Chaf Ha-Asif Sameach! 21 Tishrei, 5774
This Week at CJHS Sukkot at CJHS Sukkah Hop National Merit Semi-Finalists JUF Annual Meeting This Week in Sports College Counseling Fall Parlor Meetings Parent Campaign Science Contests Save the Date STAND Update Alumni Trivia
September 25, 2013
Sukkot is Hoppin' at CJHS!
A Taste of Torah
Save the Date Thursday, Sept. 26 Friday, Sept. 27 No School: Shmini Atzeret/ Simchat Torah Wednesday, Oct. 16 PSAT Friday, Oct. 18 Saturday, Sept. 19 Freshman Shabbaton Sunday, Oct. 27 ACT (not at CJHS) Wednesday, Oct. 30 Sunday, Nov. 1 Memphis Basketball Tournament
P.O. Corner The P.O. is pleased to continue the gift card "Gelt" program. This program is designed to help families earn money toward their children's junior year Panim program and/or the Senior Israel Experience. Faculty and staff can also buy Gelt to support programs provided for the school by the P.O. By buying things you ordinarily purchase anyway, you can earn money which will be credited to your family or class for designated school trips. Contact Sheri Sandrof at ssandrof@cjhs.org or call her at 847.324.3723.
Community News and Events Helene Hoffman Cantorial Concert Proceeds Benefit Israel Cancer Research Fund Sunday, Oct. 13 3:00 p.m.
The lulavim are shaking, the Hallel is rocking, and the students of CJHS are too busy singing lustily to hear the morning announcements! Can it be? Yes it can! Mr. Scher is in the air on a chair, guitars, bongos, and a ukulele are joining the tambourines for daveninng, the sefer Torah has been rerouted outdoors for a dance in the morning sunshine, and it's Sukkot at CJHS! Mitzvah gedolah lihiyot b'simcha, especially when the seniors have co-opted the juniors for some presimchat Torah jollification during services! Many thanks to Lizzie Jansen and Avidan Halivni for a truly inspirational Hoshannah Rabbah service, to the inspired Rabbi Feinsmith, Rabbi Blegrad, Rabbi Robkin, and Alana Spellman for the instrumentals at yesterday's Hallel, and to Rabbi Silver, whose thoughtful instructions and explanations of our rich and meaningful holiday traditions could sometimes be heard over the raucous singing and the thrashing of the gabbai with willow twigs. Chag sameach, Tigers!
Congregation Beth Shalom, Northbrook On Sunday October 13th, Congregation Beth Shalom will host the Helene Hoffman Memorial Cantorial Concert. Three extraordinary cantors will be featured along with a former season 3 contestant of The Voice. The concert, Cantors' Cabaret, will be an eclectic blend of original, Broadway, operatic, and classic tunes, many of which will be sung with a unique interpretation.
Out and About on Sukkot
Proceeds from this benefit will support scientific research of malignant brain tumors at the Israel Cancer Research Fund. The ICRF has funded outstanding cancer researchers at leading Israeli institutions such as the Weizmann Institute, the Technion, Hadassah Medical Center, and Sheeba Medical Center. Individual tickets for unreserved seating start at $25 each. For more information about this event please contact Arnie Hoffman at 847.559.0909 or email barterboss1218@gmail.com.
Community News and Events KINS Annual Art Fair Saturday Night, Oct. 5 8:15 p.m. 2800 W. North Shore, Chicago Congregation KINS presents its Annual Art Auction of outstanding Judaic and Mixed Media art including original oils, enamels and
Madison Reisler, Avery Wein, Carly Silverstein, Marci Steinberg, Emily
about the different traditions their families enjoyed. The senior boys took over a corner of the CJHS sukkah for the annual tisch and kumsitz, a tradition complete with lechayim's (sparkling grape juice!) and divrei Torah which will still bring smiles to the faces of many alumni.
Reisler, Aviva Hirsch, Maya Resnick, Sivan Horowitz, Izzy Brekher, Lizzie Jansen, and Mollie Cramer joined Ms. Averbuch and Club Gidwitz to decorate the sukkah at Gidwitz Place for Assisted Living last Wednesday after school. The students enjoyed chatting with the residents
engravings. Dairy refreshments will be served. Viewing at 8:15 PM; Auction at 8:45 PM. For more information visit our website at www.congkins.org or call our office at 773.761.4000.
