Senior Israel Trip Concludes- Enews January 22, 2016

January 22, 2016

27 Tevet, 5776 This Week at Rochelle Zell

Senior Israel Trip Concludes Adventures in the North

Senior Israel Experience Charge for MLK Day Men's Basketball News Tu BiShvat Fair Award for The Prints Technion Video Challenge Parents in the News Alumni Trivia A Taste of Torah

Class Schedule ​Monday, January 25 A Tuesday, January 26 C

The seniors have landed ahead of the storm! The class went north this week to hike in Tel Dan and the Carmel, to explore new technology with Jewish and Arab scien?sts at Moojd-­‐al-­‐ Krum, to explore the security concerns on the northern borders, to make chocolate at Karina, and to celebrate the many layers of the land of Israel-­‐-­‐and Jorie's birthday, too!

Wednesday, January 27 BB Thursday, January 28 C Friday, January 29 A

Quick Links RZJHS.org Calendars Lunch Menu Edline Give Now

Save The Date January 24 JNF Tu Bishvat Fair January 25 Classes Resume for Seniors Senior Parent Mee?ng Tu Bishvat January 27 Junior Parent Mee?ng February 7 ACT at Rochelle Zell ​February 15 No School -­‐ President's Day February 17-­‐21 Girls' Basketball Shabbaton and Tournament in Miami February 28 Musical Showcase

An explora?on of Haifa yielded new perspec?ves at the mosque of the Achamadiya (Achamadinim in Hebrew), a minority Muslim sect that emphasizes coexistence and working with those around them. The Merkaz Taasuka? in Teverya brought our student volunteers together with its adult members with special needs. AUer three whirlwind weeks of listening and talking, dancing and walking, none of our students will ever be the same! We welcome back our seniors, together with Rabbi Silver, Ms. Gladstein, Sra. Weisman, and Mr. Eskin, and we wish everyone a resXul Shabbat. Check out the class blog for their adventures! READ MORE >>

MLK Day: Actions with Words Pastor Chris Harris and Rabbi Michael Siegel Speak As Jews, we take pride in the photo of Abraham Joshua Heschel marching in Selma: how have we ourselves followed in his footsteps? On Tuesday morning, Rochelle Zell Jewish High School was honored to welcome Pastor Chris Harris of the Bright Star Church in Bronzeville, together with his community partner and good friend, Rabbi Michael Siegel of Anshe Emet, father of junior Emma Siegel. Pastor Harris and Rabbi Siegel spoke of the personal engagement and firm friendship which has enabled them to build such a powerful connec?on between their two congrega?ons, to appreciate their similari?es and respect their differences, and take concrete steps to bridge the different worlds they live in.

March 2-­‐6 Model UN Conference March 18-­‐19 All School Shabbaton ​March 18 2:15 p.m. Friday Dismissal Begins

"We cannot overcome un?l we first come over," Pastor Harris exhorted the congrega?on.

Facebook friends do not build the kind of las?ng rela?onships and social change that real friends do as they step into each other lives. The trick is not to deUly disengage with canned pla?tudes and problema?c hashtags. The process will begin when we both step outside of our neighborhoods and explore the rich experience lived, loved, and lost by others.

"Be caring," Pastor Harris urged our community. "Be connected. Be compassionate. Be courageous." Build friendships with others by caring about what they care about. Care about people adacked in terror in Israel and around the world; care about people adacked on the streets and playgrounds of the South Side. Resist the urge to explain away the phenomenon or be an armchair philosopher: respect the pain of the vic?ms and the survivors. Let compassion win out over control, and be courageous enough to take a stand in public, to say loud and proud that this issue maders and you are not afraid to advocate for it.

Why not join Pastor Harris and Rabbi Siegel on the bridges they are building? Lend your support to the Bronzeville Dream Center as a haven from the terror of gun violence; learn about Pastor Harris' congrega?onal trip to Israel-­‐-­‐they are studying counseling techniques for PTSD and vic?ms of gun violence. Dive into the fray on social media, and raise your voice against those who react to any social injus?ce by blaming the vic?ms. When you hear voices speaking lies and downplaying the need for change, speak truth, speak love, and let your ac?ons empower your words.

