13 Elul, 5776 This Week at Rochelle Zell JUF Annual Meeting Math Team News Rochelle Zell Remembers This Week in Sports This Week in Bible Athletico Personal Trainer From the P.O. RSVP for USY Tour Community Events Alumni Trivia A Taste of Torah
Class Schedule ​Monday, September 19 A
September 16, 2016
Rochelle Zell Remembers 9/11 Commemorated Overnight, the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 transformed us as a nation — the way that we travel, security procedures, foreign policy, and domestic policy. Before 2001, people could meet their family and friends at the airport gates. September 11 also transformed us individually, how we relate to each other. In the aftermath of the horrors, communities came to support both their friends and neighbors and those they did not know. They sought out the stranger and ensured that they were their neighbor. On Monday, after a somber shacharit without tunes or artificial illumination, we welcomed Judi Katz and Jonah Kelly, mother and brother of junior Hannah Kelly, to speak about their own personal memories as longtime New Yorkers on Sept. 11, 2001. Like our own school, Schechter Westchester opened its doors for the very first time on 9/11; students were celebrating the opening of their new school and the engagement of a senior administrator with raucous singing and dancing. Thanks to the newness of the building
Tuesday, September 20 C Wednesday, September 21 BB Thursday, September 22 C Friday, September 23 A
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and the lack of a working internet service, the terrible news trickled in with fits and starts, the dean outside listening to his car radio so as not to cause panic among the many students whose parents worked downtown. In the ensuing hours and days, there was no stopping the onslaught of grief; Mrs. Kelly recalled the daily parade through town of firetrucks, heading to a funeral of another firefighter who died as a first responder. The lessons of 9/11 affected an entire nation. And they also affected the daily lives of people throughout our country. May the memories of all those who were lost be for a blessing.
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Save The Date September 18 Junior Class Gathering September 25 Candidate Forum
October 3-4 No School - Rosh Hashannah October 11-12 No School - Yom Kippur October 13 9:45 Late Start October 17-18 No School - Sukkot October 19 PSAT October 20
JUF Annual Meeting On Thursday, twenty Rochelle Zell students attended the 116th Jewish Federation Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown. With over 1200 guests in attendance, this meeting brought together Jewish professionals, lay leaders and students from all over the Chicago area to celebrate all that the Federation has accomplished over the past year. Federation President Steven Nasatir and outgoing Board Chairman Bill Silverstein, both parents of Rochelle Zell students, addressed the gathering and Rabbi Michael Siegel of Anshe Emet Synagogue – also a Rochelle Zell parent – delivered the invocation. This year's keynote speaker was Hillel C. Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, a human rights nongovernmental organization in Geneva, Switzerland that monitors the United Nations, fights anti-Israel bias and promotes human rights.
Math Team Kicks Off
Sukkah Hop
College Visits Rochelle Zell is pleased to welcome admission representatives from over forty colleges and Israel programs this autumn!
VIEW FULL SCHEDULE >> Thursday of last week was the first Rochelle Zell math team practice of the year, and we had a huge turnout! Our students are already enthusiastically preparing to outsmart the competing schools at our home meet on September 29, preparing on the topics of percentage and proportionality, algebraic coordinate geometry, trigonometric applications, and number theory. Contact Ms. Galante or Akiva Stein if you're interested in joining the team!
