28 Nissan, 5776 This Week at Rochelle Zell
May 6, 2016
Rochelle Zell Remembers Yom Hashoah 2016
Yom HaShoah Women's Soccer Champions Yearbook Wins Award Prof. Seeskin Visits Ten More Commandments Mazal Tov Baruch Dayan Emet Community Events Alumni Trivia A Taste of Torah
Class Schedule ​Monday, May 9 A - Rosh Chodesh Extended Tefillah
Tuesday, May 10 C Wednesday, May 11 BB - Yom HaZikaron Special Schedule Thursday, May 12 C - Yom HaAtzmaut Special Schedule Friday, May 13 A
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Save The Date May 26 Grandparents and Special Friends Day May 27 Last Day of Classes All-School BBQ May 29 Rochelle Zell Community Naming Dedication Prom Night May 31 - June 7 Final Exams June 1 Siyum and Graduation No Classes
On Thursday morning, we honored Yom HaShoah by hearing from Dr. Renata Laxova, a geneticist from Madison, who escaped the Holocaust on the Kindertransport, spending the years of World War II in England. She returned to Prague after the war, where she studied for her medical degree and later immigrated to the United States. Dr. Laxova is one of the many children who were saved by Sir Nicholas Winton, an Englishman who organized the rescue of 669 Czech and Slovak children just before the outbreak of World War II. Winton, who died last year at 106 years old, did not speak about these events with anyone for more than half a century. His exploits would have probably been forgotten if his wife, fifty years later, hadn't found a suitcase in the attic, full of documents and transport plans. Today the story of this rescue is known all over the world. Dozens of Winton's "children" have been found and to this day his family has grown to almost 6,000 people, many of whom have gone on to achieve
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great things themselves. Dr. Laxova also spoke to junior Talmud students and sophomore Jewish history students, giving an opportunity for students to ask individual questions about her impressions, her views on history, and her connections with her faith and her scientific work. Dr. Laxova left us with the message of Nicholas Winton, "If it isn't impossible, there must be a way to do it." Yehi zichram baruch. May their memories be for a blessing.
Back to Back Championships! Women's Soccer Clinches Title For Second Year in a Row!
The Tigers finished the regular season with another historic finish. The team went undefeated in conference play with a record of 9 wins and 1 tie , clinching the Conference
Championship for the second year in a row! Last night in the Chicago Prep Conference Tournament final, the short-handed Tigers won second place as they fell to Cristo Rey Jesuit by a score of 1-3, lone goal coming from Ariel Saxton. Awards from the conference were handed out before the championship game. 1st team all-conference: Jordan Krauss, Livia Moses, Hannah Taussig, Jorie Dayan 2nd team all-conference: Ariel Saxton Player of the Year: Jordan Krauss--for the second year in a row! Coach of the Year: Coach Martinez and Coach Weber--for the second year in a row! Mazal tov to the recipients. The Tigers have a current record of 11-1-1. Come out and cheer the team on Wednesday, May 11 in the Regional Semi-Final game against the winner of Chicago Math and Science Charter and Chicago Waldorf School. The game will be played at North Shore Country Day School at 4:30 p.m. See you there! Men's Baseball Doubles Up The Tigers are one and one against Cristo Rey and Christ the King. Coby Drexler pitched a spectacular game with 8 strikeouts; he gave up only 3 earned runs while also hitting both a double and a triple at the plate. That game also saw junior Viktor Cin smack the first home run of the season. The Tigers pulled a spectacular win 12-2 against Christ the King. Jon Silvers got the win giving up only 1 run through four innings. New freshman Henry Hoffman manned the pitcher's mound for the first time without giving up a run. Seth Wein batted 1.000 in that game, successfully reaching base each time he came to bat. Check the schedule for Tuesday's senior night at Meadowbrook against Northtown! Men's Tennis Brings in Wins
Chicagoland Jewish High School had barely enough tennis players to field a match last year, but six determined freshmen have built up a Rochelle Zell team to surpass all expectations! The victorious tennis players returned Tuesday with victories against Highland Park and Lake Forest. Proud coach Rick Wissig reports, "It has been amazing, seeing our tennis squad come together and build behind a common unifying goal to play as a team. More than anyone, our three seniors, Matt Dulberg, Max Gruenberg, and Jordan Rosenfield, have taken this concept, stepped up, and pulled the team together. Challenging each other has made each practice more competitive. The team has a bright future, as we have seen in the way they compete in the matches!"
