2 Iyar, 5777
This Week at Rochelle Zell
April 27, 2017
Observing Yom HaShoah
Wagner Ins샼tute Observing Yom HaShoah This Week in Sports DEAP News Botball Students in the News Alumni in the News
Baruch Dayan Emet Alumni Trivia A Taste of Torah Community News
Class Schedule Monday, May 1 A ‐ Extended Tefillah Tuesday, May 2
C ‐ Special Schedule Wednesday, May 3 BB
On Monday, we commemorated Yom HaShoah by hearing the story of Brenda Huss, who was joined by her son Fred Huss. Brenda is the grandmother of senior Tallulah Bark‐Huss. Brenda Huss was born in 1925 and grew up in Horodenka, Poland, a city now located in Ukraine. She spoke of the great Jewish life in the town of 20,000 people, with a populaഀon of 5,000 Jews. Jewish life changed dramaഀcally with the arrival of Soviet troops, following the Molotov‐Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. Jewish learning became forbidden from that point forth. With the arrival of the Nazis in 1941, life transformed even more dramaഀcally, as Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing squads) began to take over the countryside of Russia. Brenda and her family escaped to a cave system in Ukraine, where they lived on a potato a day for over a year and a half. Her brother and sister both died of starvaഀon while living in the caves. In March 1944 , the town baker Oschepko came to let them know about liberaഀon, and Brenda met her husband in Russia following the
war. The family ended up living in a German DP camp, where Brenda served as a Hebrew instructor, and Fred was born. They came to America in 1949, where Brenda and Dave seጀled in Skokie. Brenda taught for many years at Hillel Torah and Dave worked as a barber.
Thursday, May 4
C Friday, May 5 A
Each story about the Holocaust is one of heroism. While we oퟀ�en dwell on the overwhelming numbers, Brenda reminded us yet again that each individual number represents the story of a world unto herself. May the memories of all those who perished be for a blessing.
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May 1‐12 AP Exams
May 17 Physics Expo
May 18 Grandparents Day Open Mic Night Athle샼c Night
May 19 Last Day of Classes All‐School BBQ
May 22 No School
May 24 Senior Siyyum Gradua샼on
May 23‐26 Final Exams
Fiퟀ�y parഀcipants joined us at Rochelle Zell last weekend with the preeminent scholars of the Jewish Theological Seminary for a day of study with our community during the Isidor and Rose Wagner Insഀtute. The theme of the Insഀtute was Stories of Struggle, Rescue, and Renewal: The Holocaust and Its Impact Today. Aጀendees enjoyed a variety of learning sessions on topics such as Lucy S. Dawidowicz and the Beginnings of Holocaust Educaഀon in the United States and Jewish Displaced Persons and the Creaഀon of the State of Israel. One of the highlights of the day was hearing from the winners of the annual Esther K. Wagner z"l Essay Prize. Mazal tov to junior Gaby Ecanow and senior Talullah Bark‐Huss for their winning entries. Click here for Gaby's and here for Tallulah's inspired wriഀngs!
Botball Tournament
Botball Tournament
RZJHS Robo샼cs Team Takes Third It was pandemonium at the 2017 Botball tournament on Loyola's Lakeshore campus as 11 local roboഀcs teams competed for industrial glory! Feathers flew as Michael Daugherty, Alex Bernat, Shoshana Frank, and Jake Korol redesigned the pair of robots they have been working on all winter to maintain the compeഀഀon's strict guidelines and enact useful tasks in the agricultural field! Aퟀ�er a few last‐ minute upgrades, "Kiwi" and "Hacker" rolled out of the starഀng box to take third place in the team compeഀഀon; the robots successfully herded a model cow into a barn and climbed up a raised terrace to plant the rows of seeds. Many thanks to our ഀreless coaches Mr. Robert Bernat and Ms. Robyn Murphy, and kol hakavod to our four roboഀcs engineers who made a tremendous showing against teams five ഀmes their size!
DEAP News
Social Service Visits
A week ago Thursday, DEAP volunteered at JUF Uptown Cafe. Club president Arielle Small reports, "It was really meaningful, bursഀng with interesഀng conversaഀons, and an overall perfect mix of being a waiter and a friend!" Maᛂ� Weiss adds, "I made new friends. Food is truly able to connect people!" and longഀme volunteer Sean Dreifuss writes, "Listening to their incredible stories really puts things into perspecഀve."
