the SV game will be at 9:00 pm. Seating will be limited to about 50% capacity, and the links to sign up will be sent out this week.
Finally, on a more serious note, there are two more cases of COVID in the school. We wish Aryeh Neiger and Rabbi Moshe Simkovich a refuah shlaima and look forward to their return to school after vacation. All told, there are currently five students who are recovering from COVID, and B”H their symptoms are mild.
But it is raising concerns among some of our students. Today one of the student leaders wrote to me and suggested that we begin school after vacation online and not in-person. As I explained to him, this is an issue we have looked into in the past, but our medical committee has felt that, unlike younger children, it is unlikely that our students would not be isolating in their homes. As such, being in school can be a safer space for our students.
This theory has been borne out by the fact that we have not, bli ayin hara had any in-school transmission of COVID and that all of the cases so far have come from outside of school contacts. Nevertheless, we will have an all-school COVID test on the third day back from vacation, and athletes and the few unvaccinated students will continue to be tested on Mondays and Thursdays.
On that note, today, over 50 students received their booster shot at a clinic run by CareOne Pharmacy. We thank CareOne for having made the arrangements on such short notice, and we are proud to have offered the service to our school community.
Stay safe, stay connected, and stay inspired!
B’vracha,
LAM
Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
Dean, Ida Crown Jewish Academy