Homecoming 12 Kislev, 5774
This Week at CJHS
November 15, 2013
Veterans' Day
Veterans' Day Hebrew Field Trip Homecoming Dance Hebrew Speaker Webster Educational Partnership Parents in the News Web Updates Alumni Basketball Game CJHS Comedy Benefit Metra Poster Contest USCJ Scholar in Residence STAND UPdate JUF Update
CJHS humbly thanks Vietnam veteran Mr. Jeremiah Enright, our Veteran's Day speaker, and a longtime friend and Stevenson High School colleague of chemistry teacher Ron Urick, who shared his reflections on the nature of war and the need for greater human understanding. Mr. Enright was drafted into the armed forces in 1968 at the age of 18, and served in combat through May of 1969, when he and his friends were severely wounded in an ambush. Enright had two photos to show our student body: his own unit, posing and resting and soon-to-be-destroyed, and a handsome smiling young man, a North Vietnamese soldier whose family photos Enright has preserved since the fateful firefight which left the Americans victorious-but at a cost. "I realized that night I had more in common with this young man than with other Americans back home," Enwright sorrowfully recalls of his fallen enemy, castigating the old men who start wars but send young people to fight them. Enright urged the CJHS community to
Alumni Trivia A Taste of Torah
Save the Date Friday, Nov. 15 Saturday, Nov. 16 All-School Shabbaton in the City Sunday, Nov. 17Tuesday, Nov. 19 Panim Trip (juniors) Monday, Nov. 18 PLAN Test (sophomores) Friday, Nov. 22 No Classes: Professional Day Wednesday, Nov. 27 1:15 Dismissal Thursday, Nov. 28 Thanksgiving Break: No School Friday, Nov. 29 Thanksgiving Break: No School
P.O. Corner The CJHS Parent Organization also invites you to contribute to our annual Faculty and Staff Hanukkah Gift Fund Checks must be received by Thursday, November 21, but are welcome sooner. Suggested contribution is $18 per student, though any amount is greatly appreciated! Please send cash or check made out to "CJHS PO" to the CJHS main office in an envelope labeled: CJHS PO Hanukkah Fund -with your student(s) name(s). Contact AnneMcDonagh@comcast.net. Interested in getting involved in the PO? Drop us a note at po@cjhs.org. The P.O. is pleased to offer 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
appreciate the tremendous sacrifices made often unwillingly by the soldiers who fight our wars and encouraged them to work towards making life meaningful and more peaceful, not just for our returning veterans, but for everyone whose paths we cross.
Hebrew Field Trip On Tuesday, November 5, the sophomore class attended an Israeli concert by Meital Michaeli and Etzion Mayer. These two Israeli singers shared inspirational stories of their music careers and their experiences on the reality T.V. show The Voice of Israel. After their performance, we enjoyed shawarma and falafel with Hebrew students from other high schools in the area. This experience enriched the sophomore class with Israeli culture and connected our students to Hebrew students from local public schools under a common love of Hebrew and the state of Israel. Our thanks to Shorashim and ICenter for creating such an opportunity. Also thanks to Dr. Auslander, Gvt. Cohen and Gvt. Wasserman for chaperoning, and Gvt. Moskovich for making the trip a reality.
Homecoming Dance
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 Thanksgiving Catering from a CJHS Alum Too busy to cook this year? Let chef Avram Pachter ('06) of Highland Park cater your family feast. Circle of Life catering operates out of North Suburban Beth El in Highland Park. Click here for his full menu and order forms.
SSDS Quick Business Connections The next SSDS Quick Business Connections speed-networking meeting will be held at the Sager Solomon Schecter school in the Beit Knesset on 11/20. While the room will open at 7:00 p.m., formal networking will start at 7:30. All CJHS and Schecter affiliates are encouraged to stop by for networking.
College Visits CJHS is pleased to welcome representatives from the following programs:
Midreshet Ein Hanatziv
12/2/13 3:30 PM
Yeshivat Maale Gilboa
12/2/13 3:30 PM
Many thanks to the many volunteers from Spirit Club for planning an incredible Homecoming 2013: A Night Under the Stars! Thanks also to Ms. Friedman, Gvt. Wasserman, Rabbi Belgrad, Mr. Scher, Ms. Gitlin, and Ms. Karasov for chaperoning.
Hebrew Nutrition On Monday, November 4, Gvt. Moskovich's Hebrew 9 class had an opportunity to study about nutrition with Gvt. Dorit Weinberg, M.S. R.D., as part of a unit on food and nutrition. In preparation for the event, students compiled questions for Gvt. Weinberg to address in her presentation. The class learned about the right balance between carbs, protein, and different kinds of fat, as well as food logs and body shapes. The entire lecture was given in Hebrew! The students reported that they've got great nutritional tips to avoid the "freshmen 15" in college.