On Tuesday, students ventured to Libertyville for the final DEAP Direct Service event of the year. Students helped to set up bedding for the clients who stay at the PADS shelter site, housed at First Presbyterian Church. Thank you to Joey Rosenblum, Maᛂ� Weiss, Brian Silverstein, and Sean Dreifuss for their help and to everyone who was involved in DEAP this year.
Spring Sports in the Field Soccer, Baseball, Volleyball, and Tennis
The girls soccer team is off to a great start to the second half of the season. This past Sunday, the team beat Ida Crown aퟀ�er coming back from being down 1‐2. With ten minutes leퟀ� in the game, the Tigers scored two goals to win 3‐2. Two goals came from Livia Moses and one from Rachel Zell, with two amazing assists from Ariel Saxton. On Tuesday, the team celebrated senior night with a huge 8‐1 win against Chicago Hope. Abby Becker, Rachel Zell, and Livia Moses scored the winning goals, with assists from Livia Moses, Ariel Saxton, and Micah Shaffer. Mazel Tov to seniors Sara Behn, Bobbi Hochberg, Eliana Kaufman, and Ariel Saxton on an amazing high school soccer career. The girls set their eyes on the Chicago Prep Tournament next week. Go Tigers!
Tigers baseball competed hard over the past week, earning a split for their dominaഀng victory over Chicago's Christ the King, and a hard‐fought loss to Ida Crown. Coach Chanan reports, "Of note in the 14‐2 win over Christ the King were strong pitching performances from senior Jon Silvers and freshman Ari Rosen, as well as solid offense provided by several players, highlighted by Silvers, Rosen, junior Max Pivo, and senior Jonah Karoll. Among the many defensive standouts were junior shortstop Ben Saxton, senior center fielder Adam Gilman, sophomore second baseman Owen Stern, sophomore third baseman Henry Hoffman, and catcher Max Pivo. Highlights from the hard fought loss to Ida Crown came from starഀng pitcher Jon Silvers, who kept the game close for 5 innings, and from Max Pivo, who caught a solid game, and ripped a double to leퟀ�‐center to cap off a good day at the plate." The team will take the field for a double‐header on Sunday against Cristo Rey, and will play three more ഀmes next week.
Boys volleyball had a great finish before Pesach break as they beat St. Ben's in two games. Our leaders for the games were Eli Nasa샼r, Sammy Hoffman, and Akiva Stein, all with four kills. Aퟀ�er Pesach break, we had two tough matches to St. Ben's and Holy Trinity, where Sammy Hoffman added three digs and a perfect 16‐16 on serves. Noah Cope also finished a perfect 10‐10 on his serves. JV volleyball returned to the court aퟀ�er a long break, defeaഀng Holy Trinity 25‐ 15 25‐11. Leading the way were Joey
Schrayer, Ben Hirsch, Daniel Sacks, and Noah Cope.
The boys tennis team brought home a decisive victory against Elgin Academy on Monday, winning almost every single match! Coach Wissig reports, "All the boys played excepഀonally well and I was very proud of the team. Our next match will be on May 2 in Glencoe against Beacon Academy. This is also our Senior Day so please come out to support the team!"
Alumni Trivia Which of our graduates is taking urban St. Louis youth out into the wilderness in his life‐changing new nonprofit?
Students in the News
Mazal tov to Daphne Budin who was recognized this past Tuesday as one of JUF's 18 Under 18. Read all about it here! And many congratulaഀons to the five members of the class of 2018 who will be recognized in the Naഀonal Merit Program! Anna Ecanow, Gabrielle Ecanow, Ben Hirsch, Ethan Laney, and Max Pivo will be recognized next fall as either Naഀonal Merit Commended students or Semi‐ Finalists. Not only does this recognize the outstanding academic talent of these students, but it also comments on the quality of educaഀon that they receive every day from the RZJHS staff.
