Thriving students, quality faculty and leadership, and a welcoming and inclusive community among the many findings cited in exit report

CJHS is both proud and honored to report the stellar findings conveyed in the exit report of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) Visiting Team. ISACS is a membership organization of more than 225 independent schools from 13 states in the Midwest region. Its mission is to promote the development of strong learning communities characterized by high achievements, social responsibility, and independence of governance, programs and policies. For the past two years, CJHS has been engaged in a self-study en route to becoming accredited by ISACS.

This week, CJHS hosted its accreditation team, composed of respected educators from throughout the country, who spent three intensive days observing classes; talking to faculty, staff, board members, students, and parents; and reviewing hundreds of documents. At the end of the visit, Dr. Ray Levi, who led the ISACS team, presented an exit report to members of CJHS's administration, faculty, staff, and board. The team will submit its final report to ISACS in the next few weeks.

The report cited many positive findings. Below are excerpts:

• 'We were captivated first and foremost by your students, engaging and engaged, they are articulate and passionate about their school. They are individuals whose voices are strong and who collectively have formed a kehilla, a community that is characterized by a profound spirit of derekh eretz, of respectful behavior for their teachers and for one another."
• "We were captivated as well by this dedicated and amazingly high quality faculty.... You are accessible and knowledgeable, making classes both challenging and engaging as you balance seriousness of purpose and humor."
• "In a time of transition, ...we were impressed by the quality of leadership—an Interim Head of School who has provided a steadying hand and who is committed to moving the school forward through attention to systems and communication. We were impressed by key leadership of the School that is committed to listening to constituencies, reflective, and dedicated to addressing needs of the school and as they grow in their own roles."
• "And we were overwhelmed by the energy and quality of the Board. This is a group that has moved beyond the haluzim (pioneer) stage and attracted community leaders who are creative and entrepreneurial in their approach. Committed to developing a school of excellence, they have helped CJHS skip states of development because they have earned the respect of significant donors and raised money to assure meeting operating needs and providing for the building of a new campus. The sophistication of this process would be envied by schools far more established."
• "We were captivated by the way in which you are living a shared vision of a welcoming and inclusive community, one in which students are offered a safe place to explore who they are and what they believe in an environment in which questions are welcomed."

"One of the remarkable accomplishments of your five years together has been the nurturing of a neshemah, a Jewish soul. Your students want to be here – because they know they will be challenged academically AND because they seek immersion in Jewish learning. They value an environment that nurtures respect for the diversity of voices even as their own voices become more confident. You have created the environment that has allowed these adolescents to flourish."

The ISACS team was led by Dr. Ray Levi, Head of School at Minneapolis Jewish Day School, and included Dr. Robert Berk, Head of School at Akiva Community Day School in Nashville; Richard Dodd, Jr., Chief Financial Officer at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault; Gloria Harper, Dean of Students at Lake Forest Academy; Selene Meeks, Director of Library Information Services at Lake Forest Academy; and Robert Portnoe, Director of Curriculum at Minneapolis Jewish Day School.

CJHS freshmen and sophomores hosted 30 visiting 8th graders over two days this week. Visitors from day schools and public schools were invited to shadow current students and experience CJHS classes. Many students began their day with Tefillah and joined the school for breakfast before experiencing a number of diverse classes, including Biology, Spanish, and Talmud.

According to CJHS recruitment committee co-chair Mrs. Margaret Cohn, the students had a terrific opportunity to experience the sense of community at CJHS and the exceptional faculty. Says Cohn: "The students I spoke to loved the atmosphere at Tefillah and throughout the school. They were stimulated in the classrooms and excited about the opportunity to become CJHS students. Yasher Koach to our student hosts, who proved to be terrific ambassadors for our school."

If you would like to schedule a shadowing opportunity for your child, contact Ms. Rachel Spiro, Director of Admissions, to arrange a visit.

Open Houses for Prospective Families
Students and parents interested in CJHS are invited to join us on Sunday, October 29 at 10:00 a.m. or on Wednesday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m. at CJHS for our Recruitment Open Houses. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet CJHS students and faculty and to learn about our fine arts and athletic programs. Families will be able to tour the building and learn about our new site, opening in Deerfield next fall. Day school and public school families are welcome! For more information, contact Ms. Spiro.

Applications are Coming In
Be sure to submit your child's application by the December 15 Early Decision Deadline, and automatically save $500 on your child's first year of tuition at CJHS. Applications can be downloaded from the CJHS website, or contact Ms. Spiro.

