May 23, 2013 / 15 Sivan, 5773
Carly's Bat Mitzvah In This Issue Junior Bat Mitzvah Grandparents and Special Friends Day Senior Car Wash Sports Recognition Night Primrose Farm and CJHS Lishma CJHS on Facebook Bike the Drive Open Mic Night
Mazal Tov to Carly Rubin and her Talmud class Sunkist Fruit Gems were flying, simcha dancing was happening, and a whole new class of CJHS students stepped up to the pulpit for the first time this Thursday morning as junior Carly Rubin celebrated her bat mitzvah with all her friends at CJHS. "As my teachers would undoubtedly tell you, I've never been one to get things done on time!" Carly joked, as she proudly began her dvar Torah for her assembled friends and relatives. "I want to thank my family for all their support and CJHS for helping me really discover and develop my Jewish identity."
Students in the News YPI for Shalva Alumni Association Mazal Tov QuarkNet Summertime Torah Study STAND UPdate Sponsored Breakfast Alumni Trivia A Taste of Torah
Save the Date Carly's journey towards celebrating her Jewish womanhood was enabled by the rich spiritual life and Thursday morning minyanim delivered by the indefatigable Ms. Ilana Gleicher-Bloom in her junior Talmud class. Several of the Monday, May 27 students have newly come into Jewish observance and are Memorial Day - No School (as we all should be!) exploring the nuances of their beliefs and practice. Carly's wish to formally celebrate her coming Wednesday, May 29 of age as a Jewish woman provided an opportunity for Siyyum and Graduation everyone in the class to get a little more involved. Every single person in the class Thursday, May 30 came up to participate in Physics Expo the service in a way they'd never before done Monday, June 3 at CJHS, from arkFriday, June 7 openings to Torah Exams wrappings to leading shacharit and reading Torah. Working as a P. O. Corner team, they delivered a beautiful and inspiring Gelt Program service, in the midst of which Carly herself read a full The P.O. is pleased to once again aliyah of Torah and expressed her gratitude with a dvar introduce the gift card "Gelt Torah. Sunday, May 26 Prom
program" to our families and we have made it much easier (look for upcoming email with details on how to register). Faculty and staff can also buy Gelt that will help to support programs provided for the school by the P.O. This program is designed to help families earn money toward their children's junior year Panim program and/or the Senior Israel Experience. The program is a passive earning system, in which you buy the things you ordinarily purchase anyway, and earn
money which will be credited to your family for designated school trips. If you have any questions, contact Sheri Sandrof at ssandrof@cjhs.org or call her at 847.324.3723.
Community News and Events Libenu Beauty Night for Women Look and feel your best! Join us for the Libenu Evening of Beauty and Wellness for Women. Tuesday, June 4 6:30-9:30 PM Women's LifeCenter 118 Skokie Blvd., Wilmette Support this wonderful Jewish organization with a wine and cheese reception, expert consultations with health and beauty experts, and free beauty products!
Chazak u'varuch (strength and blessing) to Carly for an outstanding job; to the inspiring Ms. G-B and the tireless master gabbai Shira Harris for round-the-clock tutelage; to brand-new ba'alat shacharit Arielle Kaye and ba'alat psukei Talia Canter. Yasher koach also to Alena Burda, Elizabeth Barras, and Fede Romano for running the Torah service and aliyot, to Maddy Mynatt, Nicole Kovalevsky, Talia Horwich, and Alon Spevak for the ark openings and Torah choreography, and to new Torah readers Jackie Geraty and Orly Schlessinger. Mazal tov and well done to Carly's mother Ms. Stacey Rubin for her aliyah and her father Mr. David Rubin for lifting the Torah. This celebration was truly a communal triumph!
For tickets, click here or call 847.982.0340 ext. 227. Libenu is a 501(c)3 organization that fosters independence and inclusion by providing supervised group homes and vocational training for Jewish adults with special needs. .
