Assembling packages for soldiers. Exploring the complexities of life on the ground for those who live by the Green Line and Security Fence near Wadi Ara. Exploring the ups and downs of life in Yerucham (a development town in the Negev). Dancing at an Ehud Banai concert. Hiking and biking in the desert. Snow in Jerusalem. Strengthening our ability to advocate for Israel. These are a few of the highlights of this year’s Senior Israel Experience.

Whether in Israel for the first time or returning after many visits, the CJHS Senior Israel Experience engaged our students in an exploration of the complexities of contemporary life in Israel regarding coexistence, democracy and religion. From the border with Lebanon to the Gulf of Eilat, we visited sites, cities, and people that bring to life the way in which Israel and Israelis struggle with the tensions inherent in building a Jewish Democracy.

The CJHS Senior Israel Experience is designed to both complement and supplement the Israel experiences available to our students through camps, youth movements, and family visits. It builds upon the CJHS curriculum and deepens students' knowledge of and connections to Israel. Seniors return to school with new tools to enrich Israel-related initiatives at CJHS. Seniors who were not in Israel took part in internships in and around Chicago, exploring a variety of professional and volunteer settings.

We are still in the process of uploading and examining all of our pictures, and we hope to share a selection of them in this space in the near future.

On Thursday, CJHS students took a "jam" break between their Hebrew and Tanach (Bible) exams to celebrate the near completion of final exams. Mr. Chris Forte, CJHS jazz band instructor, brought his band (aptly named Forte) to jam to great rock-and-roll hits. Another familiar face was in the band—none other than Women's Basketball Coach Rob Davis on the drums! Students lined the hallway to listen the band while eating lunch and enjoying brownies and ice cream. Mr. Bruce Scher, Academic Dean/Director of College Counseling, says he plans to make the Brown Bag Jam an annual event during finals week.

A few days before winter break arrived, Ms. Marina Gitlin's freshman and sophomore geometry classes completed a project that involved connections between geometry and daily objects. On December 22, Room 108 was transformed into a museum of art and discovery. Exhibits included periscopes, bridges and swing sets. Other projects illustrated how geometry plays a role in basketball, how congruent triangles can be used to indirectly measure distances, and much more. Students walked around the classroom examining the exhibits created by their peers. The end result: a better understanding for all of how geometry affects our daily lives.

Following a long winter break, the men's and women's basketball teams continued their successful seasons last week. The women's team faced their toughest week of the season with games against Loyola Academy, Gordon Tech, and Regina Dominican. After a week off for exams, the team will play a big game against Ida Crown on January 20. The men's junior varsity and varsity teams also began the most challenging stretch of their schedule last week with games against St. Gregory on Thursday and Yeshiva on Saturday night.

The players encourage all of their fans to come out and support the basketball teams this Saturday night, as we take on Ida Crown Jewish Academy on our home court at Joy of the Game in Deerfield. Our women's team plays at 7:30 p.m., followed by the men's varsity team at 9:00 p.m. Remember to wear your CJHS t-shirts and sweatshirts to these games to show your team spirit. GO TIGERS!!!

Mark your calendars now for CJHS's Spring Musical, Into the Woods, which will be performed on March 25 and 26 at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park.

Into the Woods weaves many familiar fairy tales with an original story of a childless Baker and his Wife, who attempt to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child.

The CJHS Spring Musical is an excellent opportunity for students to participate in a character-driven piece. There are nearly 20 speaking/singing roles and several dancing and non-singing roles. CJHS welcomes student involvement in the technical aspects of the production, including set design, costuming, makeup, and stage crew.

Auditions will be January 23, 25, and 30 during lunch. To audition, sign up on the Fine Arts bulletin board. Several copies of the CD are available at school so that you may familiarize yourself with the music before auditions. Listen to the music online.

Rehearsals will be Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from 4:45-6:00 p.m., as well as several Sunday rehearsals from 2:00-5:00 p.m. Rehearsals are broken down by scenes, so it will not be necessary for every cast member to attend every rehearsal. Please contact Ms. Dori Robinson if you have any questions.