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School wants in! #blacklivesma,er #keepourstreetssafe To help plan our trip to the South Side to join Pastor Harris and his congrega?on, talk to Ms. Tamara Frankel.

Tu BiShvat Fair This Sunday!

Men's Basketball Soldiers On January Brings Wins Against Beacon and Cristo Rey The freshman-­‐sophomore basketball team is 5-­‐6 with a stunning victory last night against Beacon

Academy, where Ben Saxton had 13 points and Ben Hirsch knocked down a three! Max Pivo reports from the court, “We’re having a really great season, and we can’t wait to con?nue our success!” Sammy Hoffman checks in, "It has been a tough start to the season for the varsity team. With a majority of the players on the team new on varsity, the first half of the season was really a transi?on period. Back from break, the Tigers were stronger than ever, coming out with a big win against Cristo Rey. Later that week, they faced a disappoin?ng loss to Fasman Yeshiva. AUer closing an 11 point deficit to only 3 with three minutes leU in the fourth, the Tigers looked like they would be able to squeeze out a win. Then, three of their big men fouled out and Fasman was able to spread out the lead once more. The Tigers will have one more showing against Fasman, and they will be looking to change their fate in that game! Our goal this season is to win another regional ?tle, and we look to be able to achieve that goal!"

Come cheer on the Tigers next week against Luther North and Holy Trinity!

Alumni Trivia Rochelle Zell Jewish High School is thrilled to welcome the first of our alumni onto its Board of Directors! Who?

Congratulations to The Prints!

Congratula?ons to Lauren Hines and the staff of our literary magazine for winning a 2014-­‐2015 Cer?ficate of Excellence from the Na?onal Council of Teachers of English! Since 2002, The Prints has showcased genera?ons of students' photography, sketches, pain?ngs, prose, poetry, and free associa?on; the award-­‐winning edi?on was edited by Hannah Lynch ('15), Sari Mishell ('15), and Hannah Given ('15). "This was the first year we've entered," says Ms. Hines, proud club advisor, "We are thrilled by the news.

Congratula?ons and gra?tude to all staffers of The Prints, past and present. We owe a debt of gra?tude to the en?re school: your enthusias?c support-­‐-­‐be it as writer, ar?st, reader, produc?on guide, Open Mic Night performer, or cheerleader from the sidelines-­‐-­‐makes

The Prints possible from year to year." Look for the 2015-­‐16 edi?on in May, and in the mean?me, submit to The Prints!

Technion STEM Challenge

​RAVSAK and the Technion invite us to par?cipate in the Technion Jewish Day School Challenge by building Pesach-­‐themed Rube Goldberg machines. Teams of students from Jewish day schools are invited to enter the contest by submipng a video of a Rube Goldberg machine that completes the task of revealing a Seder plate. Winners will be featured on Technion’s YouTube channel and RAVSAK’s website; first prize will be a state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art 3D printer,and second prize will be Arduino electronics kits for science class. Submissions are due Monday, March 21, 2016. Contact your science teacher if you are interested!

Sponsored Breakfast Happy birthday, Eli Nasa`r and Joey Schrayer! Thank you to the Nasa?r and Schrayer families for sponsoring breakfast this week. If you would like to sponsor bagels in honor of your favorite Tiger, contact Diane Zidman at dzidman@rzjhs.org.

