How Far We Have Come!
L
ast year we renamed our school in memory of Rochelle Zell z�l and in honor of the extraordinary support of the Zell Family Foundation. In her lifetime, Mrs. Zell advocated for excellence in education and for sustaining Jewish values, consistent with our mission to create a culture of academic excellence that prepares students to live as responsible and involved Jewish citizens in the modern world.
Chicagoland Jewish High School, as we were previously known, opened its doors in 2001 with 26 students in Morton Grove. Today our school in Deerfield has grown into a vibrant institution of 168 students who come from a broad geographic area, including other states and overseas, and from across the Jewish spectrum.
Family Jewish Affiliation Unaffiliated 7% Reform 9% Traditional 7% Conservative 50% Orthodox 27%
Our students come from... Aurora Buffalo Grove Castle Rock Chicago Colorado Deerfield Des Plaines Elgin Evanston Glencoe Glenview Hawthorn Woods Highland Park
Lincolnshire Lincolnwood Long Grove Mundelein Northbrook Northfield Skokie South Carolina Vernon Hills Wheeling Winnetka Spain
#1 40 #1 205 #1
Rated Top Jewish High School in America
Number of Clubs and Extra-curricular Activities Offered
Model United Nations Three-Time National Champions
Colleges and Universities Have Accepted Rochelle Zell Students
Boys Cross Country Team 1st Place in Chicago Prep Conference Seven Consecutive Years
Rochelle Zell students are challenged to open their minds and their hearts, to think critically, to take risks in a safe and supportive environment and to become their best selves. This happens in their general and Jewish studies classes, in our strong athletic and fine arts programs and through the many extra-curricular activities and leadership opportunites we provide. Over 400 students have graduated from Rochelle Zell Jewish High School since 2004. Our graduates continue on to a wide range of outstanding universities, large and small, and to lives of meaning and achievement. Many are activists and leaders on campus, in their communities, in Israel and elsewhere in the world.
Class of 2013
Class of 2014
Class of 2015
Class of 2016
What We Have Accomplished A naming gift from the Zell Family Foundation, along with the remarkable generosity of the Harvey L. Miller Supporting Foundation and the Crown Family, secured the permanence of our school for generations to come by putting the school on a path to become debt-free. The school’s endowment fund also participated in this debt reduction plan. The gifts for debt reduction enabled us to redeem in full the school’s outstanding bond debt. We reduced our debt from over $14 million in 2015 to less than $7.5 million today, and greatly reduced future interest expense. A loan guarantee from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago enabled us to obtain a bank loan which we will be able to retire in nine years, leaving us debt free 17 years earlier than under the previous debt structure.
Debt Reduction Resulting From Major Gifts and Jewish Federation Loan Guarantee
Debt Reduction Resulting From Major Gifts and Jewish Federation Loan Guaranty $16,000,000
$14,000,000
Bond Debt Principal Path Before Major Gifts
$12,000,000
Total Interest Obligations Reduced by Over 90 Percent, Saving the School Millions of Dollars.
$10,000,000
$8,000,000
$6,000,000
$4,000,000
New Bank Loan
$2,000,000
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Where We Go From Here Your support remains critically important. The naming gift and the other two major gifts were given to the school to reduce and ultimately eliminate our debt first and foremost. In addition, we must continue to raise over 1.5 million each year to meet our annual operating budget, which sustains all we do including academic programs, tuition assistance, athletics, extra-curricular activities and more. We have raised $933,000 to date this year. Please consider a new or increased contribution to the Rochelle Zell Jewish High School Annual Campaign. If you have already made a gift to this year’s campaign, thank you. To make a gift: • Go to our website at www.rzjhs.org and make an online donation • Mail a check or pay by Visa or MasterCard with the enclosed response envelope • Call our development office at 847.324.3720 Your committment to providing a quality Jewish education for all of our students is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Tony Frank Head of School
Lynn Schrayer President, Board of Directors
Join us on the web!
1095 Lake Cook Road • Deerfield, IL 60015 • 847.470.6700
www.RZJHS.org
Affiliated with Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools. A partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community.