Annual Report 14

IDA CROWN JEWISH ACADEMY

ANNUAL 13 REPORT 14

INSPIRING BNEI & BNOT TORAH TO THRIVE IN THE MODERN WORLD

PREPARING OUR FUTURE I

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IDA CROWN JEWISH ACADEMY

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ANNOUNCING THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR OUR NEW HOME IN SKOKIE ON

NOVEMBER 2, 2014!

SEE PAGE 30 FOR DETAILS

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MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN “AS IMPORTANT AS THE NEW CAMPUS WILL BE FOR OUR FUTURE, THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN WHAT TAKES PLACE INSIDE OUR BUILDING.”

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Dear Academy Friends and Supporters: This past year was a seminal year in the annals of our school. After nearly a decade of hard work and dedication, we were thrilled to announce the upcoming groundbreaking for our new state-of-the-art ICJA Campus.

This project, which was made possible through the vision of our lay leadership, the commitment of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the support of the The Crown and Goodman Family, promises to enrich and expand the educational opportunities for all of our students. But just as important, the new ICJA Campus is a statement that our school not only possesses a rich and meaningful Rabbi Matanky addresses Capital Campaign donors at an event announcing the past, but an exciting and promising future as well. groundbreaking of our new building this coming fall.

For 72 years we have educated the future leaders of our community, and, with your continued support, we are committed to continue to battle for the safety of its citizens, and our alumni are fighting that battle as fulfill our mission of “Inspiring Bnei and Bnot Torah to thrive in the Modern well. Whether as soldiers in the IDF, citizens whose technological expertise World.” has contributed to the safety of others, or students of Torah who help to But as important as the new campus will be for our future, the key to our preserve the moral and ethical standards of our people – we are proud success has always been what takes place inside our building. Whether it of them and pray for their safety. In 1948, the students of the Academy was on Douglas Boulevard, Wilcox Street, Melrose Avenue, Pratt Boulevard, celebrated the founding of the State of Israel. And in 2014 the students of or soon, Central Park, it’s what happens in our classrooms as talented the Academy continue to celebrate G-d’s gift of a sovereign state that we educators engage with our students that truly makes the difference. And support and so many alumni have chosen to call their home. that is the reason that this past year more than 10 percent of our students With prayers for peace in Israel, growth in Torah and continued success for were recognized by the National Merit program, over 80 percent of our our school, students chose to continue their Judaic studies for a “fifth year” in Israel and our students were leaders in national and international youth groups, Israel advocacy programs and excelled on the sports field and in chesed.

B’virkat HaTorah, I invite you to visit our school, to walk the halls and visit classes and see what makes the Academy such an exceptional school - it’s our students and our teachers, our tradition of academic excellence and commitment to Torah that you can only fully grasp by seeing it firsthand.

Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D. (ICJA class of ‘76) One final note. As I write this message, the State of Israel is engaged in a

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It seems like only yesterday that the Academy Student Council arranged a surprise visit from the ice cream truck on the first day of classes in August 2013. And yet, it’s already been weeks since we sent off our senior class of 5774 with great pride in June. This year has been one of growth and

REFLECTIONS FROM 2013-14 accomplishments, both for our school on a communal level and for our students on an individual level – much of which is highlighted in this annual report.

Across subjects, we continued efforts for overall improvement and student achievement, in accordance with our Strategic Plan (read more on page 6). Our annual campaign finished strong, and most excitingly, our capital campaign is coming to a close–with our groundbreaking planned for November 2, 2014 (read more on page 30).

As for our seniors, their class was accomplished in Torah learning, derech eretz, in acts of chesed and academics–with 10 percent of them recognized by the National Merit Program. But most importantly, everyone will attest to the fact that this was a class that was overwhelmingly loved by peers and staff alike. We wish our graduates mazal and hatzlacha as they head to Israel (nearly 90% of them!) and to university.

In academics, our students’ accomplishments rival or exceed those of any top-notch collegepreparatory school in the nation. To name just a few notable achievements:

11% of seniors were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program: 1 Scholar, 1 Finalist, 5 Commended

39% of seniors were Illinois State Scholars 29% of seniors passed the Jerusalem Exam, an advanced test of Hebrew and Jewish knowledge

55% of seniors were inducted into the National Honor Society, Torah Chapter 25% of seniors completed over 250 hours of chesed to be inducted into the Deborah Katzin z”l Chesed Society

2 student publications received national recognition 7 juniors won state-wide essay contests

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This year, as every year, our students left their mark locally and nationally in academics, athletics, advocacy and student clubs.

Students learned crucial Israel advocacy skills both in and out of the classroom, joining national programs like AIPAC and Panim el Panim in Washington, D.C. Fifteen seniors took an Israel advocacy class, preparing Seven seniors were recognized by the National Merit them for life on college campuses, and Scholarship Program. Yinnon Sanders was recognized as a several juniors and seniors joined a Scholar and Josephine Gendler was recognized as Finalist. special JUF program to hone writing Rachel Best, Zeke Gillman, Hannah Jaffe, Hadassah Karp and advocacy skills for Israel. and Tali Pelts were all recognized as a Commended Students.

A cohort of students participated We are so proud that these students, representing 11% of in Yeshiva University’s Model UN the senior class, are among the top students in the nation. convention where our students were Pictured from left are Zeke, Hannah, Tali, Josephine, Rachel, once again recognized for excellence.

Hadassah and Yinnon.

In athletics, our teams excelled locally and nationally as formidable competitors. Our baseball team won the Columbus Baseball Invitational, our varsity girls cross country team took 1st place in the IHSA Chicago Prep Conference Meet; the Lady Aces basketball team took 2nd place in the Women’s Day School Basketball Tournament; the boys’ basketball team played in the IHSA regional finals, in what was an all-Jewish game against CJHS and then went on to win 1st place in YU’s Tier II championship (read more about athletics on page 14).

In their quest to give back to the community, our students dedicated countless hours to chesed by raising tzedakah through student council initiatives, working with Keshet peer buddies during school hours and peer tutoring. Outside of school, our students led NCSY and Bnei Akiva groups, served on the board of those organizations, volunteered with Yachad and Chai Lifeline and volunteered in food pantries and more.

Most importantly, whether in a local or national interscholastic program, our students were recognized for their talent, character and commitment to the community.

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ACADEMY STUDENTS PLACE WELL ABOVE NATIONAL AVERAGES IN ALL FOUR AREAS OF ACADEMIC TESTING: ENGLISH COMPOSITION, READING, MATH AND SCIENCE. 74%

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THE CLASS OF 2014 HAS BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE FINEST UNIVERSITIES & TO THE FINEST PROGRAMS IN ISRAEL Binghamton University, Boston University, Bradley University, Brandeis University, Chamberlain College of Nursing, Columbia College, Cornell University, CUNY Queens and Hunter, DePaul, Drexel, Emory, IDC Herzliya, Johns Hopkins, Illinois Institute of Technology, Indiana University, Loyola University, New York University, Northwestern University, Princeton University, Stern College, University of Chicago, University of Illinois-Champaign, University of Illinois-Chicago, University of Kansas, University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, University of Temple, Washington University and Yeshiva University Baer Miriam, Ein Hanatziv, Emunah V’Omanut, Gush Etzion, IDF, Lev Hatorah, Machon Maayan, Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim, Midreshet Amit, Midreshet Harova, Midreshet Lindenbaum, Midreshet Moriah, Migdal Oz, Nishmat, Sha’alavim for Women, Torat Shraga, Tiferet, Yeshivat Hakotel, Yeshivat Maale Gilboa, Yeshivat Orayta, Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion

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ALL 4 AREAS

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88% of this year’s seniors are headed to programs in Israel, including: yeshivot and seminaries, universities and the IDF

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ACT SCORES IMPROVEMENT 30 25 20 2014 2013

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Since 2008, when ICJA began implementing ACT Quality Score standards in curriculum, class averages on the ACT test have improved.

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The college guidance department has made incredible strides under the direction of its Guidance Director Rabbi Louis Fliegelman. For several years, the guidance staff has worked in a group setting and individually with students, ensuring that our seniors build strong college resumes, write the best essays possible and create admissions applications that showcase each individual.

From there, students are advised to consider their values and preferences to see if they are in line with the institutions that interest them.

As part of the Strategic Plan 2.0 (read more on page 6), the guidance department has taken steps to make the college application process even stronger. Key mentor and ICJA alum, Aliza Gilbert (‘85) – director of guidance at Highland Park High School – has been an instrumental part of the process. Both she and Rabbi Fliegelman have worked together to enhance the program and strategic goals.

