Parents pack the halls for Open School night

	Parents filled CJHS' halls during Open School Night on Oct. 19. In addition to hearing about CJHS courses, parents were exposed to the CJHS fine arts program first hand with music provided by the Chamber Ensemble directed by Arnold Sklar. Thank you to the Chamber Ensemble for spending the evening entertaining parents and faculty members.   Photographed left-top, freshman Rosey Kiken, left bottom freshman Richard Kahn, above sophomore Nat Sufrin, junior Yael Kiken and senior Becka Hartz play their instruments for CJHS parents and teachers. Below Dr. Derman and Dr. Rosenberg listen attentively at Open School Night. Photos by Hannah Hartz.

Expanding Circles of Influence

The Board and Development Committee have begun a series of parlor meetings with groups of influential people in the Chicago Jewish community. The purpose is to expose more individuals to CJHS and its plans for the future, including architectural renderings of the planned new high school facility. Board members Louise Holland and Paula Mandell have each hosted brunches at their Winnetka and Chicago homes for about 25- 30 friends; Recruitment Committee member Nina Harris and her husband Arnie are hosting a meeting November 15 in Highland Park. Yasher koach to these leaders!

"We are reaching entirely new circles in the community to spread the word of CJHS," said Stewart Flink, Board President. "While the purpose is purely informational now, we expect to come back later and ask these friends to consider a significant campaign gift to CJHS."

Update your calendar: PLAN test for sophomores on Nov. 11

The PLAN test has been scheduled for sophomores on Nov. 11 from 8 a.m. to noon. The PLAN test is an important tool to assess student achievement before they take the ACTs.

Bring slightly used or new children's books to CJHS

The Va'ad Tikkun Olam is sponsoring a book drive. Bring your elementary level books that are either in new or slightly used to CJHS from Oct. 25 through Nov. 9. The books will be donated to Bookmates, a social justice project of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Southern New Jersey and the Catholic Jewish Commission of Southern New Jersey.

"The goal of the drive is to make a difference in the world," said Drive Committee Chair sophomore Hannah Berkowicz. "When seeing a little kid smile because he is fortunate to read one book, one cannot help but smile and feel good that she made a difference."

Spanish students visit museums, eat tapas

The Spanish III and Spanish IVAP Spanish classes traveled to the city of Chicago on Oct. 15 to visit two museums and eat tapas. The student began their day at the Art Institute of Chicago where a Spanish-speaking docent took them on a tour of paintings by El Greco, Zurbaran, Velazquez, Goya, Picasso and Dali. Following the 1 1/2 hour tour, students ate kosher tapas. They then had about 45 minutes to explore the museum on their own.

The next stop was the Mexican Fine Arts Museum in Pilsen. While waiting for the docent the juniors and seniors saw an exhibit about the death penalty expressed artistically. Then they saw the four ton Olmec head which had recently arrived at the museum on loan, representing the very first culture in the Americas. The Spanish-speaking docent explained the significance of the Day of the Dead and the altars created in memory of loved ones. The students were impressed by an altar created in honor and memory of the more than four thousand women murdered and mutilated in Ciudad Juarez,Mexico, and created by Cristo Rey High School They also viewed two women from Mexico making the sugar skulls so popular for the celebration of the Day of Dead.

For homework, the students wrote in Spanish about one of the works of art that they saw in one of the museums. The trip was planned by Foreign Languages Department Chair Senora Claudia Linda. A special thank you to Kim Frankel for helping to chaperone.

CJHS expands tefillah experience

The first Multiple Minyan Program was a great success. Students attended one of five different minyanim. Each minyan followed the principles of the Conservative movement; that is it fulfilled the halachic requirements and is egalitarian: the first one incorporated more singing, the second included additional tefillot, the third explored one Tefillah in depth, the fourth focused on the structure, meaning and choreography of the service, and the fifth introduced reflective techniques. CJHS will run the Multiple Minyan program every other week on Tuesday mornings.

Women's basketball begins fourth season

The CJHS women's basketball team began its exciting season on Oct. 18 with its first practice at the Skokie JCC. The team has 16 players - 12 returning players and four freshmen. The women practice twice during the week to work on their individual and team basketball skills. The Tigers' first game is on Dec. 1 against Cristo Rey High School. The players include Lanie Abisdris, Lisa Banoff, Dafna Broekman, Jennifer Feldman, Lilli Flink, Shayna Flink, Renana Fox, Naomi Goldberg, Hannah Hartz, Rebeccah Hartz, Jennifer Hipps, Maya Hobscheid, Deanna Levin, Vicki Neiman, Yael Schewartz, and Jessie Silverman. The team is coached by Mr. Tim Cohen.