Sponsor Breakfast What's better than a birthday celebration with friends? Celebrate your
In honor of Carly's simcha, Mr. and Mrs. Rubin kindly donated celebratory siddurim to every member of Carly's class, decorated with special plaques to commemorate this momentous occasion. We also thank the Rubins for the delicious kiddush they sponsored for the school at breakfast. Mazal tov to Carly, her family, and her entire
student's birthday or other milestone with a special breakfast at CJHS. For a donation of $180 (10x chai), bagels, cream cheese, and orange juice will be served to everyone. An announcement will be made in Tefillah and in the dining hall, and the occasion will also be listed in our weekly E-News and on the school announcement board. If you have any questions, please call 847.324.3713 or email idrazin@cjhs.org. Order forms are available online here.
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class on a beautiful celebration.
Special Friends Day Grandparents' Day: it's not just for grandparents anymore! More than a hundred and fifty grandparents, parents, older siblings, younger siblings, baby cousins, non-genetic relations, and cheering alumni joined the students and faculty this Thursday for our annual Special Friends Day. A delicious lunch was provided to the entire school through the generosity of Angie and Larry Adler. Senior Jessie Lankford spoke about the unique opportunities invented for her by the caring and creative staff at CJHS and Nate Swetlitz explained how his refusal to choose between academic opportunities, debate, sports, and observant Judaism led him through the doors of CJHS and wowed him by what he found inside.
Next, our guests were treated to our annual Arts Alive performances by the various Fine Arts classes. The vocal ensemble presented a musical suite from Wicked. Next came a reprise from The CJ Factor
with musicians Arielle Kaye and Alana Spellman. To round off the afternoon, the jazz band took the stage with a rousing selection of jazz, Beatles, and our signature "Proud Mary!" Congratulations to all our performers, to Ms. Danielle Brothers, Mr. Rich Green, Mr. Peter Roothaan, and to guest trombonist and rich bass vocalist Mr. Jim Baumstark, who can be found teaching precalculus at CJHS the rest of the week. Congratulations also to Alana Stoehr, Miranda Smerling, Ceren Maeir, Gvt. Wasserman, and Mr. Marchenko for kicking off the disco line when the band started up!
A photographer snapped portraits of many of the students with their guests, and the day culminated with our guests accompanying their grandchildren to their classes, where they experienced a glimpse of what happens here at CJHS. Many grandparents were active participants in the classes, helping in the laboratory and asking pertinent questions!
Congratulations to Ms. Katz and the rest of the yearbook staff on the publication of "The Roar," this year's yearbook, and to Ms. Seymour and Ms. Snyder's classes for the wonderful graphic arts projects displayed in the Shapiro Dining Hall.
Senior Car Wash Come one, come all! Next Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., the senior class will be hosting a car wash at CJHS to raise funds for the senior class gift. The cost is $10 for students, alumni, and faculty vehicles, and $15 for others cars. Ceren Maeir ballyhoos, "Come help us support the institution that has supported us for the past four years!"
Sports Recognition Night at CJHS
A hundred people packed the Caplan gym Wednesday night for a retrospective of the 20122013 CJHS Tigers. This was the women's volleyball team that brought the IHSA regional banner home, the men's cross country squad that did us proud for the third year in a row, our Cooper Invitational champion men's basketball team--proud winners of our second IHSA title and number one Jewish basketball team in the nation--and the women's soccer team that scored our first post-season win! Head of School Tony Frank welcomed everyone and Coach Gleicher M.C.'d the event. Mr. Larry Goodman presented the awards to our athletes: Rabbi Akiva Diligence Award in Academic and Athletic Excellence: Daniel Fishbaum and Rachel Rubinstein Ben Zoma Best Attitude Award in Sportsmanship: Rami Eilian and Shelly Dekalo Miriam Leadership Award in Leadership: Jake Newlander and Annie Schrayer Lady Tigers MVP:
Caroline Dreifuss
Thanks to all of our coaches: Michael Wenzel, Barb Finfer, Greg Shannon, Chris Hambach, Bob Cogan, Marty Dello, Benny Figueroa, Tom Kalleses, Mike Newlander, Lee Cohn, Julia Klein, Rick Wissig, Gary Auslander, and Jerry Drazin for three phenomenal seasons!