Community News and Events

Parents in the News Silverstein Donates Exodus Flag to the U.S. Holocaust Museum Rochelle Zell parent Bill Silverstein, father of Carly Silverstein ('14) and freshman Brian Silverstein, was instrumental in the group effort to bring the flag of the Exodus-­‐-­‐a forerunner of the flag of Israel-­‐-­‐to a place of honor in the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. The good ship Exodus docked in Haifa in 1947, but the Bri?sh opened fire on the 4,500 Holocaust survivors and forced them at gunpoint back to DP camps in Europe. Mr. Silverstein says this is an important reminder for humanity of what can happen when the world turns its back on those in need. “ This is par?cularly relevant today,” he said in an interview, “because of what’s going on in the world with displaced persons and refugees.” Read the full ar?cle in Wednesday's New York Times! READ MORE >>

Alumni Trivia Jason Wiznitzer ('06) is our newest member of the Board of Directors! Board President Lynn Schrayer reflects, "It is so incredible to see our graduates as adults, taking on responsibility in the community. To hear Jason describe his wonderful experience at our school and his desire to give back is truly inspiring.

He wants to share his experience, and having his talents at the table will make our great Board even greater!" Jason studied business at the University of Maryland and returned to Chicago thereaUer, where he has worked for a couple of years in commercial credit analysis at MB Financial and is now in commercial real estate acquisi?ons at the Lelyn Group. Jason is married to Liz Grossman. Jason joins new board members Liz Geifman, Scod Lederman, Neera Kaufman, and Judi Kelly for their first term this year.

A Taste of Torah: Beshallach ‫ ֵזכֶר‬-‫מָ ח ֹה אֶ מְ חֶ ה אֶ ת‬-‫ כִּי‬: ַ‫ בְּאָ ְזנֵי י ְהוֹשֻׁ ע‬,‫ ו ְשִׂ ים‬,‫ כְּת ֹב ז ֹאת ִזכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּ פֶ ר‬,‫מ ֹשֶׁ ה‬-‫ו ַיּ ֹאמֶ ר ה אֶ ל‬ ‫ מִ תַּ חַ ת הַ שָּׁ מָ י ִם‬,‫עֲ מָ לֵק‬.

"God told Moses: write a memorial in a book and tell it in Joshua's ears, because I (God) will most certainly erase the memory of Amalek from beneath the [living] sky."

Forget everything you have learned about God and Amalek. Of course God promises to wage war

with Amalek from genera?on to genera?on, yad al kes Yah, the divine will against the small-­‐ minded selfishness of parasite socie?es-­‐-­‐raiders, thieves, conquistadors and imperialists-­‐-­‐who prey on others to benefit from their work while producing nothing themselves. Of course they are wicked and deserve divine retribu?on for their war crimes, targe?ng the old and the sick, pregnant mothers and hobbled caregivers, the defenseless and the innocent. Let us leave God's badle plan to God for the moment-­‐-­‐heaven knows, its results may be neither comprehensive nor sa?sfactory. Listen to what God has promised. God has promised to erase the memory of Amalek from under the living sky.

I submit to you that this is not a good thing. This is not a promise, but a warning. In each successive genera?on, we will lose the living memory of how it felt to be persecuted, violated, excluded and expelled, adacked in our own homes and byways and denied safe haven elsewhere. If new Amaleks will arise and terrorize elsewhere, our forgeXulness will anesthe?ze us to the tragedy. Conveniently, we will not remember Amalek, much as the new Pharaoh did not know Joseph. AUer all, what have they done to us lately?

Write, Moses! Write while the memory is s?ll fresh and the pain is s?ll raw! Write how it feels to fear for your safety against the unremipng selfishness of others. Tell Joshua to remember his experience, to keep his memories alive when the ink has dried and the events of this book are comfortably in the past. Make sure the people Israel never stand idly by while others are slaughtered, preyed upon, and toded up as unfortunate but inac?onable sta?s?cs. Make sure that "Never Again" does not just mean our tribes, but endures lev al kes Yah, long aUer God has erased the memory of Amalek from under the living sky. See your people in their haggard faces! Help them heal as you have healed! Build systems where Amalek cannot endure. Do not forget!

Ms. Shira Eliaser

1095 Lake Cook Road Deerfield, IL 60015 | rzjhstigers@rzjhs.org | 847.470.6700