In recent years, ICJA’s four-year plan was developed to serve as an academic outline to guide our students through high school in preparation for college, a process that begins second semester freshman year. Using online software, students now have the opportunity to look at their transcripts and review semester grades with the guidance department. This process teaches students to be more mindful of their performance in class long before they start thinking about college testing and campus visits. If students know which universities they would like to attend, meeting with college guidance counselors early is helpful to stay on track with their goals.

During sophomore year, the college guidance department offers informational sessions on the admissions process and college testing for junior and senior year.

Also that year, students take the PLAN test, which prepares them for the ACTs. Results are reviewed with students and parents, and the guidance department helps analyze those results. The scores are also useful for the administration as a means to measure the academic progress of students.

Similar to the PLAN test, students in their junior year also take the PSAT to predict how they will perform on the actual SAT test.

Mid-year, the guidance department hosted a “Kick-off to College” event with parents and students along with three college admission representatives to discuss choosing the right college and how to write an effective essay. During second semester, Dr. Vernon Hein, college counselor, leads Decisions, which

STUDENTS PREPARED FOR COLLEGE includes six informational sessions geared toward college planning. These in-depth sessions cover all components of college planning: researching schools, building a resume, essay writing and more.

For ICJA students Decisions has been a mainstay of college planning. However, as the software program Naviance comes to the forefront of college planning for students nationwide, it has become an invaluable resource for ICJA students as well. Naviance Academy students took 129 Advanced Placement tests incorporates technology into college planning, giving students in 10 different subjects this past spring. Their results more ownership in their college decision process (read more in the were on par with the top high schools in the nation. sidebar below).

A score of 3 is passing and is the average score in all Also new in recent years, ICJA hosts an ACT review course on tests. Our students on average scored above a 3 in all Sundays catering to our students, as most prep classes take place 10 tests. on Saturdays. And this year, the University of Chicago admissions department worked with students and staff on writing an effective

Mode MEDIAN Median college essay. Teachers separately attended sessions on writing letters of recommendations to augment our students’ chances for Biology 4 admission.

Calculus AB 5 Rabbi Fliegelman has worked tirelessly to create many positive Calculus BC 4 changes in the guidance program, ensuring that our program is both comprehensive and effective. He has built relationships with English 4 university admissions officers through annual travels to over 25 Language campuses. Those visits have also allowed him to become better English 4 acquainted with different programs offered at various campuses Literature and have enabled him to bring those same officers to our school, European 4 offering informational seminars to benefit our students.

History

The online software program Naviance hosts all pertinent information for individual students in a uniform style, allowing students to easily navigate the site. Rather than researching different college websites for admissions requirements, financial aid or majors and minors offered, all of the information is conveniently centralized on the Naviance site. This empowers students to take an active role in researching schools. Naviance also includes a questionnaire to pinpoint a student’s particular interests and help steer him or her toward majors based on those interests. In the future ICJA will submit student transcripts electronically using Naviance. One of the great benefits of Naviance is it allows schools to track admission decisions based on previous students. This will better enable the guidance department to inform a student of their chances for admission.

PHENOMENAL AP RESULTS

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N THE MARK I C JA S t rat eg i c P l a n fo r 2 1st C e n t u r y L e a r n i n g

While every institution is proud of its successes, at Ida Crown Jewish Academy we have the data to both prove our achievements and inform us of areas of concern.

This past school year marked the first year of our Strategic Plan 2.0, after four years of ICJA’s first phase of On the Mark! ICJA’s Strategic Plan for 21st Century Learning. Both plans were created in partnership with Yeshiva University and PEJE (Partner for Excellence in Jewish Education), and were developed and evaluated by outside consultants.

This second Strategic Plan targets fundraising and recruitment in order to support new initiatives in education. These areas were selected for improvement based on a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) by Academy leadership and facilitated by outside consultants.

Initiatives of Strategic Plan 1.0 have now been incorporated into regular school operations, such as data-driven review, curriculum and professional development.

On the Mark! ICJA’s Strategic Plan for 21st Century Learning is guiding ICJA’s community to further the mission of academic excellence for all students. Consulting funding for the plan is provided by a joint grant from the Institute for University School Partnership of the Center for the Jewish Future of Yeshiva University and PEJE (Partner for Excellence in Jewish Education). ICJA is one of only a handful of day schools nationwide participating in this joint initiative.

Following are some of the areas we have focused on for the 2013-2014 school year:

DEVELOPMENT

The development staff worked this year to shift ICJA’s fundraising focus to an annual campaign with structured cultivation and stewardship. The development efforts were focused on constituency-based fundraising focusing on grandparents, parents, alumni and our Society of Patrons. ​Best practice in the field has been to shift from event-based fundraising, and ICJA has adopted this approach.

RECRUITMENT

The admissions department worked this year on a plan to increase recruitment of students to ICJA by 10 percent of projected number via market segmentation, ambassador training and tracking. Much of recruitment to the Academy depends on the class sizes of our feeder schools, but the goal this year was to find ways to maximize the percentage of students choosing ICJA among these schools. A strong team of staff and lay leaders worked with outside consultants to train current parents to directly speak to potential families. Next year, as part of the Strategic Plan, the admissions and marketing departments will be working with outside consultants on a word-of-mouth marketing campaign.

TECHNOLOGY

Strategic Plan 2.0 focuses on technology, preparing our students for careers in the 21st Century. A new director of teaching and 21st Century learning, Dr. Rochelle Green, will be joining the Academy team this fall to focus on STEM, learning to design project-based learning opportunities (See page 8 for more on STEM). Together with an advisory group of experts from Chicago universities, administration and staff this year convened to plan, programmed-based learning, algorithmic thinking and programming courses for Academy students in the next few years. Computer science will begin in the fall of 2015 and will focus on skills students need to be successful in university and in the workplace.

COLLEGE GUIDANCE

In the college guidance department, Guidance Director Rabbi Louis Fliegelman worked to create the college guidance calendar, spanning all four years of high school, and also incorporated the online Naviance software for students. (Read more about guidance on page 4.)

Included in the Strategic Plan’s focus on education was a study of students’ work/life balance, based on student and parent surveys in comparison to peer schools. A committee of staff and lay leaders, along with Dr. David Pelcovitz of Yeshiva University, worked throughout the year to develop changes to offer students more free time without compromising our outstanding dual curriculum. The committee developed new guidelines for both academics and extracurricular activities after completing a study of current ICJA homework policies and assignments. New for next year will be one shorter school day during each week and more free periods in lieu of gym class for those students who participate in organized sports.

MARKETING

The communications department grew exponentially this year, supporting both the admissions and development departments in their efforts. Thanks to a one-year grant from Yeshiva University’s Benchmarking Program, the communications department was able to add one more part-time staff person and extensively expand digital media efforts. Additions this year included a blog with weekly posts featuring alumni, staff and students; more active, socially engaging Facebook and Twitter pages; more YouTube videos and a new Instagram page. The Instagram page is powered by a cadre of students in Media Club and is used primarily for recruitment. In addition, the communications department staff joined a year-long Social Media Academy for day schools around the country. The program was developed by the Darim Online and See3 Communications and is supported by the AVI CHAI Foundation. As part of this program, the communications department successfully raised over $10,000 – which was matched, dollar for dollar, by AVI CHAI - in a social media fundraiser.

STAKEHOLDER SURVEYS

As part of On the Mark!, the Academy regularly surveys our stakeholders, using both Measuring Success, LLC, an independent survey company, and Yeshiva University. This past year we surveyed our students and parent body, and some results from the surveys are at right.

Fifty-eight percent of our parents responded to the spring parent survey. Those results are compared to peer school statistics provided by Measuring Success.

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are pleased to present this PARENT SURVEY RESULTS Wesummary of the results of our

spring 2014 Parent Survey, administered by Measuring Success. Over 30,000 parents from 90 Jewish day schools across North America participated in this survey. Many thanks to all our parents who responded, helping us gather important feedback about our school.

Fifty-eight percent of ICJA households responsed to our survey, reflecting the commitment of so many members of our parent community.

The Parent Survey was designed to help schools understand and/or identify: • Demographic trends • Financial sustainability • Areas of strength and weakness • How our school compares to other peer schools The study’s “outcome variable” focuses on a parent’s likelihood to recommend the school to a friend. This is based on research indicating that this question is the best proxy for measuring overall satisfaction, a key component of future growth potential. We are pleased to report that 83 percent of our parents would recommend ICJA to a friend, with 37 percent of all respondents agreeing strongly with this statement.

