The Chicago community is warmly invited to attend a very special event on May 18, 2006, to celebrate the dramatic growth and success of CJHS. The event, "Building on Success," is being chaired by Harvey L. Miller. Co-chairs are Oly Avidar and Shulamit Binah. The dinner event will be held at the new Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview.

Roslyn Stein, founding and current Head of School, will be honored during the evening. The success of CJHS is largely due to Roz's vision and extraordinary leadership. Roz will return to the east coast in June to pursue the next phase of her professional career.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this significant event. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Shelly Moss, CJHS Development Consultant, at 847-324-3722.

Tikkun Olam Events on Purim

CJHS students are visiting three locations throughout the Chicagoland area to fulfill the mitzvah of giving gifts to the poor on Purim. The ninth and tenth graders will package tons of food at the Greater Chicago Food Depository to facilitate the distribution of food to hundreds of local food pantries and shelters.

The eleventh graders will simulate the weekly shopping experience of a family who depends on food stamps. Students will be divided into families of four and do their grocery shopping based on a slim weekly budget. After the simulation, they will bring the food they have purchased to the Northfield Food Pantry, where they will stock and organize the shelves of the pantry.

The twelfth graders will go to the East Village (between Ukrainian Village and River North) to meet with the "Book Club." This is a group of disenfranchised residents of the East Village. Some of the members have lived in the neighborhood for over a decade, and some have never left the neighborhood since their arrival to the United States. The group meets on a weekly basis with a facilitator at the 27th District Alderman's office to study politics, religion, philosophy, poetry and other topics of interest. The seniors will join this group to explore ways that the groups can learn from each other and collaborate to improve themselves and society. The two groups will study Jane Addam's Hull House, which has addressed systemic issues throughout American society for over a century, and then they will visit the museum together. Students who were inspired by their experience at Panim el Panim this year plan to sustain this partnership by studying with the Book Club on a monthly basis.

To fulfill the mitzvah of matanot l'evyonim, giving at least two gifts to two people in need on the day of Purim itself, we will be collecting tzedakah and other gifts (clothes) to give to the members of the book club on the day of Purim.

Please bring in tzedakah on Purim!

Head of School Invited to Join Committee

Roz Stein was just invited to join the Ethics Committee of the Jewish Educators Assembly, the professional organization of the Conservative movement's educators. Lonna Picker, the new incoming president of the organization, made the appointment.

Several Attend AIPAC Policy Conference

Six CJHS students attended AIPAC's Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. this week. The students heard expert opinions on issues such as Christian support of Israel, Hamas, Iran, Syria and the Israeli elections. They heard from a variety of speakers throughout the conference, including Vice President Dick Cheney, John Bolton, John Edwards, Danny Ayalon, and many others. Yasher koach to Jacob Shapiro, Jason Wiznitzer, Brian Pogrund, Aaron Magid, Daniel Bier, and Leore Avidar for attending this conference.

Purim Dance to be Held

This Saturday night, March 11, the Va'ad is sponsoring a Purim Dance. The dance's theme will be CJHS Oscars, and student-produced movies will be showcased. Invitations have been placed in students' boxes, and tickets can be purchased from Matthew Silverman, dance chair, or any other member of the Va'ad. Tickets have been on sale this week and will be available for $12 at the door. The dance will be at Temple Judea Mizpah, 8610 Niles Center Road in Skokie, from 8:00-11:00 p.m. For more information, please talk to a member of the Va'ad.

Preparations for New Building

On Thursday, March 9, the Modern Language Department participated in a demonstration given by ASC Direct Inc., a language learning system which is digital, multimedia and cross-curricular. The language department is preparing for the move to our new building by pursuing information on language laboratory systems to enhance our language program.

Reminder: Senior Israel Experience Information Meeting

On Thursday, March 16, at 7:00 PM, we will have our first information meeting for next year's Senior Israel Experience. Juniors and their parents are invited to attend. If you have any questions, please contact Rabbi Goldberg at rabbigoldberg@chicagojhs.com.

P.O. Presents Latke-Hamentash Debate

With Purim right around the corner, it's time to mark your calendar for the Second Almost, But Not Quite, Annual Latke-Hamentash Debate, which will be held on Saturday night, March 18. Presenters will include Mrs. Shira Eliaser, Mr. Ron Ben-Joseph, Ms. Martha Keefe, Mr. David Silverman, and Matthew Silverman. The Parent Organization is pleased to once again offer this evening of friendship, laughter, and serious culinary debate. Please RSVP to Sandy Levin at levusgro@aol.com.