Webster Educational Partnership
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.
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The Webster Educational Partnership program began the 2013/2014 year with a get-together at Webster School in Waukegan. Thirteen students from CJHS attended the program which has as its goal a greater understanding of different cultures and socio-economic groups. Led by senior Jessica Hochberg and juniors Hannah Given and Shira Forester, CJHS students met with sixteen eighth grade students from Webster. Ice-breaker games started off the activities, followed by making sandwiches for a food pantry near Webster School. Discussion of their celebration of Thanksgiving was held, and fun dramatics focusing on Thanksgiving climaxed the day. The next program will be held at CJHS on December 9 which will celebratef the winter holidays of Chanukah and Christmas. Students will share in stories about their traditions and foods of the holidays will be tasted. Stay tuned!
Students in the News Congratulations to sophomore Elliana Faletsky, a long-time star of Highland Park's scholastic chess team, who last weekend took first place in the girls section for grades 9-12 of the Susan Polgar World Open for Boys and Girls. The win entitles Elli to a $14,000 annual scholarship at Webster University in St. Louis. Webster's chess team is the best in the country, ranked #1 in Division 1 chess since the team was formed in 2012. Way to go, Elli! Congratulations also to juniors Sari Mishell, Jonathan Schrag, and Rayna Gorstein, three of this year's newest Write on For Israel fellows! The students will now embark on a two-year education and advocacy program that will enable them to lay out a balanced view of the issues in their home communities.
CJHS.org Updates We are excited to announce the launch of three new Web pages on CJHS.org! Purchase official Tiger gear at our new online Roar Store. Head over to "My Life at CJHS" for the latest interactive photo galleries and bio pages. Keep checking back as we capture more student experiences. "Ha'Olam Shelanu" introduces the exclusive student-run newspaper featuring the latest CJHS news, feature stories, sports and more! Read the first edition online by clicking here.
Alumni Trivia Eggs ahoy! Mrs. Eliaser's 50 physics students are hard at work on their creative Egg Drop projects, coming soon to an all-school extravaganza near you. Which three CJHS alumni did a full Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Physics folk song to explain the physics behind their design? Hint: they're still in touch, and they're fraternity/sorority cousins at their respective colleges!
Alumni Basketball Game
Featuring the annual tug-of-war competition and game entertainment Saturday evening, November 30, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. There will be a suggested $10 donation at the door. Each entrance donation will include a free travel mug from the Roar Store! To play in the Alumni Basketball Game, sign up here. For any other questions, contact Tara
Seymour at 847.423.5489.
CJHS Comedy Benefit Comic Caryn Bark, one of Chicago's favorite notso-old Jews who tells jokes, will make a onenight-only special appearance in the hit comedy, OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted Street, Wednesday, November 20, at 7:30 p.m. A portion of proceeds from that night's ticket sales will be donated on Caryn's behalf to Chicagoland Jewish High School, where Bark's daughter Tallulah Bark-Huss is a freshman. Bark will join the cast of OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES on stage during the "joke off" segment. Anyone who's seen Caryn's critically-acclaimed, one woman show, Diary of a Skokie Girl, knows she can tell a joke! To purchase tickets for Caryn Bark's cameo performance, call 312.988.9000; visit the Royal George Theatre box office, or online at Ticketmaster.com. For more information on OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES in Chicago, click here.
Attention, Train Kids and Artists!
Metra is holding its annual Get Smart for Safety poster contest. It's been a few years since Yali Derman ('09) took first prize in the teen division and had her artwork displayed all over Chicagoland--let's put CJHS on the train safety map again! Click here for details about how to enter the art contest.
USCJ Scholar in Residence CJHS and USCJ are delighted to welcome the dean of the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem: Rabbi Joel Levy "Keeping Shabbat in the Desert: A Wilderness Story that Reveals Hidden Layers in the Theory and Practice of Shabbat" Thursday, November 21, 2013 7:00- 8:30 p.m.