Building on these results, we are confident that we can increase our successes and explore new possibilities. Below, you will find some notable areas of strength as well as areas with room for development.

We are so grateful to have such dedicated parents in our school community. The data collected from this survey will allow us to become even stronger.

AREAS OF STRENGTH

81% 89% 74% 74%

of parents think that our graduates are academically well prepared for their next step, with 34% of that number including parents agreeing strongly with this statement. 87% of our parents think our graduates have multiple attractive options after leaving high school. of our parents think that ICJA promotes a love for Israel, with 56% of that number strongly agreeing. of parents think that ICJA develops students’ critical thinking skills. of parents think that ICJA instills moral values in students, and 77% of parents think ICJA fosters care and commitment for Judaism.

AREAS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

• 58% of parents feel there are opportunities for involvement in the school, with only 11% strongly agreeing.

• 48% of parents feel ICJA effectively uses technology to educate students, with only 13% of parents strongly agreeing.

Long before the Common Core Standards became a hot news item, ICJA staff and administration have worked to implement aspects of the standards into our curriculum, making them a key part of our practice.

In mathematics, as part of our original Strategic Plan, we reworked the math curriculum to introduce a core grade-level program aligned to ACT’s QualityCore initiative, a forerunner of the Common Core. The department subscribes wholeheartedly to the goal of developing both mathematical understanding and procedural skill. These standards also form the basis for ongoing review of the math curriculum.

In English, the standards form a criterion for the curriculum review.

The effects of an increasing focus on reading nonfiction or even higher standards for all students do raise questions of whether new emphases will come at the cost of items that were valued (e.g., classic literature) or whether some glamorous initiatives like “reading across the curriculum” would result in more work for students, who are currently working as hard as they can. Thus, the standards form a guide for us, but they do not bind our judgments of what is best for our students.

The standards currently do not address content for history or science, though they do speak to the use of reading and writing in these disciplines. The Academy history curriculum committee is using the standards to guide its articulation of how analyzing historical sources is developed over time.

The science curriculum committee is relying on the Next Generation Science Standards as the team reviews science instruction at ICJA, focusing on scientific process, developing student science knowledge through inquiry and independent work. NGSS implementation will likely require students to learn fewer topics in greater depth, with the upshot that the QualityCore science exams may no longer be an appropriate assessment for our students.

One unheralded Common Core effect is ACT’s phase out this year of the EXPLORE and PLAN exams that ICJA has used. We expect to replace these with the Common-Core-aligned ACT Aspire tests, which will be more challenging and consistent with the higher bar Common Core sets. We continue to monitor whether the ACT exam will change as well.

COMMON CORE

By Dr. Jeremy Kahan, assistant principal curriculum and instruction

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PREPARING STUDENTS FOR 21C While making plans to soon move to a new stateof-the-art facility, Academy administration and lay leaders spent much of this past year reviewing and strengthening the entire educational program in order to embrace all of the opportunities that will soon be reality.

Part of the new Strategic Plan 2.0 (see page 6) is to focus added efforts on creating opportunities for 21st century learning in both Judaic and general studies.

To support those changes, Dr. Rochelle Green was selected this spring to join the administrative team as the new Director of Teaching and 21st Century Learning.

Dr. Green has had a distinguished career in education and was a driving force in creating a masters degree in Jewish education at the Fischler School of Education of Nova Southeastern University and later served there as program professor and STEM coordinator.

And while we paved the way for increased enhancements in the areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), we simultaneously worked this year to further enrich our students’ experience in these areas.

At right are just a few examples.

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Academy students interested in a career in TECHNOLOGY saw world-renowned technological innovation firsthand by visiting Google’s downtown Chicago offices this spring.

Students saw how teamwork and creativity was encouraged through the floor layouts, with no cubicles in sight and programmers taking a break by playing ping-pong in a room whose walls were white boards, available at a moment’s inspiration.

After a brief lesson on machine learning, which studies and develops a computer’s ability to learn by prediction and estimation, students asked questions to four Google employees.

Another example of students actively using technology in the classroom is in 10th grade boys’ gemara with Rabbi Binyomin Segal where the computer lab becomes a beit midrash. Through a customized program created by Rabbi Segal, students take ownership over their learning and work in small groups and individually at their own pace and levels. Students can view the text online while listening to Rabbi Segal’s short video clips highlighting the text and phrases of the gemara to enable students to then study independently. At the same time, Rabbi Segal can circle the classroom helping individuals while the rest of the class carries on learning.

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Our SCIENCE department has begun implementing Next Generation Science, a partnership of private industry and states, including Illinois. Academy science teachers are learning to incorporate more experimentation and greater depth in science courses, using workshops and interscholastic collaboration.

Students in Mr. Newman’s biology course worked on reinforcing lessons in genetics and evolution by using a model simulation computer program developed by Northwestern University. After spending last summer in a seminar on Northwestern’s ModelSim program, Mr. Newman’s classes completed problem solving simulations in different scenarios related to evolution. One of the major concepts the group discussed is artificial and natural selection.

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The Academy’s second robotics team placed second in the Botball Educational Robotics Program at the Museum of Science and Industry.

The program engages middle and high school aged students in a team-oriented robotics competition and serves as an interactive and fun way to meet today’s new common core standards. Students use science, ENGINEERING, technology, math and writing skills to design, build, program and document robots in a hands-on project that reinforces learning by creating an autonomous robot.

Academy students in science and math courses joined thousands of students worldwide in a computer science education initiative by spending one hour learning COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. The Hour of Code nationwide campaign was embraced

by President Obama and featured free tutorials by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft titan Bill Gates that were designed to get U.S. students interested in computer science.

Teachers in the Academy MATH department worked tirelessly implementing numerous enhancements to their program. Building on previous years’ changes to the curriculum and course levels, their goal was to continue to improve students’ critical thinking skills and grasp of the material.

Funding for the math innovations was provided by the Academy’s George Shay z”l Endowment Fund, an endowment gift to an ICJA academic department from alum Scott Shay (’75). Teachers annually submit a grant proposal to a committee of lay and professional leaders who select a department to receive the funding. The purpose of the endowment is to enhance the learning environment and appreciation of academic arts and sciences. The endowment is intended to foster a passion for general studies, consistent with Torah values.

By making mathematical inquiry an integral component of instruction, the Academy math department strives to enhance students’ overall understanding and teach practical applications.

Teachers have encouraged students to discover mathematical ideas in class on their own, experiment with related recreational puzzles and make new conjectures. The explorations are a natural, yet innovative way to teach mathematics, helping students generate and not just receive mathematics.

ICJA’s math department partnered with Professor Shai Simonson, author of Rediscovering Mathematics (MAA, 2011) who spent a sabbatical year in Chicago and used ICJA as a pilot site for adapting his methods to a high school level.

Teachers also worked with a consultant from Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA) on problem-based learning (PBL). The Academy is partnering with IMSA’s problem based learning initiative (part of the Illinois “Race to the Top”). PBL provides a relevant and meaningful context for students to engage in learning, helping them acquire critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and selfdirected learning skills.

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Perhaps no other week at ICJA reinforces our values more than the week of Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut. In two days’ time, members of our school community come together to connect to Israel and, inevitably, to one another. And as they celebrate Israel’s past, present and future, each student considers his or her own place in our collective story.

This year was no different.

On Yom HaZikaron, students dressed in black and white, filed into the dark gym lit only by tiny lights set upon photos of those lost in Israel’s decades of war and terror. The mood was profoundly solemn as students were ushered past the images and viewed films focusing on the lives of three different victims and the depth of sorrow left by the lives they lost.

Following the films, Academy students heard from Consul General to the Midwest Roey Gilad, who told students that he is “inspired” every time he visits ICJA by students’ dedication to the State of Israel.

The Yom HaAtzmaut program, opening with davening at KINS, was phenomenal. The program included discussion groups, a video, and of course, a festive meal and dancing. As usual, the spirited dancing began in the gym and then continued outside on one of Chicago’s first beautiful spring days this year. While music blasted from speakers outside, it was soon apparent that students’ voices were much stronger. For more than 40 minutes, our students bellowed out every Jewish and Israeli song they knew. And when the program was meant to close, the students and staff instead sat on the ground for an inspiring impromptu kumzitz that everyone, no doubt, will remember for years to come.

As anyone who experiences these celebrations knows (including parents, passersby and the UPS man!), these days comprise one of the most important aspects of our Academy education. It’s one of the times when school feels more like camp, imbuing into the hearts of students a love and spirit for Torah and Israel that can only come from experiential Jewish moments.