Click here for a Latke-Hamentash Debate flyer.

Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Laufer

Chicagoland Jewish High School will host a special Lunch and Learn program on Monday, March 20 at the high school with Rabbi Nathan Laufer, who will be discussing his new book, Leading the Passover Journey--The Seder's Meaning Revealed. The program will begin at noon and conclude at 1:30 p.m. The cost of the program, which includes a dairy kosher box lunch, is $10.

Rabbi Nathan Laufer is a Senior Fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem and President Emeritus of the Wexner Heritage Foundation. During the lunch and learn session, Rabbi Laufer will present an intriguing and enlightening exploration of the Passover Seder. Rabbi Laufer uncovers the hidden meaning of the seder's rituals and customs. He insightfully brings an original, accessible, yet scholarly perspective to understanding the text of the Haggadah. Rabbi Laufer's book will be available for purchase at the end of the program. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to CJHS.

Please RSVP to Ms. Musin (cmusin@chicagojhs.com or 847-423-5960) by March 13 for this exciting program.

Lunch and Learn with JTS and SSDS

Please join CJHS on Tuesday, April 4, as we partner with JTS, SSDS, and the Midwest Region of USCJ for a private study session with Rabbi Michael Schwab, assistant rabbi at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park. The topic of the discussion will be "How to Clean for Passover in Half a Day: A Frank Look at the Laws" and will begin at 12:30 p.m. at CJHS. The cost is $15 and includes a kosher lunch. Sandy Starkman and Karen and Jay Kaufman, CJHS parents, are chairing this event. To RSVP or for more information, please contact Maya Kaplan Barkay at mabarkay@jtsa.edu or (312) 606-9086, or Nadine Sasson Cohen at nacohen@jtsa.edu or (312) 606-9086. Kindly RSVP by March 28, 2006.

Students Participate in Math Invitational

Congratulations to Yael Kiken, Jimmy Casen, and Geoff Levin, who participated in the American Mathematics Invitational Examination on Tuesday.

Cafe ARK Volunteers

Yasher Koach to Geoff Levin, Jenn Hipps, Dakota Miller, and Joan Waxman for volunteering at Cafe ARK on March 8.

Enhance Your Shabbat While Supporting the Va'ad

Every Friday, the halls of CJHS are treated to the aroma of freshly baked challah. You can bring this sensation to your home by purchasing challah and other treats through the Va'ad's weekly Breadsmith sale. To place an order, fill out the form below and return it along with payment to Sandy Johnston, Va'ad Treasurer, by Wednesday of each week. Breadsmith orders are available for pickup on Friday mornings at school. This fundraiser supports Va'ad programming during the year.

Click here for a Breadsmith order form.

Sponsor The Prints

Did you like the most recent edition of The Prints? Do you want to help students express their creativity through the arts? Help sponsor the Chicagoland Jewish High School by making a donation! All checks should be made payable to CJHS. For more information, please contact Prints advisors Ms. Marcus and Mr. Blumenthal, or Prints Editor Benji Derman.

Looking for a way to honor your student or advertise your business?

The CJHS yearbook staff is looking for sponsors for the 5766 edition of Yachad. You can advertise your business or honor students and other individuals in the school community by placing an ad in our sponsorship book. The sponsorship book will be distributed throughout the community along with the CJHS yearbook, Yachad. For more information and prices, please contact Vanessa Youshaei, Yachad business manager, at yachad@chicagojhs.com.

Parents of seniors are especially invited to honor their students in the yearbook.

Click here for an sponsorship form.

Religious Life at CJHS

This week, Yael Kiken, Eli Miller, Avra Shapiro, Josh Warshawsky, Nat Sufrin, Benji Derman, Avram Pachter, Yael Derman, Matt Hass, Sandy Johnston, Nicole Wiznitzer, and Hannah Rosenbaum led tefillah. Shai Kamin read Torah.

As part of the multiple minyan program, Nicole Wiznitzer and Hannah Rosenbaum, with the assistance of Rabbi Fryer, established a new minyan that explores issues related to egalitarianism, gender and tefillah.

Yasher koach to Mrs. Eliaser, who gave a Dvar Megillah this morning on where we can find God in Megillat Esther.

Read the parashah, the haftarah, and a JTS commentary.

This week's parashah is Tetzaveh.

Candlelighting is at 5:33 today. Shabbat shalom!

Read the parashah, the haftarah, and a UJ commentary.