CJHS celebrated the start of winter athletics last week with a week of spirited activities. On Monday, students and faculty dressed in designated colors for Class Spirit Day, Tuesday was Pajama Day, and Wednesday was the official CJHS Spirit Day, featuring a wide variety of school attire and programs.

After Tefillah on Wednesday, students enjoyed a breakfast celebration and heard a special presentation on the school's Deerfield campus by Dr. Schaffner. Students cheered enthusiastically when they heard about the fitness room and gymnasium and learned how the building was designed to replicate the warm and welcoming environment at CJHS. Later that day, in place of gym class, the entire school community headed to the gym for a pep rally, followed by a basketball game that pitted CJHS athletes against teachers. (The students rallied in the final period to earn a victory.) The week culminated with a Superhero Day on Thursday and a Snow Day on Friday. All in all, it was an exciting week for students and faculty.

"Where the Magic Happens" was the theme of CJHS's inaugural homecoming dance, held on Saturday, December 2 in the ballroom of the North Shore Skokie Hotel, which was transformed into a star-filled room and decorated with gold and silver balloons. More than 100 students attended the dance and enjoyed a delicious dessert buffet, an energizing disc jockey, and non-stop dancing. "The whole night was incredible!" said freshman Hannah Miller. "It's not every day you get to be a part of a school's first Homecoming Dance. I can't wait for next year!"

A special thank you to Ari Glasser, Rachel Braun, and the rest of the Va'ad for planning the dance, and to Dr. Schaffner, Ms. Gitlin, Ms. Bierman, Ms. Lensch, Dr. and Mrs. Tatel, Mr. and Mrs. Scher, and Ms. Musin for serving as chaperones.

CJHS students gathered for an All-School Shabbaton last weekend at the Holiday Inn Express in Palatine. From the moment Shabbat began, it was clear that the atmosphere was special. Students danced during Kabbalat Shabbat, enjoyed delicious Chinese food from Tein Li Chow at Shabbat dinner, and sang spirited zemirot. Later that evening, students participated in creative activities and games before enjoying some free time to schmooze with old and new friends. Thanks to Rabbi Donni Aaron (wife of CJHS faculty member Rabbi Scott Aaron) for sharing reflections at the Tisch/Oneg.

On Shabbat day, in addition to davening, eating, singing, and resting, students and faculty took part in a meaningful program on the prevalence and silent acceptance of stereotypes in our society. The program was planned by Jenn Hipps and Hillary Weiss to help students combat stereotyping and to embrace diversity and remain open-minded. At the conclusion of Shabbat, students and faculty gathered for Havdalah before playing a game of Super Soccer.

"CJHS Shabbatonim provide an outstanding opportunity for students to bond in a Jewish setting," says Rabbi Barkan. "Each Shabbaton is a lot of fun and creates lasting memories for everyone involved."

Thank you to Rachel Braun and Ari Glasser for planning the Shabbaton, to Esther Lowe for developing the menu, to the Shabbaton programming committee of Sydni Cole, Francesca Hirschfeld, Lilli Flink, Matthew Silverman, Josh Warshawsky, Rachel Braun, and Ari Glasser, to Jenn Hipps and Hillary Weiss for organizing the program on stereotypes, to the students who served as team captains, and to the students who led Tefillah and read Torah and Haftarah.

Thank you to the faculty and their families who staffed the Shabbaton: Rabbi Ruven Barkan and Mrs. Adina Barkan, Rabbi Robyn Fryer, Rabbi Reni Dickman and Mr. Aaron Nessel, Rabbi Elliot Goldberg and Rabbi Sheryl Katzman, Ms. Sarah Bierman and Rabbi Joshua Cohen, Rabbi Scott Aaron and Rabbi Donni Aaron, and Ms. Caroline Musin.

Participants in CJHS's musical minyan (one of the multiple minyanim held each Tuesday) were presented with a beautiful floor canvas last week, designed by CJHS students Avra Shapiro and Rachel Binstock with the help of art teacher Mrs. Snyder. Avra and Rachel said they were influenced by the musical elements of the service and the songs in the siddur. They placed Miriam and her tambourine prominently on the canvas. Other minyanim are planning their own projects after winter break. The multiple minyan program offers a variety of Tefillah options on Tuesdays at CJHS. Each minyan explores a different aspect of Tefillah in order to enhance the overall experience for students.