Yearbook Wins Award 2015-2016 Edition Now in Press Rochelle Zell Jewish High School’s yearbook has been named a 2016 Jostens’ National Yearbook Program of Excellence. The National Yearbook Program of Excellence recognizes engaging yearbooks that reflect a broad representation of the student body while helping students develop 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration, and information and communication technologies literacy. Our award winning yearbook program is led by editors Emily Reisler and Hannah Taussig and business editor Bobbi Hochberg under the direction of Ms. Vanessa Averbach, yearbook adviser. Ms. Averbach avows, “Emily and Hannah steered and coached their yearbook staff-members over the course of the year to create a gorgeous and cohesive yearbook. Thanks to Bobbi Hochberg’s tireless fundraising efforts to publish the ad book, we will have an impressive adbook to supplement our award-winning yearbook. The entire yearbook staff should be proud
of their contributions.� The Rochelle Zell yearbook program will receive a plaque to display in the yearbook area and a banner to display in school so the entire school community will be aware of the outstanding achievement.
Alumni Trivia Ahoy, matey! Which of our alumni just docked before Pesach from a Semester at Sea?
Ten More Commandments Sophomores Studying Revelation Mr. Bernstein's Bible class has been studying Revelation and the Ten Commandments, and they don't think the list of fundamental life principles is quite complete yet! After studying the traditional views on the Decalogue in Jewish thought, the students were given the choice of changing them, updating them, or re-communicating the commandments. Included on the sophomores expressions of God's will on Earth were: Thou shalt not abuse thy technology. Thou shalt not discriminate. Thou shalt not steal-or hack or commit white collar crimes! ​Thou shalt not enslave, nor benefit from human trafficking in any way. Be humble. Do not be self centered, arrogant, or egotistical. Be honest. Do not lie. Act with compassion and empathy towards all creatures. Above, Sarah Tenner and Emma Mati deliver the Ten Commandments in a Hamilton-style musical!
Lishma and Faith: Why Belief Matters Prof. Kenneth Seeskin Speaks to Faculty
Lishma this week, our monthly faculty and staff-led learning sessions, was facilitated by Kenneth Seeskin, Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Northwestern University. He spoke about "Why Belief Matters" focusing on Rambam's understanding of the core religious and philosophic idea of correct belief -- the singularity of God. Professor Seeskin challenged us to consider whether absolute belief in a transcendent and wholly incomparable divinity is enough to preserve Judaism. After this stimulating session Professor Seeskin shared these thoughts with Rabbi Belgrad's Modern Jewish Thought class which had read several chapters from his work No Other Gods: The Modern Struggle Against Idolatry.
From the P.O. Year-End Faculty Gifts It’s hard to believe that the end of the year is around the corner! Let’s show our Rochelle Zell teachers and staff how much we appreciate all that they have done for our students this 2015-2016 academic year! The Rochelle Zell Parent Organization invites you to contribute to our annual Faculty & Staff Appreciation End of Year Gift Fund. Suggested contribution is $18 per student, but any amount is greatly appreciated! Please make your donation by May 27. Click here to donate
online. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Martine Gorstein at m.gorstein@comcast.net or call or text 847.791.0223. Good luck to all the students and happy end of the year!!!
Mazal Tov Mazal tov to senior Arthur Sredni on his swearing-in as a United States citizen! Arthur immigrated with his family from Brazil to Chicago at age seve, and passed his citizenship test with flying colors just in time to participate in our great democracy. The political climate can only improve with Arthur on board! Mazal tov to Marketing and Communications manager Tara Seymour on her recent wedding to Glenn Engelberg. We wish Tara and Glenn all the best as they start a new life together in Colorado. We'll miss you, Tara!
Baruch Dayan Emet We are sad to announce the passing of Pola Mishell, grandmother of junior Zev Mishell and Sari Mishell (CJHS ’15). Shiva is being observed at the Mishell home, 3308 Lake Knoll Drive in Northbrook, today until 3:00 p.m., Saturday night 8:45 p.m. - 10 p.m., Sunday 1:00 p.m. -
4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., and Monday and Tuesday from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Minyannim will be at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday shacharit at 8:30 a.m. We are also sad to announce the passing of Eugene A. Stern, grandfather of junior Emma Siegel. Shiva will follow Friday's internment at the home of Mrs. Ruth Stern, 591 Clavey Lane, in Highland Park. Shiva will continue Saturday night at 9:00 p.m. at the Stern home, 753 Green Bay Road, in Highland Park, on Sunday, May 8 and Monday, May 9 from 4:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the home of Janet and Rabbi Michael Siegel, 3920 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, and on Tuesday, May 10 and Wednesday, May 11 from 4:00 - 9:00 p.m. at 591 Clavey Lane, Highland Park. May God comfort all members of the families together with all those grieving in Zion and Jerusalem.