STAND UPdate Gabe Wacks reports, "Last Friday, Typhoon Haiyan ripped through the central Philippines. The typhoon, with winds of around 200 mph, devastated the south Asian island nation, and is one of the most powerful storms in recorded history. Particularly hard-hit was the city of Tacloban, capital of Leyte province. Over 10,000 people are feared dead, mainly from the huge surges of water that accompanied the storm. An estimated 500,000 people have been displaced by Haiyan as hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated or fled. The Philippine Red Cross has reported that mobs of looters have attacked trucks carrying food and water around Tacloban. In addition, the town of Guiuan, with a population of 40,000 people, has not yet been reached by Red Cross or Filipino officials despite being one of the first towns hit, and many other towns and cities in the region have reported to be almost completely submerged by the massive tsunami-like storm surges. The American Red Cross has deployed workers to deliver food and water to refugees and is helping to reunite separated families. This is one of the largest humanitarian crises of the year, and could result in tens of thousands of casualties without immediate aid. STAND recommends donating through JUF (below) or Oxfam to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan."
JUF Update: Typhoon Relief "[Typhoon Haiyan] has the potential to be one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory," Federation President Steven Nasatir said. "Chicago's Jewish community always has been among the first to respond to such crises, wherever they occur, and we will provide whatever support we can to those in need now." Chicagoans may contribute online at www.juf.org/relief, by calling 312.444.2869, or by sending a check to the Jewish Federation Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund, Room 3022, 30 S. Wells St., Chicago, IL 60606. All funds collected will be distributed in coordination with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Federations of North America. The Chicago Federation will absorb all administrative costs, ensuring that 100% of the local donations go directly to aid those most grievously affected.
Alumni Trivia
It was Alison Dreifuss ('11) and the Rudolph twins! Jake Rudolph ('11) is currently a junior in the College of Business at the University of Illinois, double majoring in supply chain management and marketing. Jake reports, "I am also in AE∏ (along with many other students from our graduating class) and a member of TAMID, a relatively new Israel Investment and Consulting group. Last year, I participated in the Stand With Us Emerson Fellowship with Leah Karchmer ('11)."
Adam Rudolph ('11) is currently a junior in the school of Business at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, double majoring in finance and entrepreneurship. Adam reports that he is still the only person from CJHS to ever be in the Badger's AE∏ chapter. "Most excitingly," he adds, "I'll be studying abroad in Rome next semester!" Alison Dreifuss ('11) is currently a junior at the University of Illinois, where she is a member of the AEΦ sorority. Alison reports, "I'm getting my bachelors degree in nursing. With that, I hope to pursue a career in pediatric oncology." Good for you, Alison! After all these years, Jake, Adam, and Alison's classic physics folk song, "Teach your Physics Well," can still be found on YouTube!
A Taste of Torah: Vayishlach
My friend Rabbi David Russo recently shared the D'var Torah that his sabba, Rabbi Israel Silverman wrote exactly fifty years ago, Parashat Vayishlach. 50 years ago, Rabbi Silverman, then a rabbi in Boston, addressed his congregation during the week following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The reflections below come from him. Following the assassination of President Kennedy, there was a new sense of communal vulnerability. Did even the notion of security exist if the most trained cadre of security detail on Earth could not keep one individual safe from harm? The Hebrew language speaks to the idea of security in intriguing ways. The word has gone a metamorphosis over time. Ask an Israeli the meaning of the word security and she will tell you bitachon. We see bitachon in front of restaurants and at airports and the word also is synonymous with insurance, medical and otherwise. But for the Biblical human, bitachon only means faith in God (see Psalms 116:9 for one example). The modern notion of bitachon has excised God. Security is now defined by our own power, our wealth and exalted positions in society. For the Biblical human, it had nothing to do with humanity. In this parasha, Yaakov is terrified as he prepares to meet his brother, Esav. He brings his entire family with him on this journey, crossing the river. But suddenly he is alone again, back on the other side of the river. How did he get there? Rashi, citing a midrash, suggests that he forgot small jugs, pachim ketanim, and returned to get them. In the midst of his insecurity and fear, he tries to cling to this material wealth, which was even more precious to him than his life. It is here, standing alone, that he realizes just how futile the quest for security was. Here, Yaakov struggles with the mysterious ish, understood by some commentators as himself. Here, after the struggle, he gains the name Yisrael. He is no longer on the heals of others, the origin of his former name, but the prince of God. After a life of deceit and manipulation, the third patriarch is now secure in his identity for the first time in his life. Here, he achieves true bitachon. He leaves these small jugs behind, literally in this case. In a world of mass media, we are that much more aware of our own ability to control our surroundings. We view the catastrophes of the typhoon in the
Philippines, the brutal murder of an Israeli soldier who dozed off on a bus and suffering that much closer to our physical homes. As we enter this Shabbat, may we remember the lessons of the Biblical notion of bitachon. May our security come from our faith and trust in each other and in God.
Shabbat Shalom Candlelighting tonight will be at 4:13 p.m. Shabbat Shalom, and see you at the Shabbaton!