This Week in Sports Cross Country, Men's Golf, and Men's Soccer Cross country opened their season this past Tuesday with the nine-team Mather Invitational. It was their first meet of the season, and both the boys and girls did very well. Lucy Braverman set a Rochelle Zell course record; Lucy and Elitsa Sklar both took home top ten medals. The boys had eight medalists, and the team finished in third place. Kol hakavod to Yoni Maltsman, Zev Mishell, Sol Treister, Liam Lynch, Brian Silverstein, Ben Lesch, Sean Dreifuss, and Jason Ross. The team will compete on Sunday, September 18, against ICJA at Wood Oaks Park in Northbrook. The meet starts at 2:00. This is our biggest rival, and the team would love to have as
many fans as possible cheering them on! The Tiger golfers lost a close match Wednesday night to Faith Lutheran High School from Crystal Lake, IL. It was a great night with beautiful weather and a very spirited opponent. David Weisskopf, who shot a 48, led the Tigers again. This is the third consecutive match that David has been under 50 strokes. This leads the team this year. Ethan Laney recorded a 56 and Sammy Hoffman scored a 57. The next match will be played on Monday, September 19 at Maine East. Good luck, Tigers! Men's soccer faced off against Cristo Rey, Northtown, and Chicago Hope. Coach Shannon reports, "Gabe Chasin had one of his best games, highlighted by an amazing stop in the first half of Wednesday's game. Jonah Magill had his best game of the season, and Isaac Levitan, Sammy Korol, Micah Brody, and David Levin all had outstanding games! Matt Weiss got in the game and turned in a great performance. Ari Rosen had another outstanding game, marking up Chicago Hope's best player! Although we dropped this one 4-3, it was our best game of the season, and we can build off performances like this one. " Fall Sports Photos Take a leaf from Mr. Martinez's playbook and send in your photos! Photographers, SnapChatters, assistant coaches, and proud parents: E-News wants you to share the love! Snap photos of your favorite game, match, or tee-off and send to Mrs. Shira Eliaser, your faithful editor, at seliaser@rzjhs.org. We're counting on you to make this season a great one! Booster Club You are invited to join the Rochelle Zell Athletic Booster Club! The booster club promotes
school spirit and sportsmanship, encourages attendance at all Rochelle Zell athletic events and provides additional financial support for athletic activities at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. Interested in volunteer opportunities or joining the Athletic Booster Club Board? Please contact Booster Club President, Larry Becker at lpbecker5@gmail.com or Athletic Director, David Martinez at dmartinez@rzjhs.org.
Let There Be Light Dr. Schorsch and Rabbi Silver's Classes Consider Creation What is dark matter and who is Mr. G? Eleventh grade Tanach and Talmud have been carefully reading the opening chapters of Bereshit to understand what these powerful beginning narratives have to say about humanity and the world. From Rashi to Biblical scholar Jon Levenson, from Ramban to MIT physicist Alan Lightman, and from the Mishnah to Mechon Hadar's Shai Held, we have been busy engaging the text with heart and mind to read intelligently and meaningfully, asking ourselves the nature of humanity, the place of humanity in the text, and comparing and contrasting various accounts of creation as told biblically and rabbinically, from the creation of multiple universes to the purpose of creation. Dr. Schorsch reports, "We are deep in considering what is the Torah saying, what has it said to our interpretive tradition, what is it saying to us and why does it matter?"
Alumni Trivia Oy CJ, voz iz neu in dem shtetl? Which shtetl-dwelling maydel from days of yore received a Prom proposal via YouTube with a full Fiddler-on-the-Roof style musical? Hint: she's not actually majoring in Jewish studies, but she's certainly enjoying them!
New Athletic Trainer The athletic program is proud to announce our partnership with Athletico Physical Therapy. We will have an athletic trainer onsite for games and practices this school year. Jake Roskin received his athletic training degree from Indiana University. “I look forward to helping the student athletes at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School stay healthy and safe during their participation in athletics.�
From the P.O.
Sunday night was the Senior Get Together organized by the Rochelle Zell Parent Organization. The Dayan family graciously opened their home for the students and their parents to reconnect for the new school year. With approximately 55 people in attendance, you could feel the the excitement of the upcoming year. Thank you Maryl, Medwin and Jake Dayan for your kindness and support of the Rochelle Zell community. Sunday, September 18 is the Junior Get Together hosted by the Levitas Family. Please RSVP to PO@rzjhs.org with the names of the students and parents who will be attending. Contributions to support the Grade Get Togethers are greatly appreciated in any amount, large or small. Please email the P.O. if you are interested.
Welcome, USY Directors! Friday, October 14, 8:00 a.m. | Rochelle Zell Jewish High School On Friday, October 14, help welcome the United Synagogue Youth (USY) Chapter Youth Directors as they come and visit Rochelle Zell. They will be here for our most spirited tefillah of the week, followed by breakfast and a tour. RSVP to Mr. Cohen to join in the fun!
Sponsored Breakfast Happy birthday to Dena Romanoff! Many thanks to the Romanoff family and the Schrayer family for sponsoring breakfast this week. To sponsor bagels in honor of your favorite Tiger, please contact Diane Zidman in the front office.
