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May 31, 2013 / 22 Sivan, 5773
Graduation Day
In This Issue
Senior Siyyum
Graduation
Class of 2013
Passing the Torch
El Malei Rachamim
Bike the Drive
Physics Expo
Math Team Party
Exam Schedule
Summertime Torah
Study
STAND UPdate
Baruch Dayan Emet
A Taste of Torah
Siyyum Sets the Tone For Graduation
Alumni Trivia
Save the Date
Sun., June 9
ACT
Tues., August 13
New Teacher Orientation
Wed., August 14 -
Thu., August 15
Staff Development
Mon., August 19
New Student Orientation
Tues., August 20
First Day of School
P. O. Corner
Gelt Program The P.O. is pleased to once again introduce the gift card "Gelt 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 [email protected] or call her at 847.324.3723.
Community News
and Events
Libenu Beauty Night for
"Before we intellectualize,
before we use the tools of
reason in which we have
been schooled for years,
we must allow ourselves
to appreciate that
wondrous expanse which
is so much bigger than we
are. That ultimately
allows us to be at our
most human," Rav Beit
Sefer Zach Silver
explained, fondly recalling
the desert experience
shared by the Class of
2013 this winter in Israel.
The Class of 2013 culminated their studies at morning
services with a passage from the kedushah, expressing
awe at the divine
omnipresence and
simultaneously trying to
locate and quantify the
infinite ("Ayeh mekom
kevodo?"). With the
blessin
g for
good
fortune
appreci
ated and shared with others, Rabbi
Silver formally concluded his teaching of
our senior students, and the rest of the
staff rose to acknowledge the gifts and
good memories contributed by every
member of the class.
"If my heart breaks on
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!
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 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,
the spot, one of you
parents please call 911,"
Mr. Griffith opened his
remarks to his
students. Rabbi Belgrad
described Zoe
Goldhirsh's graceful
dance as a metaphor for
her life, while Dr. Miller
predicted brave things for
Gabe Gavrielov, who will
always
have
his
buddies
' backs
in the
IDF next year. Mr. Griffith described the
talented Jonathan Tupper as the best-
kept secret at CJHS. "Pescadito"
Fishbaum and "Margarita" Tunik
were sent off with hugs and affection by
their Spanish teachers, while the late-
working Dani Sery was
saluted by fellow
nighthawk Ms. Gladstein.
Mr. Marchenko paid
tribute to the fearsome
leadership skills of debate
queen Ceren Maeir, and
Dr. Auslander compared
Aitan Licht to other
great New York Yankees
of history--this from
a Dodgers fan, no
less! Rabbi Silver
applauded the passion for
ethics and organizational
genius of Miranda
Smerling, whose IFYC
programming enabled
Muslim, Jewish, and
Catholic students to talk about the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict without a single feather flying. And Mrs. Eliaser, as
always, sent off Ilan Hulkower with Star Trek references
and quotes from Pirkei Avot.
If you've ever wanted to learn how to say, "And now the
teacher chokes up and cries," in American Sign Language,
you'd find this year's Siyyum particularly noteworthy. In
please call 847.324.3713 or email [email protected]. Order forms are available online here.
Quick Links
Our
Website
Online Calendar
Trumba
Calendar Tips
2012-2013 Year
Calendar
Lunch Menu
Join the Tiger
Club
addition to our fond and teary teachers, CJHS wishes to
extend an extra-special thank you to our team of talented
and dramatic ASL interpreters, who navigated through
Hebrew prayers, inside jokes, Talmudic citations, and
basketball puns to make the morning an inclusive and extra-special experience for everyone present.
"I love this tradition!" was heard
on all sides, from parents and staff
alike, as one by one, the
graduates were called up to be
addressed and congratulated by a
favorite teacher. "You can just see
how well the teachers know these
kids and how much they've shaped
each others' experiences. You
don't get moments like these at
any other school!"
Commencement Exercises
Preceded by class marshals Zach Erlichman and Annie
Schrayer, the Class of 2013 marched down the aisle for
this year's graduation. Aaron Zell
began the proceedings with a
mighty blast of the shofar, and
Nate Swetlitz gave the
invocation at this year's
commencement exercises. Aitan
Licht and Rachel Rubinstein
reflected on the bewildering
number of opportunities at CJHS
that threatened to overwhelm the
Class of '13 during their freshman
year--and
the sense
of unity,
enthusias
m, and
responsibil
ity which they have grown into so
exuberantly.