The spirit of our students dancing, singing and yearning to go to Israel launches them into a future of connection to Israel and the Jewish people. And judging by the ruach of this year’s celebration, the future of the Jewish people is bright, indeed.

Am Yisrael Chai!

CELEBRATING ISRAEL

The gym on Yom HaZikaron. Photo by Josh Polstein (‘16)

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While ICJA staff and administration is devoted to creating a solid curriculum, we’re also committed to creating a culture of enthusiasm for Torah experiences outside of the classroom. Various programs cater to the different interests of our student body, as we host a buffet of learning opportunities in a variety of settings.

Having the YU Torah Mitzion Kollel housed in ICJA’s beit midrash sets our school apart. The camaraderie formed between kollel fellows and our students is unmatched, as students do not equate the walls of the beit midrash with the walls of their classrooms, where they so often feel pressure to perform.

SUPPLEMENTAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES The kollel is a place that offers students a chance to learn, be it purely l’shma or to aid in review for a class. Through classes visiting the beit midrash, sports-themed chaburot, all-school Y’mei Iyun, Friday tisches or pizza and learning, every student in the Academy engages regularly with the Kollel.

Isaac Bernstein (’14), who frequently learned with Rabbi Ephraim Rimel, says, “It was one of the greatest Torah experiences I had throughout high school. Learning outside of the classroom gave me the opportunity to take the skills I acquired in school, and apply them in different places.”

Now in its second year, the Mitzuyanim program, led by Rabbi Menachem Rosenbaum, is another extra learning opportunity that fosters Torah growth for our students. The program meets twice a week and consists of a group of dedicated 9th and 10th grade boys, who arrive early to school for a shiur and chavruta learning with Rabbi Rosenbaum.

The Mitzuyanim program is modeled after Yeshiva University’s boys’ high school bekiut competition, providing students the opportunity to spend extra time—outside of the classroom—to learn and excel in Gemara.

Students prepare for Pesach in a Yom Iyun seminar with Rosh “The program was a major highlight of my sophomore year,” says Mordechai Lis (’15). He explains how learning among a small Kollel Rabbi Reuven Brand. group of dedicated students was “a transformational experience that has helped me grow in ability and has helped me develop a desire to learn.” The program is highly beneficial to students wanting to ramp up some of their basic skills and general Gemara knowledge.

Each year, the boys aim to cover an entire masechet. This past year, they studied Masechet Taanit. One of the goals is to learn the whole masechta in a year’s time and simultaneously compete in the Yeshiva University’s national boys’ high school Talmud competition. Participants of the contest have a shot at winning gift certificates at their local Judaica store and a chance to win $3,000 if they perform really well on the tests.

For years, girls in Rabbi Matanky’s honors Talmud class have competed in the girls’ YU Talmud competition, often sweeping the top spots.

ICJA alumna, Tali Pelts (’14) describes her experience this past year in Rabbi Matanky’s honors Talmud class and in the contest as an incredibly rewarding undertaking. “I never could have imagined learning an entire masechet of Gemara during senior year, but thanks to Rabbi Matanky and the YU Bekiut Program, we made it happen.”

She explains that Rabbi Matanky’s teaching style made Gemara both accessible and challenging, and the YU Bekiut Program kept the class motivated and on-track. She felt so privileged to have Rabbi Matanky as a teacher and Torah guide and says, “The class introduced me to a whole new dimension of Jewish learning as I formed a personal connection to Gemara study.”

After a long day of learning, we know our students have applied themselves thoroughly, but we are encouraged that they wake up the next morning ready and enthused to do it all over again. And consequently, we are encouraged that our curriculum, together Seniors Dasi Karp and Tali Pelts celebrate with our extracurricular opportunities, play a strong role in promoting a nurturing Torah-learning environment. after completing Masechet Taanit.

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GIRLS’ ISRAEL FAIR For the first time at the Academy, ICJA junior and senior girls, and their parents, attended a Girls’ Israel Fair. The program brought together representatives from over 15 Israel programs to present in front of parents and students. Each girl was able to select several sessions to attend, along with her parents. Israel program representatives taught a mini class and then spoke about their seminary.

The group also heard Rabbi Matanky and Mrs. Lynn Kraft, Israel program guidance counselors, offer advice about applications, choosing a program and paying for the year.

The one-day fair was an alternative to the many separate visits that seminary representatives have done in the past.

That so many Israel program representatives came for this first year’s program is a testament to the esteem they hold for ICJA and our students.

NEW HALACHA PROGRAM This past year the Academy piloted a successful curriculum in the laws of kashrut, prepared in Israel especially for the Academy by Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon and his institute for halacha, Merkaz Halacha. Next year we will expand that project with new materials for teaching the laws of Shabbat and a special unit on the shmita year. In the future we look forward to adding units on contemporary issues in halacha and laws of prayer.

The program piloted kashrut materials with ICJA junior girls in our Advanced Jewish Studies Program. Merkaz Halacha staff spoke highly of the feedback they received from ICJA teachers and how that helped improve the materials.

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After 28 years of dedication to the Academy, Mrs. Miriam Jaffe is moving to the East Coast. News of her move motivated dozens of former students to send best wishes and gratitude to a teacher who has been a guide and mentor to hundreds, including incoming junior, Zoey Shulman, who wrote the following tribute.

END OF AN ERA

During the past two years at Ida Crown Jewish Academy, I had many excellent teachers. However, one teacher in particular has left a deep impression on me. That teacher is Mrs. Jaffe. Mrs. Jaffe has inspired me to be a better person through her Torah and acts of kindness and appreciation. I had a rough time acclimating in the beginning of high school, and Mrs. Jaffe was there, offering me a fresh perspective.

It was the rigorous demands of a dual curriculum in conjunction with a longer day and many new classmates that created a challenging transition into high school for me. At times I had a hard time adapting to the long days and getting dismissed after daylight hours. However, during the spring, Mrs. Jaffe set up a project for both freshman girls’ Navi classes that required creativity.

After completing the project, Mrs. Jaffe took note of my enthusiasm, thanking me for my active cooperation. The fact that she noticed my work ethic and thanked me for my effort made me realize how important it was for me to try hard.

SHE SEES THE BEST IN When I was a young child, I struggled more HER STUDENTS AND ALL than my peers learning PEOPLE. SHE IS SOMEONE I to read and write. My struggle was caused by TRY TO EMULATE, AND JUST a visual spatial learning

BY SIMPLY BEING HERSELF, disability. Over the years, I have worked SHE HAS TAUGHT ME HOW on different reading TO INFUSE SPIRITUALITY and writing techniques to enable me to read AND ENTHUSIASM INTO and write normally.

JEWISH LIVING. However, I do still have trouble in my Hebrew studies classes where I have a tendency to mirror write by writing words, sentences and even paragraphs backward.

If you were to hold it up to a mirror, the words would reflect accurately.

Multiple times during Mrs. Jaffe’s class, I have written my notes or an Pictured at her annual “birthday for the world” assignment completely backward. Instead of asking what is wrong with celebration, prior to Rosh Hashanah. me, she instead acknowledges that my brain is “very cool” to be able to write this way. She made me feel less insecure about my writing, and what I considered a disability, she considered a talent.

Some teachers simply teach the curriculum, nothing more, nothing less. Mrs. Jaffe is truly special: she is an excellent teacher, but she brings so much more to the table beyond her knowledge and teaching abilities. The way she thinks and acts is truly good. She sees the best in her students and all people. She is someone I try to emulate, and just by simply being herself, she has taught me how to infuse spirituality and enthusiasm into Jewish living. For decades, she has really helped shape her students into who they become after high school. For that, she is truly the best teacher.

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ACES SCOREBOARD Perhaps more than any other place, our students on the sports field, the mat or the court feel proud to be a part of the Academy family. Our students excel at the sports they play and, most importantly, our athletes are continually recognized by other teams, coaches and referees for their sportsmanship and middot.

And of course, our athletes couldn’t succeed without the dedication of our team coaches and fans. Our fans’ support is no more apparent than at our Yeshiva University tournaments. There, for the Wittenberg wrestling tournament and the Sarachek boys’ basketball tournament, our athletes are supported by family, students and dozens of alumni living in the New York area. This year, even YU President Richard Joel donned an Aces hat to cheer for our boys.

Congrats to all of our Aces on a great year!

1ST

JV GIRLS BASKETBALL WINS CHICAGO PREP CONFERENCE GAME AND IS UNDEFEATED IN THE CONFERENCE SEASON

1ST 14

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<<<

The boys varsity basketball team completed their season with a dramatic run at the YU Sarachek tournament, concluding with a hard-fought 37-34 victory to secure the Tier II championship over Fuchs Mizrachi of Cleveland.