Community News and Events Candidate Forum 2016 Co-Sponsored by Rochelle Zell Jewish High School Sunday, September 25, 3:00 p.m. | Congregation BJBE, across from Rochelle Zell
Maot Chitim Sunday, September 25, 6:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | 8260 N. Austin St., Morton Grove Help us to pack food with Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago and then deliver it to individuals and families in need throughout the Chicagoland area. We start packing food in the boxes as early as 6:00 a.m. You can also join us anywhere between 8:00-8:45 a.m. to help load
cars with boxes. After loading boxes, there’s an opportunity to deliver food to those families and individuals who need it most. Not only are you performing a mitzvah by giving someone a Kosher holiday meal, but you are brightening their day with a friendly hello, letting them know that someone in the community cares. The warehouse is located a few blocks west of Dempster St. off the Edens expressway. Please wear closed-toed shoes for safety. You don’t have to pre-register, just show up and Join the fun For additional information, visit www.maotchitim.org or 847.674.3224.
Alumni Trivia Rachel Small (CJHS '14) grew up in the few blocks of Deerfield whose tight enclave of Schechter and Rochelle Zell families has earned it the nickname of "the shtetl." Rachel is now majoring in Behavior & Health with a minor in Psychology at Boston University. "Although," she reports, "Some of my favorite classes have been in Jewish Studies-- Jewish Bioethics and Sex in the Shtetl! Outside of the classroom, I volunteer as a health educator in Boston Public Schools, serve on the board of my sorority, work at a Hebrew school in Brookline, and explore the city. This past May, I became a certified EMT. Over the summer, I went on Birthright, traveled in Scandinavia, was a server at a restaurant, and interned at the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UIC. Next semester, I am planning on studying and interning in Dublin. I am energized by how busy I've been, but it's also important to me to remain present in my experiences and soak it all in." Wow, Rachel! Kol hakavod! The Briarwood Vista shtetl was put to music by Rachel's friend and fellow shtetl-bochur Avidan Halivni (CJHS '14), who is now studying at Columbia University after a year at Yeshivat Maale Gilboa in Israel. Avidan sings with Pizmon and is a well-known blogger for New Voices and The Times of Israel.
A Taste of Torah: Ki Teitzei What might it mean that we are to see ourselves as a physical image of God? How does this
live tangibly in Jewish law. In this week’s parasha, Ki Teitzei, we read that a criminal who was executed must be buried on the same day (Deuteronomy 21:22-24). In the Tosefta, Rabbi Meir explains what can this be compared to: twin brothers who lived in one city, one appointed king, and the other who took to highway robbery. At the king’s command, they hanged him, but all who saw him exclaimed: The king is hanged! (For being twins, their appearance was similar.) Whereupon the king issued a great command, and he was taken down.” (Tosefta Sanhedrin 9:7, translation by Abraham Joshua Heschel, “Sacred Image of Man”) The parable sheds incredible light on the infinite value on each human, their body, and their entirety. If even a convicted felon’s body refracts the image of God, how much more does this principle shine as a fundamental tenet for every human created? In a society which screams at us that we must change our bodies to conform to a specific ideal, may we listen most closely to the lessons of this parasha. Your body is a vessel. It is holy. You reflect the image of God. READ MORE >> Rav Beit Sefer Zach Silver
Many, many yasher koachs to the readers, leaders, preachers, and shofar blowers, to the seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, parents and teachers, who made this morning's Dvar Torah happen! Thanks to Rabbi Belgrad for the spirited rendition of, "Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho," to Ms. Frankel for the tech coordination and sequencing, and to (who else?) Mrs. Eliaser for spearheading the project. For those of you who want to share what was said, The Battle of Jericho: A Drash for Rosh Hashannah script will be online for a short time, along with Are You Listening? the PowerPoint about the shofar that preceded it as the tefillah kavannah. Refuah shleimah to our readers who were not able to be with us this morning, and shanah tovah u'metukah to our distinguished alumni, the original Jericho 10 from the classes of 2011-2014.
1095 Lake Cook Road • Deerfield, IL 60015 • tigers@rzjhs.org • 847.470.6700