College Visits CJHS is pleased to welcome representatives from the following schools this season:
College Case Western Reserve University University of Maryland, College Park
Date 9/30/13 12:30 PM 9/30/13 1:34 PM
10/1/13 9:00 AM 10/1/13 Sarah Lawrence 9:56 College AM 10/1/13 Colorado 10:52 College AM 10/1/13 Macalester 12:30 College PM DePaul 10/1/13 University 3:30 PM University of 10/2/13 Chicago 3:30 PM 10/7/13 Elmhurst 9:56 College AM 10/8/13 Knox College 1:26 PM Northeastern 10/8/13 University 2:34 PM Washington 10/8/13 University of Pennsylvania
The Va'ad sponsored the annual sukkah hop, which took place in Deerfield this year. The event kicked off with appetizers at CJHS and a few words from Va'ad president Joshua Silverman. After chips and dip, the 80 students hopped over to the main course at the Small family's sukkah
University in St. 3:30 PM Louis 10/9/13 Eckerd College 9:00 AM 10/9/13 Lawrence 12:30 University PM University of 10/9/13 Michigan 3:30 PM 10/9/13 Tufts University 3:30 PM 10/10/13 Amherst 9:00 College AM The George 10/10/13 Washington 9:56 University AM 10/10/13 Lake Forest 12:30 College PM 10/10/13 Oberlin College 2:43 PM Northwestern 10/14/13 University 3:30 PM Jewish Theological 10/15/13 Seminary of 3:30 PM America 10/17/13 Yeshiva 9:00 University AM 10/17/13 Drake 9:56 University AM 10/17/13 University of 12:30 Denver PM 10/18/13 Nativ 9:00 AM
to enjoy pizza and salad galore while schmoozing and spreading out picnic style on the lawn. There was no better way to conclude the hop than with the beautiful assortment of desserts and hot drinks at the Vales family sukkah down the street. Throughout this tasty journey, it was clear why the holiday of Sukkot is referred to as z'man simchateinu (the season of our joy). Students and faculty were rejuvenated as they experienced the joy of community, delicious food and a beautiful night in the sukkah together.
National Merit Semi-Finalists
10/23/13 9:00 AM Hofstra 10/23/13 University 1:26 PM 10/24/13 Lynn University 9:00 AM 10/29/13 Kalamazoo 12:25 College PM Interdisciplinary 10/31/13 Center (IDC) 10:52 Herzliya AM 10/31/13 University of 12:30 Vermont PM Skidmore College
Sponsor Breakfast What's better than a birthday celebration with friends? Celebrate your 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.
Quick Links
Congratulations to this year's National Merit Semi-finalists, Evan Gorstein, Avidan Halivni, Joe Kupferberg, and Nathaniel Moses. We are very proud of their achievements, and those of all our hardworking students! Their achievement is not only a testimony to their hard work, but to their comprehensive curriculum that they have taken over the past three years. In other academic news, CJHS has recevied the Illinois State Board of Education NonPublic School Certificate of Recognition. The Certificate of Recognition is issued annually to schools that maintain the criteria adopted by the Illinois State Board of Education for recognized nonpublic secondary schools.
JUF Annual Meeting On Thursday the 12, 25 juniors and seniors from CJHS attended the 113th Jewish Federation Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown. With over 1200 guests in attendance, this meeting brought together Jewish professional and lay leaders from all over the Chicagoland area to celebrate all that the Federation has accomplished this past year. A highlight of the event was the opportunity to hear from distinguished speaker, Ambassador Michael Oren.
Tigers Shake Some Lulav!
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Women's tennis beat Northtown last week, with wins for Carly Silverstein and Avery Wein, Emily Reisler and Maya Resnick, Elizabeth Barras, and Madison Reisler, and good games played by Marci Steinberg, Izzi Brekher and Tali Lupovitch, and Eliana Kaufman and Mollie Kramer. Go Tigers! Men's soccer beat Northtown last week on the strength of senior forwards Jonathan Chasin and Jeremy Goodman. The Tigers lost to Cristo Rey the following day, but avenged their defeat by beating St. Benedict on Monday 8-7. Jeremy Goodman had his third hat trick of the season and Jason Taitz scored a goal and had an assist to bring our team up to 5-4. Although we lost to Holy Trinity yesterday, the Tigers are training hard in preparation for Monday's rematch with Northtown. Spirit was running high for women's volleyball for their big Sukkot face- off. Despite a loss to Woodlands last week, we fought bravely against Cristo Rey on Tuesday. The juniors played especially well and are looking forward to showing their paces against St. Benedict next week. Fall is here and cross-country is finally up and running! The team opened its season against Ida Crown last Sunday and began its first run on a two-part Mather Invitational last week. Kudos to Tali Shapiro for breaking the school record at Mather, and to the boys' team who ran their best top 7 times, best top 10 times, and best team times ever! Stay tuned for more news from Mather next week!
College Counseling Marathon On Sunday, September 15, 22 seniors spent part of their day at CJHS, working on their college applications. In what has become a CJHS tradition, college counselors Merle Spielman and Ellen J. Rostker open the office for a few hours on a Sunday, allowing students to work on applications, and meet with the counselors as needed. Some students come for a few minutes, to get a question answered, while others work for several hours. At least one senior commented how helpful it was, indicating that she accomplished much more because of the lack of distractions.
Fall Parlor Meetings
Alumni Trivia Which of our alumni can tell you more about the Congo Leadership Initiative? Hint: she's doublemajoring in international relations and business at American University, and she was profiled in last year's E-News for her environmental work with Projects Abroad and her socially sustainable business initiative with Compass Fellows, connecting rural artisans with the largescale handicraft market!