CJHS students had a chance to display their talent at the recent Fine Arts Day. The performances began with several numbers by the jazz band, including "Route 66," Miles Davis's "So What," and Ray Charles's "What I Say." Next, the CJHS choir performed "I Believe in Music," "B'Makom," and "Kol Yisrael." The theatre class entertained the crowd with one group improvisation and scenes from Last Night of Ballyhoo and from Proof. The dance team closed out the program with a presentation of "Shake."

In other Fine Arts news, preparations for Into the Woods are well underway. Theatre Director Ms. Robinson has appointed senior Hillary Weiss to be the Spring Musical Assistant Director. Hillary will have the opportunity to learn about creating a production from the ground up and will share her ideas throughout the collaborative rehearsal process.

Auditions will take place during lunch on January 9, 11, 23, and 25.

Thirty people attended the reception for the CJHS photography exhibit at the Devon Bank in Glenview yesterday. CJHS students and their families mingled with CJHS staff and bank officials while enjoying refreshments provided by the bank. Says Terry Morrison, Marketing Manager of Devon Bank: "It's a fabulous opportunity for the community to see these creative young people express their point of view." Mrs. Snyder encourages people who missed the reception to stop by the bank and see the exhibit, which will be on display through January 17. Student photographers featured at the event include Rachel Karp, Josh Weintraub, Chapman Bark-Huss, Ari Frankel, and Jacob Stoehr.

Students in Mr. Urick's chemistry classes used humor and wit to create themed moles following a basic pattern supplied by their teacher. The "mole" is a quantitative application of chemistry that is used to predict amounts involved in any chemical reaction. The contest judges included former CJHS chemistry students, current faculty and staff. The judges had a tough time selecting a winner since all of the moles had clever themes and were expertly constructed.

Congratulations to the following winners:

• First place: Esther Bier, "Mole Dancing"
• Second place (tie): Jenna Corush, "Pepto BisMole" and Jamie Rubin, "Vincent van Mole"
• Third place (tie): Tova Goldberg, "Molling Down the Highway" and Skye Miller, "Mole-tisyahu"

Jeffrey Schrier, a New York artist who founded the Wings of Witness program, which teaches about the Holocaust, visited CJHS this week to lead a special workshop for freshmen and sophomores. Students and faculty have been collecting pop tabs since last spring as part of this Tikkun Olam project. Schrier taught the students how to slide the pop tabs onto wires to create nearly thirty "feathers." Schrier then turns the pop tabs that students collect into additional feathers and wings to create a massive butterfly that will serve as a memorial to the Holocaust, calling to memory Pavel Friedman's poem, "I Never Saw Another Butterfly."

Special thanks to Hannah Berkowicz for bringing this project to CJHS, and to Brian Pogrund for separating nearly 32,000 pop tabs that were collected into more than 50 small bags containing 613 pop tabs each, in preparation for Monday’s workshop.

On Sunday, December 3, CJHS Hebrew teachers attended a workshop with Hilla Kobliner, the founder and director of NETA, the Hebrew curriculum used at CJHS. On Wednesday, December 6, CJHS hosted Hebrew teachers from the Chicago area for another workshop with Hilla Kobliner, which focused on meeting the needs of students with different learning abilities. These workshops are part of an ongoing staff development program provided for CJHS Hebrew teachers.

CJHS history teacher Sharna Marcus attended the National Council of Social Studies Annual Conference from November 30 through December 3 in Washington, D.C. The convention featured more than 600 vendors and included numerous sessions, including Social Studies Approach to Global History, Globalization 101, Using Socratic Seminar to teach WWI, Teaching about the Fall of Civilization Throughout History, Promise and Practice of Effective Vocabulary Instruction in Social Studies, and Daily Practices in Hinduism.

Kol Hakavod to freshmen Sam Aisen, Ariel Ferri, and Talia Stoehr and to Rabbi Barkan and G'veret Moskovich, for volunteering recently at Cafe ARK.

The tenth grade Humash class studied Israeli artist Michal Meron's scroll, "The Illustrated Torah," as part of their unit on the Revelation at Sinai. Students analyzed the artist's rendering of the revelation at Sinai and compared it to the biblical text.

The Illustrated Torah was donated to CJHS by Mel F. Seidenberg, Lindsay's grandfather, in memory of his beloved wife, Annette W. Seidenberg, z"l. The scroll contains Meron's pictorial interpretations of each of the fifty-four parshiyot in the Torah. CJHS thanks Mr. Seidenberg for his generosity. The scroll is on display in Dr. Schaffner's office and will move with CJHS to Deerfield next year.