"What says CJHS more than bagels
for breakfast and dozens of club
meetings at lunch?" asked Va'ad
president Elan Sykes and Senior
Gift Chair Eryn Minkow. The
Class of '13 leaves to CJHS a
brand new 46" monitor to be used
for birthday announcements,
student group meetings, athletic schedules, and other daily
data. (At the moment, it's being used for Prom pictures--
were you there?)
"When you are called, how will you answer?" Board
President Michael Small urged the outgoing class. "For
each of you, in ways direct or subtle, by great causes or by
those near and dear, will be called, and not just once--
many times. How will you answer? Will you say: hin'ni
muchan um'zuman? Here I am, prepared, and ready for
the moment!"
"Be active and involved participants
in the larger community," Head of
School Tony Frank charged the
graduates. "Find a niche in which to
exercise leadership; strive for a
healthy balance between your
academic and extra-curricular
pursuits. Be true to yourselves, but
continue to do for others. And finally-
-in true CJHS fashion--never forget
to hold the
door open
for the
person
coming in behind you."
On behalf of all the graduates, the
eloquent Ceren Maeir concluded
the ceremony with these blessings,
"May we always have the courage
to seek truth and goodness during
moments of struggle, to stand for
what we truly believe in even if it
is not the norm, to never let the
light that lives within our souls
fade even when it flickers in
darkness. May we always
remember the precious lessons our dedicated teachers
have impressed upon us and allow them to continue to
guide us. May we continue to live by the ethics and morals
of our tradition, to find comfort and a home in the
community we have created together, and to appreciate
the gift of having parents and teachers that lead us, guide
us, and love us unconditionally. May we always remember
to accept and care for our fellow human beings, for this is
all that truly matters. May we never let our zest and
passion for life fade no matter the circumstance. But most
of all, may we never, ever let the bond between us break!"
The Class of 2013
"I love CJHS because it is, more than anything
else, a community. It is one big dysfunctional,
weird, amazing, beautiful and special family...
The best thing about CJHS is the unspoken
rule to hold the door open for the next person
entering the building behind you..."
--Class of '13, Anonymous Exit Slip
Thus departs the class of 2013, the class
that gave us the media club, the breakfast
posse, IHSA volleyball glory, and the best
Jewish men's basketball team in the
country! Among them we graduate dancers
and soldiers, prize chemists and prize
photographers, microbiologists, political
scientists, philanthropists, collegiates and
seminary girls: thirty-six talented, beautiful
young men and women who will be making
a difference on campuses all over the
world.
Passing the Torch
For the first time since the school opened, CJHS will be
going back to school next fall without a single Flink! The
Flinks were one of our pioneer
families and have graduated
four children and one nephew
from CJHS. "It is not," as our
graduates wisely said, "upon
you to finish our great work,
but neither were you free to
neglect it." We are grateful for
all these wonderful families
have given the school: as we leave our pioneer days
behind us and move into the new era of IHSA
championships, award-winning debate teams, world-class
M.U.N., and college admissions readers who know us by
name, we will surely not neglect to continue the work they began.
Zecher Tzadik Livracha
God of mercy who rests on high, find
perfect rest under the wings of the
shechinah among the righteous, the
inspiring, and the holy, to the soul of Mr.
Harvey Gross, Zvi Mordechai ben Yoel,
our beloved social studies teacher,
whose second Yahrzeit we mark with
fond remembrance. O Giver of Mercy, may his soul be
bound up in life with all the students he has inspired. May
his mighty deeds of social justice and the love he bore for his students help him rest in peace, in honor, and in love.
Bike the Drive
This past Sunday, nine CJHS students and Dr. Auslander
participated in Bike the Drive and raised over $4,000 for
Chai Lifeline, a wonderful organization which provides
year-round emotional, social, and financial support to more
than 4,000 seriously ill children and their families every
year, helping them to live full and happy lives despite the
presence of serious illness. This marked the fourth year
that CJHS has participated in this event and also saw the
most students ever
participate in Bike the
Drive from CJHS.
Freshmen Ranan Vales,
Seth Wein, Michael
Weldler, and sophomores
David Steinberg,
Jonathan Schrag, Alex
Cope and Eli Schrayer
rode. Junior Zahava
Vales participated, as did
senior Yoni Gabel, biking
with Team CJ for his third year.