Eat Healthy and Support CJHS We come together at our school to nourish our minds and souls. Now we can come together to nourish our bodies as well! Primrose Valley Farm produces certified organic produce in tune with the seasons and Jewish values. Produce is delivered weekly for pickup by its members at CJHS or other locations throughout the Jewish communities in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Now, Primrose Valley Farm and CJHS have an exciting partnership in which the Farm will contribute a percentage of its produce subscription fees to help support our school! To sign up for a CSA box filled with fresh, seasonal produce or to find out more about this wonderful organization, visit the website at primrosevalleyfarm.com.
Lishma Yasher koach to Dr. Rebecca Schorsch on concluding a wonderful year of Lishma, our faculty teaching and learning series. Dr. Schorsch delivered the last lecture of the year, sharing some of the insightful commentaries on the akedah, the Binding of Isaac--an experience neither punitive nor theatrical, but a transformative moment whereby the last vestiges of pagan Mesopotamia were vaporized out of Avram's soul. According to Dr. Schorsch, revelation is the antithesis of certainty, and this was not merely a test of Avram's obedience, but of his active listening skills--to truly understand what God desires and not let his own painful experience with organized religion stymie his potential for greatness. As one teacher exclaimed, "Where were you when I was six years old?"
Facebook Ice Cream Party Thank you to everyone who helped us reach our goal of 500 Facebook fans this week! In honor of this accomplishment, CJHS students enjoyed a celebratory ice cream party on Tuesday during lunch. Make sure not to miss the Reasons Why CJHS is the #1 Choice every Tuesday and Thursday on Facebook. Haven't "liked" our Facebook page yet? Become a fan today and click here!
Bike the Drive Critical minyanocity has been achieved! Newcomer Zahava Vales and veteran Yoni Gabel join Eli Schrayer, David Steinberg, Michael Weldler, Ranan Vales, Seth Wein, Alex Cope, and Ruli Warner-Rosen and Dr. Gary Auslander to complete the CJHS Chai Lifeline team for the annual 30-mile bike down Lake Shore Drive this Memorial Day weekend! To date, our stalwart bikers have raised over $3,000 to make life more cheerful for children with long-term illnesses and their families. Yasher koach, guys, and have fun! Click here to sponsor our team.
Open Mic Night The Prints, CJHS's signature literary magazine, celebrated its best edition to date with the annual Open Mic Night release party. Nate Swetlitz and Baye Miller performed original poetry; Aaron Zell brought out his drums and Alana Spellman her ukelele. Aitan Licht pulled a fast one on us with some "King Without a Crown," and Hannah Given roused some rabble with an acid challenge to the American Dream. Shira Harris and Maya Behn did a joint act with the alternative song/dialogue "Freedom," and Elan Sykes read what will happen If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, deftly parodied by Alana Stoehr with If You Give a CJHS
Student a C+. Even Arthur Sredni got into the standup comedy limelight with his parody, "Anything Sounds Like Poetry When You Say It With Enough Drama!" Freshman Celia Pivo reports, "Open Mic Night was a huge success. As a freshman, I'd been hearing lots of hype leading up to it, but I have to say it exceeded all of my expectations. The atmosphere was totally accepting and laid back, where everyone felt comfortable showcasing their talents. There was moving poetry, excellent musicians, and delicious food. The faculty even had some hilarious performances that left everyone wanting more!"
Students in the News Junior Alana Spellman received a grant for $2,500 from ANNPower, the philanthropy wing of Ann Taylor Loft, to start her own program working with the Keshet Sunday school. She wrote a play spinning off the Adam and Eve story called "In the Beginning." For four weeks, Alana's pupils rehearsed feverishly, culminating in a wonderful performance this past Sunday. "It was so touching to see people dedicating their time to ensure that our special needs members of the community are supported and welcomed and valued," the proud writer/director was told. Yasher koach, Alana! Our vocal superstar Arielle Kaye has been accepted into the Music Horizons program at the University of Rochester to study world music, improvisation, and music theory. Arielle reports, "I will also be studying with professors from the Eastman School of Music and performing on a weekly basis. The program is supposed to replicate what it is like to live in a conservatory setting." Break a leg, Arielle!