The AP exams will be administered at CJHS during the weeks of May 7 and May 14. AP courses being taught at CJHS this year include Spanish Language, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, English Literature, United States History, Biology, and Chemistry. In addition to exams that correspond to the AP courses currently offered at CJHS, other exams cover AP courses we do not now offer. It is possible for a student to take an exam for an AP course not offered here. For example, a student who is taking a course online or who has extensive knowledge in a particular subject area may elect to take the corresponding AP exam.

Although AP exams are not required for entrance into colleges and universities, they are beneficial. A student's score on an AP exam provides college admissions offices with a standardized measure of his or her accomplishments in the AP classroom. As a result, colleges expect a student who enrolls in an AP course to take the corresponding AP Exam. In addition, many colleges grant students with qualifying AP exam scores credit and/or the opportunity to opt out of lower-level courses during freshman year. At some institutions, students with a sufficient number of qualifying AP Exam grades can earn up to a full year of college credit. Information about the AP program and specific tests can be found at www.collegeboard.com.

Students enrolled in AP courses have already received registration forms. Additional registration forms are available in the College Counseling office. The fee for each exam this year is $83 If you have questions, speak with Mr. Bruce Scher.

Last week, the Mathletes Club participated in another American Math Competition contest. The team score (a composite of the five highest scores) was 17. Seth Berkman was the highest scorer, with five correct answers out of six questions. Congratulations to all who participated!

Larry Gerber, a CJHS Vice President, and his wife, Sheila, were honored by The State of Israel Bonds at a Beth Hillel Congregation B'nai Emunah Tribute Brunch on Sunday, January 14, 2007. Congratulations to the Gerber family for this honor. Please note the community event that the Gerbers are sponsoring at Spertus, which appears in the Community News section of E-News.

CJHS is pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Jacobson, who joined the CJHS team in the role of Business Manager. Dr. Jacobson has extensive experience as a school principal, associate principal, assistant principal and teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. He has a B.S. from Loyola University of Chicago in psychology, an M.A. from Northeastern Illinois University in counseling and guidance, an M.B.A. from the Keller Graduate School of Management in financial management with a minor in financial analysis, and a Ph.D. from Sussex College in England in Psychology.

He has done extensive work for non-profit institutions, including the Mensa Education and Research Foundation and the Council for Children with Behavior Disorders Foundation. He also serves as the Executive Director of the National Board of Professional Educational Administrators.

"We look forward to working with Dr. Jacobson as we continue to move our school forward," says Dr. Ted Schaffner. "He is a wonderful addition to our CJHS family."

The first Freshman Shabbaton was held at the end of September, and students reported that it was a huge success. We look forward to hearing the same about the first Sophomore/Junior Shabbaton, which will be hosted by Moriah Congregation on February 16-17. More information will be available next week. (Seniors: mark your calendars for your Senior Shabbaton on May 18-19.)

Information about Driver Education was distributed to students last week. Click here for the memo and enrollment forms. Students will also need the School Approval form. Please note that classes will meet after school from 4:45-6:15 p.m. on the dates listed. All forms and fees should be sent directly to Adams School of Driving, rather than to our school.

During winter break, USY's annual international convention took place in Boston, where 1000+ USYers met to pray, learn, and just have fun. Nearly a dozen CJHS students were among the 80 delegates from CHUSY Region. The convention's theme was holidays, and USYers were divided into limudim (study groups) for three sessions that focused on learning about the Jewish calendar. Since USYers were divided into limudim based on level of Jewish education, CJHS students were able to meet other Jewish day high school students from across North America. The following CJHS students attended: David Binstock, Rachel Binstock, Avi Coven, Rena Forester, Richard Kahn, Eli Miller, Hannah Miller, Sofi Petchersky, Avra Shapiro, Aliza Shapiro, Talia Stoehr, Jacob Stoehr, Zack Warso and Josh Warshawsky. Yasher koach to Jacob Stoehr for organizing tefillot throughout the convention.