Zahava Vales remarked, "Raising money for Chai Lifeline
and participating in Bike the Drive at the same time was
truly an experience that I will never forget. I got to spend
time with my friends, I got good exercise, I got to raise
money for an extraordinary cause, and I got to see how
beautiful my city really is. Thank you so much, everyone,
and I look forward to participate next year as well."
Rabbi Shlomo Crandall was so impressed by our school's
participation that he came to the school on Tuesday to
personally thank the students for helping out. Most of the
participants are already talking about participating next
year! What do you say--do you think we can get 20
riders?
Alumni Trivia
This CJHS thespian starred in CJHS' original production of
David and Lisa, and after graduating from the University of
Pittsburgh with a theater arts and psychology major, has
been working on stage and in drama education ever
since. Who is she, and what production of hers is about to hit the airwaves?
Physics Expo 2013
If you think it's time to try defying gravity, than the 2013
Physics Expo was the one you've been waiting for! Sixteen
teams of juniors in Mrs. Eliaser's three physics classes
showcased five months of research in the physics of tennis,
the physics of dance, the physics of superheroes, and the
physics of the Bible. 2013 was a good year for movies: we
had Willy Wonka and
the Physics Factory,
where three orange
Oompa-Loompa girls
explained fluid pressure and T.V.
transmissions to kid brother
Charlie, and the uproariously
funny The Physics of Bullying, highlighting the physics of
toilets, text messages, and other nefarious tools of the
trade--plus the physics of Krav Maga for the victims to
even the odds! And over in the corner, you might have
heard Arielle Kaye and Talia Canter warming up their
voices for The Physics of Music and The Human Voice.
Honors for the evening went to Defying Gravity: The
Physics of Stage Flight, a cinematic masterpiece calculating
tension in stage rigs courtesy of Shira Harris and Josh
Swatez. High honors also went to Sara Splansky and
Tali Lupovitch's The Physics of Cooking, whose
thermodynamic cake bakeoff and
grill stations tied Jessica Hochberg
and Tali Shapiro's The Physics of
Animals sodium-potassium gradient
hopscotch for the best demos of the
evening. The Daniel Bier Award for
Best Use of Film went to Jeremy
Goodman, Yarden Michael, and
Josh Silverman's The Physics of
Football, winner of the loudest groan
of the afternoon for, "Ouch--that has
got to have hurt!"
Many thanks to all the friends,
parents, teachers, alumni, cheering
younger siblings and volunteer
camera operators who came to
applaud and to help make this year's Expo a success. And
godspeed to our graduating cameraman Yoni Gabel
('13), who since his freshman year, has attended over 12
hours of Physics Expos as our most enthusiastic fan!
Mathletes Celebrate
The math team celebrated the end of a successful season
during lunch on Monday, enjoying ice cream sundaes,
puzzles, and friendly games of Set. In our first year in the
55-school North Suburban Math League, CJHS finished
fifth out of the twelve teams in its division; Joe
Kupferberg and Benji Fishbaum earned Honorable All-
Conference Awards. The team recognized the contributions
of this year's captains: Josh Aaronson, Evan Gorstein,
and Joe Kupferberg, and each student's accomplishments
were recognized via a "Piece of Pi" award such as Matt
Dulberg's "Super Matt" award, awarded for the enthusiasm
he demonstrated at each meet by donning his Superman
cape. Our math team looks forward to many more future
events under our new Board of Math Evan Gorstein, Joe
Kupferberg, Jonah Glick-Unterman, Sarah Comar,
Hana Lieber, and Rayna Gorstein.
Many thanks to our faculty coaches, Ms. Averbuch, Mr.
Baumstark, Mrs. Charous, Ms. Gitlin, Ms. Musleh, and Dr.
Yuen, for all their dedication and hard work this year.
Exam Schedule
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:30 Tefillah
9:30 Science Hebrew English Math Talmud
12:30 Bible Hebrew Spanish History English
Summertime Torah Study
Best Friends Forever: Ruth and Naomi,
Jonathan and David
This summer, join CJHS teacher Shira
Eliaser and alumni parent Dr. Elysa Barack Fisher at the
LifeCenter Torah Network to explore the hidden
relationships in the Book of Ruth and the story of King
Saul's doomed son. 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 self-awareness and our destiny. The first
session begins on Monday, June 10! Click here for details.
