Service and Celebration Highlight CJHS’s Purim Festivities

Purim is a time to celebrate and perform mitzvot, and CJHS students and faculty took full advantage of this opportunity throughout last week.

On Sunday afternoon, CJHS students Jacob Rabinowitz, Rachel Binstock, Ruthie Eisenberg, Nicole Wiznitzer, and Rabbi Barkan volunteered at a Purim lunch at the Lieberman Home in Skokie, where they served food and drinks and visited with the residents.

On Sunday evening, 25 students gathered at freshman Jessica Rosenberg's home for a Hunger Banquet. Each student was randomly assigned to a different global socioeconomic class and had to act out various scenarios and eat dinner according to his or her socioeconomic class. (Most students had to share a bowl of rice.) Through the simulation, participants learned about the devastating effects of hunger and poverty throughout the world. The night ended with food and discussion among the students. Thank you to Ari Glasser and Rachel Braun, who planned the hunger banquet, to Ms. Musin and Rabbi Barkan for chaperoning, and to the Rosenberg family for opening their home for this program.

On Monday morning, students, faculty, and staff arrived at school in a brilliant array of costumes. Following shortened classes, students and faculty spent the entire afternoon fulfilling the mitzvah of matanot l'evyonim, feeding the poor, throughout the Chicagoland area.

The freshman class and sophomore boys volunteered Monday at Vital Bridges, a south side social service agency for individuals with HIV or AIDS. The Vital Bridges Food Pantry serves more than 300 people each week, and CJHS students helped with a much-needed spring cleaning of the facility, which included cleaning windows, wiping out refrigerators, mopping the floor, and several other tasks. By making this facility cleaner, students will brighten the visits of the Vital Bridges patrons.

Twenty-three sophomores volunteered at the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Park City. After hearing about the services provided by the food bank, they began packing frozen meat and fish products to be shipped to area food pantries. These amazing students packed 4,279 pounds of food; that's 171 pounds of food each, and 2,833 pounds per hour overall.

The juniors were divided into "families" and went grocery shopping on severely limited budgets; this shopping simulation taught them about making healthy and affordable food choices, living within a budget, and coming to consensus about their purchases. Afterward, they donated the groceries to the Northfield Township Food Pantry and the West Deerfield Township Food Pantry and helped organize donations on the food pantries' shelves.

Building on the success of The ARK study group that meets monthly throughout the year, the entire senior class went to The ARK for their Tikkun Olam project. After touring the facility, the students and ARK clients studied a text about Purim. Then, the ARK clients performed a skit about Purim for the students. The face-to-face interaction between the two groups through study and discussion allowed all of the participants to recognize each other's inherent, God-given dignity.

On Wednesday morning, in honor of Purim, CJHS students, faculty and administration were treated to a special breakfast of eggs, hash browns, muffins, and French toast. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed three hilarious spiels performed by the junior and senior classes and faculty. The senior class spoofed the faculty, the faculty spoofed the seniors, and the junior class's spiel spoofed just about everyone in the school.

On the Friday before Purim, students passed out Mishloach Manot to the entire school community. Yasher koach to the Va'ad and Va'ad Tikkun Olam, who worked together for this annual drive. CJHS raised more than $6,000 for Mazon, which will be sent as a CJHS community donation. This is $1,500 more than last year's contribution! Yasher koach to all who contributed to the mishloach manot drive; to Rachel Braun, Rachel Binstock, Ruthie Eisenberg, Daniel Eisenberg, Tova Goldberg, Rebecca Crawford, Rabbi Barkan, and Ms. Musin for packing the mishloach manot; and especially to Rachel Braun and Rachel Garfinkel for collaborating on this major project. Thank you also to the Va'ad for covering the cost of the mishloach manot so that 100% of the proceeds can be sent directly to Mazon.

Yasher koach to everyone who was involved with Purim festivities, but particularly Rabbi Fryer, who supervised the entire celebration; Rabbi Barkan, who planned the Tikkun Olam projects; Mr. Cohen, Mr. Scher, Ms. Musin, Ms. Lensch, and Rabbi Barkan, who served as bus captains; and Ms. Altman, for making all of the logistical arrangements. Without everyone's collaboration, Purim could not have been as successful.

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