The Spanish III and IV AP students went to the Art Institute on October 20 for a tour of works by Goya, El Greco, Picasso and Dali, led by a Spanish-speaking docent. After the tour, students ate kosher tapas box lunches prepared by Shallots. Their next stop was at the Mexican Fine Arts Museum in Pilsen for a tour of the Day of the Dead exhibit, again led by a Spanish-speaking docent. Sra. Claudia Linda, Modern Language Department Chair, said, "The students were curious and attentive; they asked and answered numerous questions in Spanish and were open to and accepting of cultural and religious differences." Thank you to Sra. Linda for planning this biennial trip, and thank you to Mrs. Kim Frankel, CJHS parent, for chaperoning the trip with Sra. Linda.

Rabbi Elliot Goldberg, Director of Religious Life, is one of a select group of educational and communal leaders who have been invited to participate in a think tank consultation regarding the Jewish Day School Head of School Crisis. The think tank, which was the subject of a recent Jewish Telegraphic Agency article, is sponsored by eleven national Jewish educational agencies including PEJE, SSDSA, The AVI CHAI Foundation, JTS, and NAAJHS, and will be held at JTS on November 5-6. At the conference, participants will address issues related to the recruitment and retention of day school leadership. "It is an honor to be invited to participate in this important dialogue," says Goldberg.

VTO Starts Winter Clothing Drive
Va'ad Tikkun Olam is having a drive from October 23 through November 3 to collect scarves, gloves, hats, and coats. These items will be donated to The ARK, which has been part of the Chicago Jewish community since 1971. All donations are greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions about this drive, please contact Skye Miller, Rachel Binstock, or Rabbi Barkan.

Students and Faculty Volunteer at ARK
Kol Hakavod to sophomores Danny Silver, Rebecca Crawford, and Tova Goldberg, and to Rabbi Barkan, for volunteering at Café ARK on October 25.

For weeks, suspense has been building as students have speculated about the location of this year’s All- School Shabbaton (to be held December 8-9). Students are already signing up to serve on various programming committees, and this week, Ms. Musin revealed that the Shabbaton will be held at a hotel in Palatine. Registration forms were distributed to students on Thursday, and forms and payment are due by November 15. Please direct Shabbaton questions to Ms. Musin.

Rabbi Robyn Fryer delivered an innovative Dvar Torah in the Rose Crown Minyan at Anshe Emet Synagogue on October 21. If you would like a copy of her postmodern interpretation of Genesis 2:18, "It is not good for [a] person to be alone," please email Rabbi Fryer.

CJHS Idol is on the way! Rehearsals continue during lunch periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays and on Sunday afternoons. Please check Trumba to see when your group is rehearsing. The Sunday rehearsal schedule is posted at http://www.cjhs.org/pdf/cabsched.pdf.

Mark your calendar for performances on November 19 and 20!

In honor of the month of Mar Cheshvan, many students and faculty adorned themselves in tie-dyed chic on Monday. We look forward to celebrating our next theme days on November 21 and 22, in honor of Rosh Chodesh Kislev.

CJHS wishes a Refuah Shlemah, a complete recovery, to Mrs. Roslyn B. Stein, Founding Head of School. She fell in Penn Station a couple weeks ago and broke her shoulder. Mrs. Stein is working and resting at her home in Connecticut.

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Felix Golubitzky, grandfather of freshman Samantha Aisen. The funeral took place on Friday morning. Samantha and her parents, Rachelle and Alexander Aisen, are sitting shiva at their home (3074 Palm Lane, Northbrook) and will receive visitors at the following times: Friday until 5:00 p.m.; Saturday night, 6:00-9:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 12:00-5:00 p.m. Contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association.

Zichrono Livracha. May his memory be for a blessing.

Thank you to the Avidar family for sponsoring breakfast on October 25 in honor of Leore's 18th 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!

This week, David Binstock, Matthew Silverman, Josh Warshawsky, Seth Berkman, Brian Pogrund, Hannah Rosenbaum, Matt Levin, and Rabbi Fryer led tefillah. Sandy Johnston read Torah.

Great Chefs Cook Kosher
Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago is proud to present Great Chefs Cook Kosher, featuring some of the finest chefs in the area. This event will take place on Sunday, November 5, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. at the Westin Chicago North Shore. Click on the link above for more information.

SSDS Quick Business Networking Fall Event
The first SSDS Quick Business Networking event of the school year will be Tuesday, November 7, 2006, at Skokie Schechter, 9301 Gross Point Road. The meeting will feature guest speaker Mark Harris, founder of Harris Development Group, LLC, who will speak about "Tools and Techniques for Effective Networking--Keep Your Net Working." In addition, the evening will feature roundtable networking, snacks, and a raffle. Registration is at 7:15 p.m., and the program will start promptly at 7:30. Please RSVP by November 1 to Sharlene Sherman via email or 847-955-1146. Contact Udi at to learn how to be part of our extremely successful e-mail group.

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

Candlelighting is at 5:35 p.m. today. Shabbat Shalom!