YPI for Shalva Our Youth Philanthropy Initiative led by Rachel Rubinstein presented a $7,000 check to the board members of Shalva, the results of a year's creative fundraising efforts. All the cell phones we donated will be sold to raise money for Jewish abuse victims and the counseling efforts that will hopefully enable them to improve their lives. Yasher koach to all the YPI members
on an incredible year of awareness raising and fundraising to combat the problem of domestic violence.
"The first word I want to say is thank you!" the representative from Shalva's board graciously began. "Actually that's two words. But the second thing I want to say is that I hope your attention to this problem does not stop, because abuse never stops." We hope that this year's YPI programming will inspire our students and staff to continue addressing the problems of abuse in our community--and to remember every time you retire another cell phone or iPod, your old phone can raise muchneeded funds for this important cause!
Alumni Association: Shabbat in the City Join the CJHS Alumni Association for a casual Shabbat dinner at Anshe Emet in the city! Reunite with old friends and and enjoy a special dinner from Chef Celena's Healthy Gourmet of Lakeview. For questions and Shabbat accommodations, contact Tara Seymour at 847.423.5489, or to make reservations, click here.
Mazal Tov: Alumni Trivia Which accomplished and statuesque CJHS graduate celebrated her wedding this past week?
QuarkNet: Breaking News!
Muon detector 6800 is plateaued at last! Thanks to the efforts spent by our indefatigable captains Maya Behn and Elan Karoll, the state-of-the-art cosmic ray detector on loan from the U.S. Department of Energy has all four channels now primed and working on optimized voltage. CJHS is now tracking those invisible little muons as they rain down from the cosmos: stay tuned for experimental results next year!
Summertime Torah Study
Best Friends Forever: Ruth and Naomi, Jonathan and David Join CJHS teacher Shira Eliaser and alumni parent Dr. Elysa Barack Fisher as they continue the LifeCenter Torah Network with the Summer Series 2013. Through the lens of Pirkei Avot, we will examine what it means to be a true friend in the face of hardship, exile, and an uncertain future: how friends shape our selfawareness and our destiny. This summer, we will be exploring the commentaries and hidden relationships in the Book of Ruth and the story of King Saul's doomed son. The first session begins on Monday, June 10! Click here for details.
STAND UPdate The two-year conflict in Syria has resulted in at least 70,000 deaths, wrecked cities, and evicted over a million refugees from their homes. Various human rights organizations are trying to aid the opposition effort, and people from many faiths and communities have contributed to the cause. Click here to read more about the challenge posed to Israelis and the Jewish community with regards to Syrian relief.
Sponsored Breakfast Many thanks to Mr. Griffith for sponsoring bagels in honor of the senior class.
Alumni Trivia Mazal tov to Dafna Broekman ('08) on her marriage to Shlomi Guttman earlier this week near Kokhav Ya'akov in Israel. Dafna graduated from Stern College and has since been studying at Mechon Ma'ayan; her chattan graduated from Yeshiva University and has been studying at Yeshivat HaKotel. May Dafna and Shlomi build a bayit ne'eman b'Yisrael. Mazal tov, you two!
A Taste of Torah: Beha'alotcha "In this week's Torah portion, the main focus is primarily sacrifices. Considering we didn't just kill a goat as part of morning services, we should think critically about what we consider today as a sacrifice. Maybe some of us consider a real sacrifice to be going a day without Twitter, or G-d forbid, Facebook or Tumblr! But today, we sacrifice much more than we realize. We sacrifice our time and our emotional life to do what we feel is right. We must put our hearts first: to take a risk in public and stand up for what you believe in may be the greatest sacrifice of all." --Carly Rubin ('14), in celebration of her bat mitzvah
Shabbat Shalom Candlelighting this Friday will be at 7:56 p.m. Shabbat shalom!