More winter sports are in full-swing, and all teams are having great seasons. 
 
Following a successful run at the Beth Tfiloh Weiner tournament in Baltimore, the Lady Tigers basketball team returned to an exciting and challenging schedule back home.  The team faced an always-competitive Hinsdale Adventist Academy team on Thursday, and has a tough stretch of games--Northtown Academy, Christian Liberty, and North Shore Country Day--all prior to winter break.  This team is full of promise, so look for great things to happen!
 
The perennially strong men's basketball program is also off to a great start.  Led by freshman guard sensation Jake Newlander, the men's junior varsity team has lost just one game.  The team has impressive wins over excellent teams such as North Shore Country Day, Perspectives, and Yeshiva.  The toughest stretch comes this week with games against Northridge Prep, Elgin Academy, and Ida Crown.  The men's varsity basketball team has both its best team and toughest schedule ever.  With the experienced leadership of senior guard Danny "Steady Eddie" Eisenberg, outside shooting of junior Aaron "LC" Cohn, and inside offensive play of 6'5" sophomore Sam "Too Tall" Botbol, this team is a joy to watch.  In the last week, the squad scored impressive victories over North Shore Country Day and Lake Forest Academy.  After playing Elgin Academy and Ida Crown the week before winter break, the team plays in its first-ever winter break tournament-- the Francis Parker Winter Invitational from December 28-30.
 

While the swim team and bowling team have fewer contests than the basketball teams, team members continue to work very hard and improve their skills.  In the coming weeks, the swim team has meets at Lake Forest Academy and the Lab School, while the bowling team faces Loyola Academy and participates in the Gordon Tech Inaugural Winter Invite. The following students will represent CJHS at this six-team event: senior Matt Levin, sophomore Josh Perry,  senior Mark Weiss, sophomore Alec Cohen, and senior Brett Riederman.  Let's wish them the best of luck.
 
For team schedules, scores, stats, photos, and more, visit the CJHS athletics website at www.highschoolsports.net. 

Thanks to juniors Leah Karchmer and Jordy Shapiro, the outdoor garden has a new plaque just in time for the first snowfall.  The garden will now be called the Tikva Garden, for hope.  Mrs. Marla Snyder and the students painted with transparent glass paints and sealed the artwork with a hard acrylic finish.  Many thanks to our CJHS custodial team for the installation.

The community gave the Arts Alive! program a standing ovation on Sunday December 6, as the school was filled with music, dance, and art.  Academic Dean Bruce Scher reflects, "How fortunate we are to have so many talented students and staff who dedicate time each week to the arts.  It is not only part of our curriculum, but the arts become part of the lives of our students. When they leave CJHS, they have an appreciation for the role that the arts play in our society."  "We are also tremendously thankful to our community for supporting this program and our school.  We look forward to the opening of Grease in March," says Scher.
 

It's Mole Day in Mr. Urick's chemistry class!  Each year students participate in this pun contest related to the chemistry mole. Although the project is optional, the vast majority of students choose to participate in it.  This year's winners were:

 

First Place - Eliana Fisher for "Dum-mole-dore"
Second Place - Halyse Cole for "Old Mole-Donald Had a Farm"
Third Place - Tyler Weber for "Molehammed Ali"  

In all the years Mr. Urick has been conducting the activity, students rise to the occasion and always come up with unique and clever ideas.  Congratulations to all who participated!

Alumni Trivia 

 

P.O. Book Club 

 
More than 30 parents and friends of CJHS gathered for the first ever CJHS Book Group last Monday evening. The spirited analysis and emotional discussion was expertly guided by the school's English and History chair,  Dale Griffith and Bible Department chair, Dr. Rebecca Schorsch.

 

The newly translated Khirbet Khizeh by celebrated Israeli author S. Yizhar, is a painful story of the the expulsion of Palestinian villagers by the Israeli army in 1949.  This moving and controversial book, required reading in Israeli high schools for several years is likely to be added to the A.P. English class next year.
 
At our next book group meeting we will discuss A Pigeon and a Boy by Meir Shalev.  The book group will meet at CJHS on April 26 at 7:30 p.m. and the discussion will be led by faculty members Dr. Roberta Miller and Ela Moskovich.

The Congressional Student Leadership Conference is looking for a few good teens!  Spend your summer earning college credits and hobnobbing with White House and State Department officials as you attend career conferences in...

If you are interested in attending, please contact Mrs. Levinson or click here for more information.

It's Jenn Hipps, class of '07!  Jenn is now immersed in a humanistic pre-med track at New York University.  This March, Jenn will be traveling to Honduras as part of a mobile medical corps, providing respectful and sustainable local health care to impoverished communities.  To read more about Jenn's mission or to donate mitzvah money towards her trip, click here. 

Many thanks to the Board of Directors for sponsoring breakfast.