Curriculum Night 2006 was held last Thursday, January 19. Thirty prospective families came to learn about our academic philosophy and commitment to excellence. After the formal presentations, parents were invited to tour the school and meet with faculty in the various classrooms. Visiting students were able to experience a student activities fair led by our student ambassadors. Our students did a great job making our guests feel welcome as they enthusiastically spoke about the numerous extracurricular and co-curricular opportunities at CJHS.

A special thank you to Marci Shapiro and Margaret Cohn, Curriculum Night chairs, for their terrific efforts at planning and preparing for the event. Thank you to everyone on the recruitment committee, chaired by Jennifer Flink, who all made phone calls and contributed to making everyone feel welcome at CJHS.

Thank you to our department chairs and faculty who put a tremendous effort into their presentations. Their passion and commitment to the school were evident and contagious.

Thank you to our terrific students who participated: Karen Avidar, Esther Bier, Rachel Binstock, Rachel Braun, Alan Bukingolts, Eli Cohn, Sydni Cole, Tova Goldberg, Francesca Hirschfeld, Esther Lowe, Lea Sarris, Danny Silver, Brittany Wasserman, Nicole Wiznitzer, Michael Brunwasser, Lilli Flink, Ari Frankel, Richard Kahn, Daniel Kanter, Michael Shapiro, Josh Warshawsky, Leore Avidar, Hannah Berkowicz, Brian Pogrund, Matthew Silverman, Jimmy Casen, Benji Derman, Shayna Flink, Jacob Shapiro and Jason Wiznitzer. Thanks also go to Caroline Musin, Student Activities Coordinator, for preparing our students for their role that evening.

APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE 2006-2007 ACADEMIC YEAR. Contact Rachel Spiro, Admissions Director, to receive an application or to schedule a tour of the school, rspiro@chicagojhs.com or 847-324-3706.

Saturday Night Live

The men's and women's basketball teams played exciting back-to-back games against Ida Crown Jewish Academy on Saturday evening, January 21. This spirited event was attended by more than 60 students, over 75 percent of all CJHS faculty and staff, scores of players' families, and our own stellar pep band.

After being down by more than 10 points, the CJHS women pulled within four points with three minutes to go. Despite the aggressive play of CJHS, Ida Crown managed to win 31-24 in a very spirited game. The team, which has a 5-5 record, plays next at Christian Liberty on Tuesday, January 31 at 6:00 p.m.

Despite an early 18-1 run by the Ida Crown men, the CJHS men's team pulled within four points later in the game. The show-stopping performance of junior Matthew Silverman was not enough, however, as Ida Crown men went on to win by four points. The men--with an impressive 8-4 record--play next at Cristo Rey at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 28.

Thank you to everyone for making this an evening to remember.

Exam Week Continues

This week, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are taking final exams, marking the end of the first semester of classes. Spirits have been high in the building, with students coaching each other in the morning and between exams. Seniors are on a special schedule this week, attending their regular classes as they complete this penultimate semester of high school.

Religious Life at CJHS

Planning at CJHS continues for Tu B'Shevat and Purim celebrations. The Parent Organization is sponsoring a Tu B'Shevat Seder on Saturday, February 11 at 7:15 p.m. Join other CJHS parents for a light dairy dinner and desserts. The program will take place at the home of Mark and Sandy Levin, 1939 Lewis Lane in Highland Park. Please RSVP to Sandy Levin at levusgro@aol.com by February 4.

Thank you to everyone who has led tefillah and read Torah this week.

Read the parsha, the haftarah, and JTS commentaries online.

This week's parsha is Va'era.

Candlelighting will be at 4:41 on January 27. Shabbat shalom!

Read a parsha commentary from the UJ.