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of several beloved individuals:

Albert Sternberg, Rabbi Ruven Barkan’s grandfather, and Sylvia Cohen, Rabbi Barkan’s step-grandmother, during winter break. The funerals were in Tucson.

Missy Zagon, cousin of sophomore Esther Lowe and her mother, Peggy Lowe. Contributions can be made to the LUNGevity Foundation, the only organization in the United States dedicated exclusively to funding lung cancer research. Ms. Zagon founded LUNGevity.

Henry Hirsch, great-uncle of Ms. Caroline Musin. The funeral took place Wednesday in Michigan.

David Mario Petchersky, uncle of senior Sofi Petchersky and brother of Carlos Petchersky. The funeral took place on Thursday.

Hamakom Yinachem Etchem B'toch Sha'arei Avalei Tziyon V'Yerushalayim.
May God's presence comfort these families among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Thank you to the Binstock family for sponsoring breakfast in honor of Rachel's 16th birthday.

Thank you to the Newman Kamin family for sponsoring breakfast in honor of Shai's 17th birthday.

If you would like to sponsor breakfast in honor of a student's birthday (or any occasion), please contact Ms. Joan Waxman via email or by phone at 847-324-3711. The students love the recognition, and the bagels are great, too!

During the last two weeks, Elli Cohn, Matthew Levin, Matthew Hass, Esther Lowe, Rena Forester, Daniel Eisenberg, Jeremy Frankenthal, Arianna Rozen, Seth Berkman, Aaron Magid, and David Weltman led tefillah. Richard Kahn and Rabbi Ruven Barkan read Torah. Rabbi Robyn Fryer gave a summary of last week’s parashah.

It's getting lighter outside! Next week, mincha returns to its usual time at 4:30 p.m.

Minyan Noar
Minyan Noar (or The Teen Minyan of Skokie) is a Shabbat morning minyan for teens by teens. The teens daven using Siddur Sim Shalom and follow a Conservative-style davening. Afterward, there is a light Kiddush lunch (sponsored by one or many of the participants). Minyan Noar takes place on the fourth Shabbat morning of every month. The first Minyan Noar will take place on Shabbat morning, January 27, at 9:45 a.m. Minyan Noar takes place at Temple Beth Israel, 3601 Dempster Street in Skokie. If you are interested in learning more about Minyan Noar, please contact Aaron Weinberg via email or at school. You can also check out our website at http://minyanoar.blogspot.com/ for more information and updates.

Israel-Related Events
CJHS encourages the community to attend the JUF's annual Israel Experience Day, to be held January 28, 2007 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at Ezra Habonim Niles Township Jewish Congregation, 4500 W. Dempster St. in Skokie. Learn more about Israel Experience Day and Programs.

Design the t-shirt everyone will wear—submit your entry today for the Israel Solidarity Day T-shirt Contest. Learn more at http://w ww.juf.org/pdf/isd_tshirt.pdf.

Melava Malka at Spertus
Spertus warmly invites Chicago families to a Melava Malka (farewell to the Sabbath queen) on Saturday, February 3, 2007 from 6:01–8:30 p.m. This free event for individuals of all ages will feature a song-filled Havdalah led by Ruth Seidner, Music Director at Emanuel Congregation, followed by a spectacular performance by Chicago Chamber Musicians’ award-winning ensemble-in-residence, Quintet Attacca. The evening will also include crafts programs led by museum educators, Sand Art Creations with Gloria Katz, food, games, movies, and more. The program is made possible by the generosity of Larry (CJHS Vice President) and Sheila Gerber. For reservations, call Anne Bustamante at 312.322.1729 or email abustamante @spertus.edu.

This week's parashah is Va'era. Read the parashah, haftarah, and a JTS commentary online.

Candlelighting is at 4:31 p.m. today.