Support the Va'ad: buy your Challah from Breadsmith through CJHS

Welcome to the new and improved Va'ad Breadsmith Order Form. Have your son or daughter give the Breadsmith form and money to Geoff Levin, Va'ad Treasurer, on the Tuesday or Wednesday before the desired Friday delivery. Your challot and other selections will be delivered to the school on the Friday after the order is placed (or the Thursday after, if there is no Friday that week.) Save yourselves a trip to the store and help support the CJHS Va'ad at the same time. All of the profit of your Challah orders goes directly to Va'ad funds. If you need an order form, please email Geoff Levin at thevaad@yahoogroups.com.

Director of Religious Life receives award

Director of Religious Life Rabbi Elliot Goldberg was selected as a recipient of the 2004 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Rabbi Goldberg will be officially recognized, together with the 55 other Award recipients, on Nov. 14-16 in Cleveland. The celebration is part of the United Jewish Community General Assembly (GA).

CJHS student and faculty member to teach at Nishma

Rabbi in Residence Rabbi Barkan and CJHS senior Charlie Gandelman (along with other fantastic people) will be presenting sessions Oct. 24 at Nishma, a day long program exploring Judaism and social justice. Nishma is organized by the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, an organization that includes CJHS members Talmud teacher Mr. Zaff and sophomore Nat Sufrin.

The conference takes place at Spertus and costs $36 for adults and $20 for students and non-profit employees. For more information visit the JCUA web site or see Mr. Zaff.

Lunch and learn with noted scholar

The first of four lunch and learn sessions where faculty and parents studied Parshat Lech Lecha together with Rabbi. Ben Hollander, the United Synagogue visiting scholar, was held on Oct. 18. Please RSVP to Joan Waxman in the office you will be joining us on Oct. 25, Nov. 1, or Nov. 8 for more Torah learn with Rabbi Hollander who studied very closely with preeminent Torah scholar and teacher, Nechama Leibowitz z"l.

Sign up for the Shabbaton at Moriah

The Fall Shabbaton has been rescheduled for the Shabbat of November 19-20 at Moriah Congregation in Deerfield. Sign up forms will be distributed on Oct. 25. Please return them by Nov. 1. More information will be available in next week's E-newsletter.

CJHS junior to perform at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts

Junior Renana Fox is starring in the play "Little Women" at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 and 8 at the Northshore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd. Tickets cost $6 for students and $8 for adults.

Paint the student lounge

Please join in on the fun and help paint the student lounge from 4:45 to 7 p.m. on October 28. Dinner will be provided. Sign up with Student Activities Coordinator Mr. Gross.

CJHS Politics Club prepares for 2004 Presidential election

The senior government and politics class will present a candidates' forum after tefillah next week. Panels representing the positions of President Bush and Senator Kerry will present their candidate's views on three issues: Israel and the Middle East, jobs and the economy, and the war in Iraq and international security. The forum is sponsored by the U.S. politics club who will hold a mock election on election day, Nov. 2.

Election night evening students are invited to Magid's for an election night watch-the-returns-come-in party from 7 to 10:30 p.m.. The party is open to the first 30 students who purchase $2 tickets from U.S. Politics Club Treasurer sophomore Matthew Silverman. The cost will pay for pizza, snacks and pop. Besides watching the returns (and doing homework) students will play election night party games like guess the popular vote, guess the electoral vote and guess which way swing states will go.

Yasher Koach

Yasher kochechem to juniors Benji Derman, Jennifer Feldman, Renana Fox, Shayna Flink, Jason Wiznitzer, sophomore Nat Sufrin, and freshmen Richard Kahn and David Weltman for leading tefilah. Junior Avram Pachter read Torah.

Has your email changed or will it be changing? If so, email smarcus@chicagojhs.com with your new address.

Shabbat Shalom! Candle lighting is at 5:40 p.m. The parshat hashavuah is available through the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Sharna Marcus
E-News Editor
History Teacher
College Counseling Associate
Prints and US Politics Club Adviser
Student Technology Services Coordinator
Chicagoland Jewish High School
7800 W. Lyons Street
Morton Grove, IL 60053
Phone: 847-324-3733
Fax: 847-324-3701
Email: smarcus@chicagojhs.com
Web: http://www.chicagojhs.com