Sponsored Breakfast Happy birthday to Ayelet Goldson and Sophie Kaufman. Many thanks to their families for sponsoring breakfast, and to Arthur Sredni's family for doing likewise on his citizenship day. To sponsor bagels in honor of your favorite Tiger, please contact Diane Zidman in the front office.
Community News and Events The Festival is Coming!
Alumni Trivia Jessie Lankford (CJHS '13) spent the second part of her junior year of college on Semester at Sea, a program where college students sail around the world to learn about different countries and experience their unique cultures. About 550 students and 250 crew members started in San Diego, California and then sailed to Hawaii, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Burma (Myanmar), India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana and Morocco. The trip ended on April 16 in Southhampton, England. “This trip has been such an incredible, and eye-opening experience for me,” Jessie said. “It has allowed me to see different cultures and the impact the Western countries have on the rest of the world. It's been fascinating to meet people from every culture we've visited and learn about their daily life. Frequently, I find myself having discussions about the horrific amounts of poverty and human rights violations present around the world and it has made me increasingly more thankful for the upbringing I was fortunate enough to receive.” “There are a surprising number of Jewish students on my trip and a handful of Jewish professors,” she added. “There are also a few Israeli students. It's been interesting talking to other students about Israel. I think many students are afraid to talk about it since Israel can sometimes be a sensitive topic. On the other hand, I'll overhear conversations about
students’ experiences on Birthright.” Every Friday night on the ship, one of the Jewish faculty members leads an abridged Shabbat service. “It’s nice to have a reason for all of the Jewish students on the ship to come together as a community,” Jessie said. “It brings a little bit of home and my experiences at CJHS halfway across the world with me. It's a huge comfort.” Jessie will be returning to University of Illinois for her senior year in August. Since she is a social work major, her final semester next year will be spent in a social work placement/internship. At U of I, Jessie is President of the University of Illinois' Challah for Hunger chapter, where students bake challah every other week and give the proceeds from the challah sales to the Eastern Illinois Food Bank. She also facilitates rape education classes through her University's First Year Campus Acquaintance Rape Education program, which teaches about bystander awareness, the resources available on campus, and things one can do to help oneself if caught in that type of situation. She has also been working at the schools day care center for the past two years and will continue to do so upon her return to school. Jessie is a James Scholar in the school of social work and is on the National Honor Society of both Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Delta Mu. Her brother Jake (RZJHS ‘16) will be attending the University of Illinois next year, and Jessie is excited to have him at school with her again.
A Taste of Torah "In crafting a state, the leaders of Israel not only built buildings of brick and
mortar. They also built structures for a nation spread across the world, to remember. Over the next week, we will commemorate Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day), and exult in Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day). We will journey from the depths of our history and climb with each day toward national autonomy, the celebration of being a free people in our homeland. Each year, I consider about what it means to create infrastructures both for communities and individuals to mourn. Is this possible when people are not personally connected to the event,
whether family or otherwise? All the more so, is it possible when people are present at public ceremonies without a personal connection to the day? The Gemara in massechet Sukkah explicates the Mishnah’s statement, “Shluhei Mitzvah peturin m’hamitzvah,” whereby those who are on the way to do a commandment are exempt from performing [another] commandment. It assumes the general rule that “haosek bamitzvah, patur min hamitzvah,” one who is performing a mitzvah is exempt from another mitzvah (Sukkah 25a). In the course of this discussion, we learn that a person who is tarid, worried or obsessed with something, is exempt from a mitzvah in the same way that someone who is physically performing a mitzvah. We also learn specifically that someone who is in mourning is not exempt from mitzvot, because as the Gemara describes, this mourning is tirda dirshut, voluntary distress. On the face of it, saying that a mourner “voluntarily” emotes seems to be misplaced. After all, emotions flow naturally from us; we do not control them. But Rashi's (11th c. Northern France) commentary emphasizes why this is the case: despite the fact that the mourner is required to perform the physical mourning acts, he is not required to emote. ( שאף על פי שהוא חייב לנהוג אבילות של נעילה רחיצה וסיכה- טירדא דרשות אינו חייב להצטער- להראות כבוד מתו.) Perhaps this is because it is impossible to mandate someone to mourn emotionally. One can mandate physical action, which might lead to an emotional outpouring in turn. But not emotions. On Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron, the Jewish people participates in ceremonies to recall members of the broader Jewish community that we lost. We cannot mandate emotions. But the Jewish calendar provides a structure which can allow for the necessarily different mourning of each individual. For this, we should all be thankful. May the memories of all those we lost in the Shoah be for a blessing. May the memories of all those we lost in their defense of the State of Israel be for a blessing." --Rav Beit Sefer Zach Silver
1095 Lake Cook Road • Deerfield, IL 60015 • tigers@rzjhs.org • 847.470.6700