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1ST The ICJA baseball team won the Columbus Baseball Invitational, battling yeshivot from across the country, including a win against SAR 2-0, #3 seed Flatbush and then #1 seed Kushner in the championship game.

The varsity Lady Aces competed against Jewish day schools from across the nation at the Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy in Miami Beach. In their first game, the girls beat Columbus Torah Academy, 46-13. Their second game against Maayonot was a total blowout with a score of 48-3. The girls played Ulpana Orot from Toronto and won 51-8 and then beat Yeshiva Atlanta 48-16. They headed in to the final game, seeded first, against Weinbaum and then suffered a tough loss to finish as runners up.

1ST

The wrestlers won the Chicago Prep Conference Wrestling Championship, easily dispatching depleted squads from St. Benedict’s and Lake Forest Academy by scores of 66-6 and 60-12, respectively.

1ST

Despite a cold and rainy spring, the ICJA girls soccer team played strong, constantly improving. With MVP Tamar Grey in goal, with an average of 10 saves per game, the team fought hard against schools such as Cristo Rey, Hope, Our Lady of Tepeyac, CJHS and CICS-Northtown. <<<

The Cross Country Varsity Girls’ team, last year’s reigning champions, won the IHSA Chicago Prep Conference meet again in the fall season.

The boys’ varsity team finished in a close second place, and the ICJA teams took first place in both the open girls’ and open boys’ races.

ICJA annually hosts the conference meet, with eight teams and 140 runners competing this year. Seventy-five students participated in the cross country team this year, the biggest and best in our school’s history. <<<<<<<< The fencing team continued to grow this year, with more students joining than ever, adding a girls’ squad and the first-ever saber squad.

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EXTRACURRICULARS ABOUND While school chesed programs are often associated with compulsory hours of community service, hard work and little free time, chesed is an integral aspect of the Academy program that everyone appreciates.

CHESED AT THE ACADEMY Whether it is being a madrich for Bnei Akiva, visiting residents at a nursing home, becoming a Keshet peer buddy at the Academy, or in my case, working with Yachad – an organization that strives to provide inclusion for individuals with disabilities – chesed is a program that students love and is integrated into everyone’s lives. More often than not, students collect two to three times the minimum requirement of 80 hours over four years.

For me, the chesed program was an eye-opening experience that not only enabled me to give back to the community, but shaped me as an individual and leader.

As a freshman, I committed to going to my first Yachad Shabbaton understanding this was not any typical Shabbaton. I think back to my first encounter in the dining hall: picture a room full of tables, people mulling around and talking. And there was me, standing in the middle, not sure what to do. I was just a shy freshman, I was intimidated and still unsure of myself. Suddenly, I felt a tug on my hand, as I was pulled into the dance circle. The next thing I know I was in the middle of the circle, singing and dancing wildly and joyously with a Yachad member.

I will never forget the words, “Ivdu et Hashem b’simcha,” as they were chanted over and over. This circle was the epitome of what it means to serve Hashem with joy. This was my first Yachad Shabbaton, and I knew there was no way it was going to be the last. After this first Shabbat, I continued to get more involved with Yachad.

The Academy helped train me to be the leader that Yachad needs to help the organization grow within the community. Ida Crown provided me with the role models, lessons and guidance I needed to become who I am today and to achieve success in this case, among many other situations. In my final semester at the Academy, I look back at these past years and recount the friendships I have made within the Academy and in other schools along with the lifelong friendships I have developed with many Yachad members.

Without the Academy, I would not have had this opportunity. I realized I can be a leader and be involved in something that I love. Chesed for me is more than just a requirement, chesed for me is a way of life.

By Chaya Levinson, class of 2014

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We are always proud of our students – for their middot, their derech eretz, their effort and yes, their talent. This year our students shone in every extracurricular area from Mathletes and Model UN to print publications and Israel Club. We offer 40+ extracurriculars, appealing to every student’s interests and talents. Although activities take up a lot of time outside of a heavy dual curriculum course load, it is often the extracurricular clubs that are the most integral, both to building up a high school student’s character and to developing lifetime friendships.

Our students displayed incredible talent at the presentation of Charlotte’s Web, The Literary Magazine of ICJA and the Bonnie Dayan a”h Art Competition in late spring. The Charlotte’s Web magazine has always been an award-winning publication, but this year’s publication needs no awards to show its accolades. The book combines prose, poetry, photography and artwork together on each page, creating a student publication like no other. While large high schools across the nation produce stunning student literary magazine, it’s a wonder at ICJA is that a small school can produce such a high-caliber publication.

Congratulations to Editors-in-Chief Josephine Gendler and Tali Pelts and advisor Mrs. Marsha Arons.

Many thanks to the Susan and Joseph Ament Endowment Foundation that annually supports this publication. Read the magazine online at icja.org.

Also featured at that same program were the winners of the Bonnie Dayan a”h Art Competition. The competition awards monetary prizes to the top three winners, along with several finalists. Students must be in Advanced Art to submit work, which are judged by a panel of administrators. Many thanks to Yetta and Harvey Saltzman for annually supporting this art competition.

The Keter Yearbook staff and The Crown Prints staffs also both produced impressive publications this year, significantly improving the layout and concepts of both.

ICJA students did a phenomenal job at this year’s 1st place winners Zalman Brimm and Gavi Yeshiva University National Model United Nations, the Stein at the art competition. student-run simulation of the workings of the real United Nations. The students learned a tremendous amount about how the UN functions, had a fantastic time and represented our school well.

Faculty advisor Mr. Josh Cooper said, “Over 40 schools were in attendance, and our students were among the best there.” Mordechai Lis and Shoham Benmelech both won Honorary Mention in their delegations.

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40+ Extracurricular activities offered at ICJA

$3000 The amount of money Student Council raised in monthly tzedekah campaigns for a food pantry, Israel causes and breast cancer research.

The student council color war on Shushan Purim was a tremendous success.

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THE NUMBER OF TIMES OUR STUDENTS TRAVELED TO OUR NATIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CAPITOL FOR ADVOCACY TRIPS. An official ICJA student delegation attended the AIPAC Policy Conference representing Ida Crown, in addition to a number of students who attended the conference with their families.

Earlier in the year, five Academy students, along with Academy teacher Ms. Susan Sennett, attended AIPACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit in Washington, D.C. The program is an annual partnership with AIPAC, select Jewish day schools, synagogues, national youth groups and teen leadership organizations that brings 400 student leaders from across the country for Israel advocacy and political activism training. More than a dozen students also joined Panim el Panim in Washington, D.C. to learn leadership and advocacy skills.

183 THE NUMBER OF LIVES SAVED

BY THE ACADEMY COMMUNITY IN BLOOD DRIVES THIS YEAR

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The number of students who rehearsed all year to perform an evening of a cappella for women and girls of the community. The program also included a special, entertaining song from female staff members.

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Mathletes attracted more students than ever, competing in challenging interscholastic math meets and even hosting a meet of our own.

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This past year we began a new blog, featuring alumni, staff and students in weekly posts. Each feature focuses on an Academy story, sharing the moments of high school that last a lifetime.

Whether it was a teacher, a class, a sport, a friendship or an extracurricular activity, we invite you to be in touch to share your Academy story. Stories can be emailed to icjanews@icja.org.

Go to www.academystories.com to read dozens of stories already posted and subscribe to the blog to receive posts directly to your inbox.

LESSONS IN TIME MANAGEMENT forward.

The Academy educational component was essential in shaping her career path. Leah saw world into Torah living—a foundation that became part of her every decision going

During her years at the Academy, Leah Panitch Finkel (’02) was so accustomed to juggling 12 different classes that by the time she got to college, her course load eased up tremendously. As Leah puts it, “College was a breeze compared to high school.”

Having a dual curriculum taught her the invaluable lesson of time management, something she desperately needs now as she completes her residency at University of Chicago and manages her daily responsibilities.