Grandparents of all CJHS students and graduates are invited to attend the first program this school year of the CJHS Grandparents Committee, The Miracle of CJHS: A Hanukkah Celebration, on Tuesday, December 19 at 12:45 p.m. at the school. Come and enjoy a festive Hanukkah lunch together, and learn about CJHS and our latest miracle — our new site, which will open in Deerfield in the Fall of 2007! If you have not yet reserved a spot at this luncheon, please contact Ms. Friedman no later than Monday, December 18, either via email or at 847-324-3723. The Grandparents Committee is chaired by Dr. Donald and Mrs. Roberta Charous.

As the end of the calendar year approaches, we know you will receive many fundraising appeals, including a recent appeal from Chicagoland Jewish High School. At this time, we would like to say thank you for your past and future generous support of our school and our students. Your contributions to our Annual Fund help to meet the growing need for scholarship support and to maintain the excellence of our school. Please consider a generous gift to this year's Annual Fund. For more information or to make a gift, please contact Caren Friedman, Assistant Director of Development, via email or at 847-324-3723.

The Development Office will remain open throughout the winter recess. Please feel free to contact us at 847-324-3722 or 847-324-3723.

We wish a complete and speedy recovery to Jamie Rubin, who broke her elbow this past weekend, and to Ms. Lensch, who also broke her elbow this week. Get well soon!

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Marvin Stein, great-uncle of Arianna Rozen. The funeral took place on Tuesday, and shiva was this week in Lake Zurich.

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Jerome Korn, uncle of Dr. Rebecca Schorsch, Judaic Studies faculty member, and brother of Sally Schorsch. The funeral and shiva took place in New York. Expressions of condolence may be sent to Dr. Rebecca Schorsch at 3750 Lake Shore Drive, Apt. 9F, Chicago, IL 60613, and to Mrs. Sally Schorsch at 390 Riverside Drive, Apt. 11E, New York, NY 10025.

HaMakom Yinachem Etchem B'toch Sha'arei Avalei Tziyon V'Yerushalayim. May God's presence comfort Arianna and her family, and Dr. Schorsch and her family, among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Thank you to the Sarris Family for sponsoring breakfast on December 4 in honor of Lea's 16th birthday.

Thank you to the Silver Family for sponsoring breakfast on December 5 in honor of Danny's 16th birthday.

Thank you to the Wolf Family for sponsoring breakfast on December 15 in honor of Dani's 15th 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!

Thank you to the following people for participating in Tefillah recently: Vanessa Youshaei, Ms. Marcus, Hannah Miller, David Weltman, Matthew Hass, Rena Forester, Avra Shapiro, Lea Sarris, Richard Kahn, Matthew Levin, Elli Cohn, Hannah Rosenbaum, Josh Warshawsky, Jeremy Frankenthal, Daniel Eisenberg, Arianna Rozen, Aaron Weinberg, Jacob Stoehr, Seth Berkman, Ari Eisenstadt, Lea Sarris, and Aaron Magid.

David Weltman, Yaakov Calamaro, Elli Cohn, Matthew Silverman, and Matthew Levin read Torah. Last week, Sandy Johnston explained why we say tal u'matar l'vracha during the winter months, and Ms. Musin gave a summary of this week's parashah.

Adva Mir gave a Dvar Torah in Senior Minyan this week.

Mincha and Ma'ariv
During the winter months, CJHS will have a ma'ariv minyan after school rather than a mincha minyan. A mincha minyan will meet during the school day.

From November 20 through January 9, mincha will be held in Room 106 at the following times:

• Monday: 12:54 and 1:24, at the end of each lunch period
• Tuesday: 2:45, during the advisory period
• Wednesday: 12:49 and 1:19, at the end of each lunch period
• Thursday: 2:45, during the advisory period

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

In the event of inclement weather, there are many ways to obtain information about whether school will be closed.

• Click on www.EmergencyClosings.com to search for our facility. You can also sign up for email notification through this website.
• Call the Emergency Closings hotline, 847-238-1234.
• Watch TV (Channels 2, 5, 7, 9, Fox, and CLTV).
• Listen to the radio.

Please note that on December 1, our school closing was registered on www.EmergencyClosings.com by 5:15 a.m., and the information was posted online at 5:30 a.m. The automated email notification was sent much later.

Candlelighting is at 4:03 p.m. this week. Shabbat Shalom and Happy Hanukkah!

• Our Website
• CJHS Online Calendar
• Calendar Tips
• Basketball Schedule
• Va'ad Tikkun Olam Drive