Congratulaഀons also go to alumnus Jonah Glick‐Unterman (CJHS '15) on being elected president of his class at Stanford! We can't help but noഀce that Jonah is following in the footsteps of his fellow Cardinal Jordy Shapiro (CJHS '11), also president of his class at Stanford. Well done, Jonah!
Baruch Dayan Emet
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Batsheva Stadlan, daughter of Dr. Noam Stadlan and Marianne Novak, sister of Hillel and Zehavya. Ms. Novak is training at Yeshivat Maharat and previously served as a Jewish Studies teacher at Chicagoland Jewish High School. We extend hearퟂ�elt condolences to the Skokie Jewish community and that of Ida Crown Academy during this period of mourning. Donaഀons in Batsheva's memory can be made to the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance and the Bet Elazraki Children's Home and orphanage in Netanya, Israel.
We also wish to announce the memorial service for Sara Shapiro, z"l, grandmother of alumni Jacob Shapiro, Avra Shapiro (CJHS '09), Aliza Shapiro (CJHS '10), Tali Shapiro (CJHS '14), and Yoni Shapiro (CJHS '15), on this Sunday, April 30, at 1:30 pm at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, 1175 Sheridan Road, Highland Park.
וירושלים ציון אבלי שאר בתוך אתכם ינחם המקום May God's presence comfort the Stadlan and Novak and Shapiro families among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
Alumni Trivia
As an Environmental and Earth Sciences major at Washington University St. Louis, Nadav Sprague (CJHS '13) is able to apply his knowledge and passion for nature in a meaningful way, while giving back to the community. Staffed by WashU volunteers, Nadav's brainchild, Gateway to the Great Outdoors offers local fiퟀ�h and sixth graders a safe and producഀve aퟀ�er‐school club where students can learn how to use a compass or pitch a tent while being introduced to larger‐scale concepts like sustainability, recycling and the principles of Leave No Trace.
Aퟀ�er conducഀng a survey among the kids in the program, Nadav realized his group's impact was greater than even he had foreseen, and it was ഀme to scale up from a student‐run club to a local nonprofit. “We read a student’s response to the survey which said, ‘I like this club because it means I don’t have to go home.’" Nadav reports. "Originally I thought this was just a school club, but conducഀng the survey proved that it really helps to distract kids from troubles at home. It seemed like the right move to turn this student‐run organizaഀon into a nonprofit so we could make a bigger impact.” In January of 2017, aퟀ�er two successful years in the field, Gateway to the Great Outdoors transiഀoned into a non‐profit. This allowed for the organizaഀon to engage in fundraising to further enhance the club, such as acquiring the means to increase transportaഀon for students. Nadav plans to pass his posiഀon on to another WashU student when he graduates this spring. READ MORE>>
A Taste of Torah: TazriaMetzora
Typically, when we get sick, we first go to a doctor to learn about our ailment and what we can do to cure it. We might go to our rabbi for spiritual guidance when dealing with a difficult diagnosis, but usually aퟀ�er dealing with a medical professional. In Vayikra 13:1‐3, we read that the individual afflicted with tzara’at goes to the priest and the priest then declares the individual as either afflicted with tzara’at, impure, or not. The priest, aퟀ�er checking the skin ailment, determines if the person needs to be removed from the community while they are sick. This is not the typical role of the priest. He went through training, and was part of a lineage that instructed him on sacrifices and leading an Israelite community. However, we do not read anywhere in the Torah of any instrucഀon he received on dealing with human afflicഀons. I think that this teaches the importance of stepping outside of our prescribed roles for the needs of the community. This seems to be the first menഀon that the priests will fill the role of ‘tzara’at examiner,’ and we see no fight from Aharon, the high priest, that this role is outside of his jurisdicഀon. When someone is in pain, he and his sons step up to help them. In a society that is based on community, it is crucial to take responsibility and act in ways we wouldn’t iniഀally expect. In our own communiഀes, issues might arise for which we are ill‐prepared. We expect that our designated roles will entail certain components, and yet someഀmes we are required to funcഀon in unimaginable ways. Aharon reminds us that we are required to act in the best interest of both individuals and the community and to be leaders even in ways in which we were not schooled. READ MORE>>
Rav Beit Sefer Zachary Silver
Community News and Events
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