Leah values many aspects of her Academy experience—the friendships, the focus on religious growth and the phenomenal education. She notes that each of these pieces was crucial for her. The friendships she made at the Academy have proven to Leah, pictured with her husband Etan be some of the strongest bonds she has created. On a religious level, Leah says there were many teachers who were influential and their two children. in shaping the way she understood life. The Academy and many of Leah’s role models epitomized the belief in Torah U’Madda, incorporating aspects of the secular

science come to life in Ms. Gleicher’s AP Biology class and credits Ms. Gleicher for instilling a love of science within her. “Ms. Gleicher turned a mundane lesson into a lively one. She had a way of making everything more interesting.” She would frequently invite her students over to her house to review and discuss material over homemade cookies. Also responsible for Leah’s love of learning was Mrs. Strimling. She provided students with a deeper understanding of the roots of math, insisting that they see beyond the superficial problem at hand. Mrs. Strimling imparted upon her students the ability to reason, which was instrumental in supporting Leah throughout college and graduate school. These classes appealed to her deep-seated interest in medicine and solidified her decision to pursue a career in the medical field.

After attending University of Maryland with fellow Ida Crown alum, and now husband, Etan Finkel (‘01), Leah returned to Chicago to complete her undergraduate degree and MD at The University of Illinois. She just completed her third year of residency at the University of Chicago (U of C) and is beginning a three-year pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at U of C. Leah and her husband, Etan, live in Skokie with their two children, Dovie and Nava. <<<<<<<

I remember all the IsraeliPROUD ALUM, OLEH AND SOLDIER practice. themed assemblies we had and

By Gabe Michael (‘12) It feels like yesterday I was in the car on the way to my Ida Crown graduation or in the car on my way to my first day at Yeshivat Hakotel. Today, I drive in my car on my way to the first day of my Golani Infantry Brigade Training, this is the pinnacle of all of my previous experiences.

It all began six years ago, as I stepped out of the car at Ida Crown on that “yesterday” that I remember so fondly. My yeshiva experience had a huge impact on my desire to join the Israeli Army, but it all stemmed from my incredible experience at Ida Crown. When I first interviewed at the Academy with Rabbi Matanky, he explained that Ida Crown is not simply a four year experience, it includes a fifth year of high school which is to be spent in Israel. The fifth year allows you to live the experience learned in school through Yom Haatzmaut celebrations, inspiring Israeli teachers, classes relating to the importance of the State of Israel, and a strong basis of what it means to be a Religious Zionist.

Not only were these concepts taught to us, but it was transmitted in a way that made it easy to put into

watching films about life in Israel.

I also remember the Israeli speakers, the posters and the inspiring Israeli culture that filled the halls of Ida Crown. But an even greater testament Gabe Michael (‘12) during his first week in the army. to the impact that Ida Crown has on its students is seen in the number of alumni who have made Aliyah from my graduating class, some of whom are also joining the army. Two of my fellow classmates, Eitan Redlich and Zach Cohn are embarking on this journey alongside me. We don’t know what to expect in the upcoming months, but I think I can speak on behalf of all of us when I say, we are confident that we have made the right decision and are excited to be taking this next huge step in our lives and in defending Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael.

Thank you Ida Crown, chazak ve’ematz!

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Zach Cohn (‘12) wrote his Academy story in the format of a letter to wrestling Coach Doug Klein. Zach’s letter, written last fall, was one of the most popular posts on the blog, getting over 1,000 hits in one day. Below is an excerpt of the letter. Read the full letter at www.academystories.com.

I simply would not be half the person I am today if not for the wrestling team and its coaches. During my wrestling career, it became evident that I could justify with all the reasons in the world why I shouldn’t have gone to Sunday morning wrestling practice, but when the next wrestling meet comes around, my opponent will not take that into consideration. He will not “go easy” on me because I have an “excuse” to be out of shape or take bad shots. Wrestling taught me responsibility. I could continue getting mediocre grades in school and blaming it on learning disabilities or I could take responsibility for myself. I didn’t have to accept anything less than an “A,” even if that meant spending triple the amount of time studying than everyone else.

Coach, you explained that at the end of the road is a giant scoreboard (hopefully the kid running it knows what he’s doing), and that scoreboard doesn’t take excuses (or NCSY conventions) into account. You taught me the importance of dedication, and how meaningful it is to be dedicated to something greater than myself instead of wasting time on short-term, meaningless pleasures. In the middle of my high school career, I took a step back to consider where I was going and decided that I wanted to achieve greatness in every aspect of my life. Once I saw that I could achieve greatness in wrestling with some discipline and dedication, I realized that I can and must do the same with the rest of my life.

When I arrived at Yeshivat Hakotel, it quickly became evident that becoming the person that G-d expects me to be, and achieving ultimate greatness in His world will take more responsibility and dedication than I have ever imagined. I understood that excuses are temporary, and that at the end of the road, I’ll be judged by how much effort I put forth, nothing else. I already knew what it meant to take responsibility for myself and to be truly dedicated. It took four years of ICJA wrestling to figure it out, no more and no less. Of course, learning all day was difficult, and still is, but I’m doing everything I can to succeed. I write this at 4AM, as I sit on guard duty watching over the yeshiva. I live in the holiest part of the holiest city of the holiest country in the world, all because you taught me the importance of being dedicated to something truly important.

Soon, I will be going to Tzahal for a year and a half, unlike many of my friends who initially expressed interest but then shied away due to the danger or because they didn’t want to do guard duty in the freezing cold for four hours straight. I wrestled at ICJA, so I am willing to dedicate myself to what I believe is right, no matter what challenges it entails. Coach, if not for you and your team, I would not learn half the Torah that I do today, let alone live a life devoted to Torah and its values. Our time spent in wrestling practice gave me the tools to build my foundation of Torah study and a life centered around it. Thank you, Coach.

A LETTER TO COACH KLEIN YOU TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE OF DEDICATION, AND HOW MEANINGFUL IT IS TO BE DEDICATED TO SOMETHING GREATER THAN MYSELF

ALUMNI REUNIONS Fifty young alumni gathered in New York for a first-ever NY young alumni reunion this year. Everyone had a great time catching up with fellow alumni and making new connections. Rabbi Fliegelman and Mr. Harris flew in for the program, along with development staff members, Deva Zwelling and Jane Best. The group met at Gotham Burger in Manhattan.

In December, more than 25 members of the class of 1988 met at Slice of Life in Skokie for their 25th ICJA reunion. The reunion was chaired by Melissa and Harris Perlman, who met at the Academy. At the same time, a gathering of class members took place in Israel at the home of Rocky Fishman Brody. Classmates had the chance to talk and see each other over Skype.

On July 4th weekend the class of 2004 held its 10th reunion in Chicago, bringing many classmates back together.

For information on class reunions, email icjanews@icja.org.

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For most of our alumni, a lot can happen in the years since graduating high school. For Rachel (Hurwith) Zimmerman (’99), it’s a wonder how she’s managed to accomplish so much. She’s a therapist and head of Project Shield (a national model for combating sexual abuse of children), a sought-after speaker on mental and physical health issues, a mother of five and an avid runner.

A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN 15 YEARS And she attributes much of the foundation of who she is today to her years in high school.

“Ida Crown is incredible because it allows for the full diversity of what Orthodox Judaism has to offer,” says Rachel. She looks back on her years at the Academy and appreciates the diversity of role models among the faculty, particularly Mrs. Wainkrantz. Her teaching style and many wonderful qualities modeled for Rachel what it means to have emunah and bitachon. She was also awed by her humility and genuine love of Torah. To this day, Mrs. Wainkrantz reads aloud to her current students a letter that Rachel had given her.

The Academy was Rachel’s first experience in an Orthodox school setting. She admired that Mrs. Wainkrantz didn’t judge who she was or where she came from. Rachel believed that Mrs. Wainkrantz looked at her and saw a Jewish neshama.

Rachel jokes, “She is the only person in the world that ever did and still calls me Rochel Leah.”

During high school, Rachel became involved with NCSY where she still plays an active role. Her Academy experience, coupled with NCSY, provided the foundation that defined her future. Today, Rachel says she is indebted to the Academy for all of the knowledge she gained and the concrete skills she learned.

While ICJA opened up a new Jewish world for her, Rachel also reflects on certain aspects that were more familiar to her at the time. She raves about the English department teachers and curriculum, which fostered both a nourishing and challenging learning environment.

Shortly after her marriage to her husband, Rabbi Zvi Zimmerman, currently the mashgiach ruchani at Skokie Yeshiva, the couple moved to Israel for several years where they hosted many seminary and yeshiva students. Many of the girls turned to Rachel for guidance and some turned to her in confidence about some of the issues they were facing. As she talked

{ } IDA CROWN IS INCREDIBLE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS FOR THE FULL DIVERSITY OF WHAT ORTHODOX JUDAISM HAS TO OFFER.

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to girls about eating disorders and other psychological-related issues, their hardships weighed heavily on Rachel. She wanted more than anything to help them overcome their challenges, but at that point she was not in a position to help them professionally.