Alumni News
Congregation Beth Shalom will host its annual Cantors' Cabaret on October 13 at 3:00 p.m. to benefit the Israel Cancer Research Fund. This year's concert is in memory of Dr. Neil B. and Joyce Straus, grandparents of Jacob Stoehr ('08), Talia Stoehr ('10), and Alana Stoehr ('13). Talented voices of Cantors Elizabeth Shammash and Paul Dorman along with local (and national television) favorite Todd Kessler will join Cantor Stoehr. A stellar instrumental quartet will share the stage, as well. Why not head over and support our alumni?
Parent Campaign 2014
Science Contests for CJHS Students The Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science is sponsoring an international science essay competition for high school students. Through the international science essay competition, the undergraduate editorial board seeks to include a broader array of voices in exploring the recent effects and future promise of science in our society. A complete explanation of the contest, along with rules for participation, can be found here. The entry period closes next week, so submit today! This year's Chidon Mada, the Jerusalem Science Contest, is now accepting applications! This year's topic is forensic science. Many CJHS students have won cash prizes by studying up on the year's material and competing with other Jewish high school students for mastery. Read about the contest and register here! The qualifying round begins October 24.
Grandparents and Special Friends: October Meet and Greet!
STAND UPdate Evan Gorstein reports, "Several weeks after a suspected poison gas
attack killed over 1,000 civilians on the outskirts of Damascus on August 21, the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced that it has received from Syria an account of its chemical arms program. The release of this data was mandated as part of the deal brokered by Russia and the US that has the entirety of the Syrian chemical weapons arsenal set to be destroyed by mid-2014. Russia initially proposed this deal after President Obama threatened a military strike against the Assad regime following the chemical attack; negotiations between US and Russian diplomats eventually resulted in specific deadlines for President Assad to follow. "The attack has been repeatedly denied by the Syrian government, who attribute it to the rebel forces. However, Western intelligence from Britain, France, and the US have all reported that Assad's administration was behind the attack. Immediately following the attack, dozens of amateur videos flooded various social media sites, presenting graphic images of the resulting casualties. According to a UN mission, surface-to-surface rockets containing the nerve agent sarin were used, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described the chemical employment as a war crime: the most significant use of chemical weapons against civilians since Saddam Hussein used them in Halabja in 1988. As the situation continues to progress, we'll keep track of how well Syria follows through in destroying their arsenal. "
Alumni Trivia Julia Perelman ('11) reports, "The history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is an unfortunate one. On account of bad luck, bad timing, and most importantly, bad leadership, the DRC has never reached its full potential. Despite its copious reserves of natural resources, it remains one of the world's least developed countries. Presently, the Congo is listed as one of the worst places on the the planet to be a woman, with 1,152 women and girls raped daily. The country's average life expectancy is a little over 55 years due to the lack of sanitary water, medication, and health care. And, the Congo continues to be ravaged by a dizzying array of rebel groups, while simultaneously playing host to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of internally displaced people and refugees. The most shocking fact about the conflict in the Congo is that it's the largest war since WWII (over 5.5 million have died), and yet very few people are even aware of its existence. "Despite, all of this, the young people in the Congo are ripe with potential to change the situation, and it is Congo Leadership Initiative's mission to help them do just that. By offering leadership training to the Congolese youth, we are empowering them with the choice to learn and establish skills so that, as they grow, they can develop the know-how to be better leaders than those who control the country today." Julia would love to advise students who are interested in starting a CLI chapter/club at CJHS. For more information, students can also check out our website at
www.congoleaders.org.
Sponsored Breakfast Many thanks to Samantha Isenstein for sponsoring breakfast.
A Taste of Torah: Bereshit
This week's parasha is Bereshit, in which we read about the six days of creation, and are introduced to humanity. Immediately upon creation, humans sin, and are banished from the Garden of Eden. Since that moment, humanity has been striving to replant Eden, to reunite humanity with God. Such an attempt is futile. In the song "Ya Hey" by American indie band Vampire Weekend, the narrator expresses his religious distress, as he sings, "Through the fire and through the flames, you won't even say your name. Only, 'I am that I am.' But who could every live that way? Ya Hey! Ya Hey!" The narrator, alongside with the rest of mankind, wants to love God and yearns to believe in some greater being. However, he cannot believe in something whose name remains unfamiliar to him and he does not understand. Bewildered, he asks God, "When faced with such doubt within the world, why would you not reveal yourself?" Man receives no response, as it would be unnecessary. God is constantly being revealed in the world, as the great thinker Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote in The Sacred Image of Man, "The souls of men are candles of the Lord, lit on the cosmic way." Thus, through the following of mitzvot, the study of Torah, and deeds that contribute to the welfare of society, God is illuminated on earth. Yet, this same Godly creature is capable of sin, for God created humanity with both the potential for good and evil. We must caution ourselves, as does Heschel, and hold ourselves to our Godly potential without getting mired in our dust-formed origins This new year, let us heed Heschel's words, and remind ourselves that
humanity is always divine. That even if we err, we have dignity, for even dust has dignity, as Heschel says. That our actions have the ability to illuminate God. That we do not belong in Eden, but rather in our imperfect world, and it is our divine duty to sanctify our world, and to make God ever more apparent in our lives. --Yadid Licht ('14)
Chag Sameach Candlelighting for Shemini Atzeret will be tonight at 6:27 p.m. A very happy holiday to all our readers!