STAND UPdate
STAND secretary Yadid Licht signs off for the summer,
"This past year has been one of STAND's most active and
successful years in recent history. With a fantastic Sleep-
In, and a great Human Rights Week, STAND has informed
the community on various issues relating to global conflicts
and human rights. STAND has also raised a large sum of
money which has been donated to the Solar Cooker
Project. Thank you to everyone who has participated in
STAND this past year, and especially to our fearless leader,
Nate Swetlitz. Thank you to you all for reading these brief
updates every week. If you would like to stay updated in
terms of human rights news during the summer, check out
http://endgenocide.org or http://enoughproject.org/."
Baruch Dayan Emet
Condolences to sophomore Hannah Lynch and her family
on the recent loss of her aunt, Sally Chasse. May the
Omnipresent comfort the entire family along with all the
other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
A Taste of Torah: Shlach Lecha
The true difference between the two accounts of the scouts--the ten traitors on one hand, Joshua and Caleb on the other-- is in the way that the perspective taken affected their motivation to complete the task at hand. In the first case, the less reliable
concluded that because of the strength of the enemy and the difficult terrain of the land, it would not be possible to conquer it. Joshua and Caleb, who saw the same land with the same challenges, looked hard at the panorama and decided, "It can be done! Let's go!" The Jewish
people's problem was not only the desire to return to Egypt, but in the fact that their leaders, the unfaithful scouts, discouraged them from completing the task before
even beginning it.
Now, the lesson becomes clear. As leaders, it is essential to be conscious of the perspective we take: perspective has major implications on motivation. At every moment we observe and in
every situation, we must pause and think. Is this perspective I am taking productive? Does it it help get the job done? This is so crucial because leaders must lead. If the leader decides that the task is too daunting, he or she is not leading. And their followers have nothing to do but wander in the desert.
As seniors heading out to some of the
world's best universities or to defend the State of Israel, it is certain that we will all be in positions of leadership. It is important for us to remember parashat Shlach Lecha at these times,
because our perspective and attitude as a leader has a strong influence on all of those around us. We have to be sure that we are always working, providing a perspective that motivates others to work at the task at hand.
It may seem like a tall order, but we are lucky to be coming out of an institution like CJHS, for we have
really already been doing it. At CJHS, we don't look at all of the knowledge the world has to offer, say, "Too vast!" and then never work at it. Instead, we work at it chunk by chunk constantly working to be the best students we
can be. At CJHS, we don't look at the hardest questions in Judaism, whether its God, mitzvot, humanity, or community, say "Too hard!" and then forget it. Instead, we question, we think critically, we discuss, and we grow. At CJHS, we don't look at the injustice in the world, say "Too much!" and then hide in artificial blindness. Instead, we volunteer, we fundraise, we donate, we
educate, and work to make the difference.
לא עילך המלכה לגמור ולא אתה בן חורין להבטל ממנה
It is not for you to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it. Often times the task is vast, and we know that our efforts alone will not complete it. But it is important that we stay motivated, and continue working so that we inspire others to join in. Perhaps with the help of others we may complete it, but otherwise we will be wandering the desert for forty years.
In the end, this is what I think it means to be a leader, always focus on the task at hand and make sure that you are always
thinking that the task can be completed, because it cannot be completed alone. We need help, we need friendships, we need
communities dedicated to bettering the world, we need people working together. Graduates, I hope that each year, as parashat Shlach Lecha rolls around you remember this lesson, and all of the lessons that we have learned here at CJHS. For if you do, I'm sure that this world will be lead to a better place.
--Aaron Zell ('13), in honor of the graduates
Alumni Trivia
Renana Fox's ('06) radio adaptation of
Shakespeare's As You Like It will air on
Sunday, June 9 on Washington DC's local
NPR station. We can catch the live stream
on the WAMU website here. Alumni in D.C. can even
attend the live showing at American University's Woods-
Brown amphitheater; for more information on the show
and on the Lean and Hungry Theater Company, click here. Break a leg, Renana!
Shabbat Shalom
Candlelighting this Friday will be at 8:02 p.m. Shabbat
shalom!
To all our readers, we wish a relaxing, safe, and productive summer. Whether you're at camp, in Israel, working hard, or just
relaxing at home, we wish you nothing but the best. E-News will resume in August. See you in the fall!