After some contemplation, Rachel determined that this was her calling.

When Rachel and Zvi moved back to the U.S., she resolved to finish her undergraduate degree and apply to the Illinois School of Professional Psychology to obtain a masters in clinical psychology. In those years she interned at a clinic that specialized in treating victims of abuse and trauma.

Since graduating, Rachel has been the Project Shield Coordinator at the Jewish Child and Family Services (JCFS) where she educates and trains parents and children in abuse prevention within the Orthodox community. In this capacity Rachel also works with individual victims of child sexual abuse among other issues. Through a large grant, she is currently working with the ATT to implement a program called “Partnership for Rachel Zimmerman (center) pictured with friends, Brie Reich Safer Schools.” and Shosh Friedman, during high school and again, 15 years The focus of this later with their children. partnership is to offer staff and teachers training on protocols and policies to make our schools safer for students.

On the side, Rachel has recently created psycho-education groups, spanning 12 weeks, in which she teaches participants the cognitive and behavioral skills to live a healthier lifestyle. A major focus of these sessions is healthy eating habits, but Rachel also helps participants to be kind and confident in how they relate to themselves.

Rachel currently lives in West Rogers Park with her husband and five children and was selected as one of 36 Under 36 by JUF and Oy!Chicago.

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Noah Shaffer (‘14), spoke this past spring at two JUF events. At JUF’s Jewish day school night, he shared his experience in the day school system. Addressing his conversion to Judaism at a young age, Noah’s unique perspective sheds light on the many opportunities that students often take for granted.

I would like to tell you an unorthodox story: I moved to Chicago as a first grader, from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Now, you might be asking yourself, “Was he the only Jew there?” Well, yes—and no. Shortly after my family and I moved to Chicago, we converted. And, amongst the intrinsic, manifold drama linked to any conversion (at least I think that this wasn’t just me!), my parents and I visited Solomon Schechter Jewish Day School.

I distinctly—vividly—remember asking my mother, as we entered through the doors of this large, unmarked building, “Mom, are ALL of these kids Jewish?”

“Yes.” THIS is the nucleus of my pride in the Jewish day school system. We are ALL Jewish. We are a singular deputation in which we support each other, learn from each other and inspire one another. We all have mezuzot on our doorposts, and we’ve all listened to the words of the Torah in the language God gave it to us. This is a concept that, to me, has persistently retained its value. It cannot be understated.

During my 12 years as a constituent of the Jewish day school system, I have taken part in a myriad of opportunities I would have never thought possible.

I am nearly fluent in a language I may have never heard of. In middle school, through Camp TOV, I volunteered with abused animals and with the elderly in nursing homes. Through the JUF’s Write On for Israel program, I acquired an intimate awareness of the State of Israel and her inner workings. With 26 of my peers, I met with journalists, editors-in-chief, politicians and even Palestinian teenagers.

In middle school, I traveled with my class to Washington, D.C. and Israel. In high school, I’ve been blessed with the opportunities to play in the Yeshiva University basketball tournament, serve as the

WE ARE ALL JEWISH

treasurer of the ICJA yearbook and as an editor for our literary magazine. My friends and I have been accepted to elite universities, and next year I plan to attend Yeshivat Orayta, an institution where I can wake up in the morning, peer out my window and salute the Western Wall.

These are opportunities that would not be offered to me in any other sphere of life.

These are opportunities that my parents never forget to remind me were unknown to them at my age.

These are opportunities, which I will not fail to afford to my own children, when their time comes.

And, believe me, the list of opportunities goes on.

I would like to spend my final moments with you focusing not on the multitude of opportunities made available to me by the Chicago Jewish day school system, but on what being a part of this community has done for me as a person.

The Jewish day schools have furnished me with the ability to know how to learn, with the ability to think independently and powerfully, and with the ability to create opportunities for myself, and for others, too.

Marianne Williamson wrote, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

Photo by Robert Kusel, courtesy of JUF. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”

I proclaim that the Jewish day school system has acted in spite of those words, and I congratulate them for it. It has enabled Jewish children to act because we are powerful.

As for me: who could have ever guessed that a timid convert, amazed at a high concentration of Jewish children, would be standing before you now, representing them.

JOIN THE INCREDIBLE ALUMNI WHO STAY IN TOUCH ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Gabe Michael (‘12) and Eitan Redlich (‘12) on the day of their army induction.

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Jason Greenspan (‘12) pictured here with former ICJA student HaRav Aharon Lichtenstein shlita after making aliyah this summer.

ICJA alumni graduate from universities across the country this past spring, including these alumni at Yeshiva University.

Dozens of families submit Purim photos to our virtual Purim contest, including the Engelhart Lego people.

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ANNUAL CAMPAIGN 5774

ICJA depends on the participation and support of parents, alumni and friends in our effort to provide the best possible opportunities for our students.

Your participation in our annual campaign enabled us to continue to provide direct scholarship assistance to families who cannot afford full tuition and fulfilling our mission that no Jewish child should be denied the opportunity to receive a Jewish education.

We thank all those contributors who enabled us to reach our annual campaign goal.

DR. EDWARD A. CROWN SCHOLARSHIP DINNER

<<< This year’s annual campaign was a tremendous success, raising crucial scholarship dollars, thanks to our board and parent leadership teams.

We continued improving our fundraising strategy after reviewing all areas of fiscal responsibility in the Yeshiva University Benchmarking and Financial Reengineering Project in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

We also brought numerous first-time givers to our annual campaign by successfully launching a $10,000 social fundraiser on Crowdrise.com. Hundreds of donors contributed to this fun and spirited campaign to raise money for one full tuition scholarship. As part of that campaign, we introduced a campus campaign, inviting our seniors to raise money as “Almost Alumni.” The class of 2014 managed to raise $3,400 in less than one week. Up to $10,000 of our social fundraising campaign was matched by a grant from the AVI CHAI Foundation.

Our seniors, pictured at the Scholarship Dinner, raised over $3,400 toward our annual campaign in less than one week through a spirited and competitive social fundraiser.

Our parent campaign reached an all-time high of 63% participation, and our first-ever Grandparents Circle included 87 donors who raised $66,197 for our Scholarship Fund (see page 24).

The launch of our Grandparents Giving Circle was on our annual Grandparents Day, where we welcomed nearly 50 grandparents. .

We cannot thank our donors enough for their generosity.

The highlight of our fundraising efforts was, of course, at our annual dinner in March, where nearly 400 Academy supporters joined us to pay tribute to our esteemed honorees (at right). Most excitingly was the announcement there that we are moving forward in our capital campaign to break ground in fall 2014 (read story on page 30).

As we work tirelessly to prepare our students to thrive in the modern world, both as Jews and as contributing members of society, we are so grateful to so many donors who enable us to fulfill our mission.

We were proud to honor Laurie and Dov Pinchot, Parents of the Year (top); Rabbi Barry Robinson, Educator of the Year (center); and Sandy and Dr. Gary Novetsky, Crown Leadership Award (bottom) at The 2014 Dr. Edward A. Crown Scholarship Dinner.

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<<<<<<<

SHAY SCHOLARS GIVE BACK

Eleven students who received Shay Scholarships (for students who attend the Academy from public school) raised money for tzedakah by selling s’mores. The students built a fire in front of the building to sell s’mores for $3 on the day after Lag BaOmer. The money raised was added to $1,000 donated by Scott Shay (‘75) for the group to donate to a tzedekah of their choice. The group met several times and chose to support the JUF Uptown Cafe and Generations, an organization that helps public school students switch to day schools.

Through the gracious support of alum Scott Shay, we are pleased to be able to offer a special merit scholarship annually to students coming to the Academy from public school backgrounds. This is the first year that the group of Shay Scholars worked together on a tzedakah project.

HEEREY SCHOLARSHIPS Among day school families, middle class families with multiple children in day school in some ways feel the “financial squeeze” of day school tuition more than any other group. These families often do not qualify for tuition scholarships yet struggle to meet tuition requirements. The Bernard Heerey Family Foundation Scholarship was established to meet the needs of these middle income families. Tuition scholarships can be as much as full tuition for families who meet these requirements.

The Heerey Foundation was nearly 5 percent of our revenue for the 2013 fiscal year. We gratefully acknowledge the Heerey Family for their generosity.

Thank you to the JUF/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the generous donors to the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund.

In Fiscal Year 2013, the Trust distributed $100,491 to ICJA and $1,496,206 in total.

The Ida Crown Endowment Foundation was created in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago’s Day School Endowment Program and the Associated Talmud Torahs to ensure that ICJA and our sister day schools have the necessary resources to meet growing and evolving community needs.

All commitments to the Day School Endowment Foundation are recognized as gifts to the Jewish Federation’s Centennial Campaign.

GEORGE SHAY Z”L ENDOWMENT FOR EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMIC ARTS AND SCIENCES THE SHAY SCHOLARS ENDOWMENT FUND ANONYMOUS (4) THOMAS AND LESLIE SILVERSTEIN GARY AND ABBY ELKINS SALLY DORDEK DORIS ROSENBERG MARILYN AND MELVIN EISENBERG ENDOWMENT FUND THE RUSS TRUST ALISON AND ALAN E. MOLOTSKY SAM GORENSTEIN MEMORIAL FUND ANNETTE Z”L AND STANLEY ROSEN Z”L SPECIAL SERVICES ENDOWMENT FUND IDA AND HARRY A. ROSEN ENDOWMENT FUND - FOR THE BENEFIT OF SCHOLARSHIPS BERNARD & ESTHER LIFCHEZ CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST SIDNEY MEYSTEL

LOIS NEWBERGER DEBBIE ROBINSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND MARGIE WEIL MUSIC EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FUND BONNIE DAYAN Z”L FUND LEONARD AND MARY E. SCHATZ ESTATE OF MOLLIE POLLACK IN MEMORY OF MYRTLE WHITE GERSTEIN, 1915 - 2010, BELOVED GRANDMOTHER AND GREATGRANDMOTHER OF ALUMNI IN THE DOMSKY AND JACOBY FAMILIES BRYNA AND RABBI VERNON KURTZ CHARLOTTE ROSENWALD MEMORIAL FUND THE CHILDREN OF MICHAEL AND JEAN BEST IN HONOR OF THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY DEBBIE ROBINSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND RONALD AND DEBBI SIRT

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G Julia & Donald Aaronson Sandra & Arthur Aberman Leah Baer Joan & M. Douglas Becker Joan & Shael Bellows Jean Best Gilda & Arthur Birn Mike Blank Debbie & Sanford Bokor Andrea & Earl Brody Phyllis & Steven Brody Miriam & David Carl Karen & Charles Cohen Nagia David Lilliane Dayan Fela Dogadko Marilyn & Irv Domsky Marilyn Allswang Eisenberg

RANDPARENTS

IVING CIRCLE Linda & Milton Frank Gerald Freilich David Fretzin Joan & Selwyn Friedlander Darryle & Michael Gillman Estelle & Leonard Glass Regina & Ernie Goldberger Jean Goldrich Sondra & Moshe Gottesman Leah Grant Sherwin Greenberg Maria & Stanley Greenberg Penny & Seymour Greenstein Lana & Nathaniel Grey Judith & Naphtali Gutstein Miryam Harris Evelyn & Sol Harris Rachel & Sol Hasson

There is no doubt that the lessons our grandparents teach their children and grandchildren form the foundation of their lives as Jewish teenagers. It is thanks to their dedication to their families that our students are able to thrive as committed young adults. We pay tribute to our grandparents annually at our grandparents day, when we invite grandparents to join us at the Academy for one morning that includes a student and staff presentation, a panel discussion, a tour of classrooms and refreshments. We are so grateful to the grandparents who joined us for this year’s event, featuring “Thanksgivukkah,” and are especially grateful to those grandparents who joined our Grandparents Giving Circle by making a gift to our annual campaign.

Charlotte & Shimon Herman Sue & Larry Hochberg Carol Horwitz Meryl & Alex Jacobs Susan & Juda Jona Jean & Stanley Kalb Gerry Kaplan Cheryl & Stephen Karesh Esther & Harold Karp Sydelle Klein Rochelle & Jerome Kutliroff Goldie Lerer Marilyn & Raymond Lewis Eva & Marvin Loskove Linda & Reuven Mann Florence Mayefsky Louise & Jay Mayefsky Leonie & Sonny Meiselman

Emily Morris Sylvia & Charles Mulry Shirley Nathan Hessie & Barry Needle Dvora & Michael Nussbaum Judith & Jordan Peiper Ginger & Roy Pinchot Miki & Ami Pissetzky Deborah & Harold Polster Ronee & David Roffe Laurie & Moishe Rosen Lesli & Jordon Ross Tamar & Jerome Sacks Ruth & Stephen Saks Natalie Schleifer Schlass Fran & Ron Schwartz Irene & Sam Shanes Ethel & Kalman Shiner

Marilyn Sholiton Marilyn & Arthur Shulman Marlene & Merv Singer Carole & Larry Stein Beverly & Jeffrey Steinberg Jonathan Stern Minna & Michael Strick Mindy & Herb Strulowitz Ethel & Lester Sutker Trauring Family Trust Frieda Trubnick Leah & Moshe Weller Anita Wenner Myra Zissman Eleanor Zwelling

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ANNUAL CAMPAIGN DONORS 2013-14

THANK YOU

$10,000+

ANONYMOUS (Represents several gifts in each category) SUSAN & JOSEPH AMENT AVI CHAI FOUNDATION JANE & EDDIE BEST THE CROWN FAMILY BARBARA & GEORGE HANUS HOCHBERG & LOWENSTEIN FAMILIES SADIE & HARRY LASKY FOUNDATION MICHELLE & BRIAN LEVINSON SANDRA & DR. GARY NOVETSKY BETHIA STRAUS & PAUL QUINTAS ERYNNE & ARI RENNERT GALE & ERIC ROTHNER LESLIE & TOM SILVERSTEIN

$9999-$5000

ANONYMOUS LAURA & DAVID ALLSWANG VIVIAN & NATHAN BLOCH DRS. SHERRI & JEFFERY BRESSMAN DRS. SHARON SHOLITON & YOSSI GOLDBERGER DEBBIE & ROBERT HARTMAN ANN DEE & EDWARD HOLLAND AHUVA & AVIGDOR HOROWITZ DRS. TAMMY & EDWARD KAPLAN DR. REINHERZ MEMORIAL FUND ROSENFIELD FAMILY FOUNDATION MIKKI & SHMUEL SCHREIBER SUSAN & DAVID STRULOWITZ CHELLIE & DR. YANKEE WILENSKY

$4999-$1800

ANONYMOUS ORA & MAURY AARON REBECCA & JEREMY AMSTER ROBIN & YOSSI AZARAF DR. MYRA RAPOPORT & RABBI MICHAEL BALINSKY ALLISON & YONI BELLOWS JOAN & SHAEL BELLOWS YARONA & SHLOMOH BEN-DAVID GILDA & ART BIRN JO & JONAH BRUCK SANDRA & JEFFREY CAGAN DRS. EDITH & ALLEN CHERNOFF CAROLE & ELI COHEN JANET & GADI COHEN JUDY & MICHAEL DANIELS ELIZABETH & MITCHELL DAYAN

TALIA & ISAAC DAYAN MARIYA & MAX DAYAN DEBRA & DR. DAVID DOBKIN SALLY & ARTHUR DORDEK MARILYN ALLSWANG EISENBERG DEBRA & DR. DANIEL EISENSTEIN ABBY & GARY ELKINS FIRST EQUITY BANK FREEBORN & PETERS ROBERTA & DR. SCOTT FRETZIN BENJAMIN FRIEDMAN LINDA & LAWRENCE FRIEDMAN DR. DANIELLE & JASON FRIEDMAN BARBARA & DR. STEVEN GELLER LISA & RABBI SIDNEY GLENNER REGINA & ERNIE GOLDBERGER GINA & JOSEPH GOTTESMAN AVIVA & DR. PHILIP GREENLAND LANA & NATHANIEL GREY LAURIE & BERNARD HASTEN CHERYL & DR. GARY HOBERMAN DR. ABRAHAM HOFFER CONNIE & DR. ALAN KADISH DRS. AMY & GUY KAISSAR VERED & JEREMY KAUFMAN DENI ROSEN & KEVIN KIRSHENBAUM STACY & DR. MYRON KIRSHENBAUM DEBRA KORMAN BENJAMIN KRAUS ROCHELLE & RABBI STANLEY KROLL RIVKIE & EVAN LAFER ELIZABETH & STEPHEN LANDES ROSLYN & DAVID LENNON AVIVA & NATE LICHTENSTEIN JUDY & NORMAN LITZ MONICA & RICHARD MAGID SUSAN & RONNIE MASLIANSKY MARGARET & RABBI LEONARD MATANKY JUDITH & ALBERT MILSTEIN ALISON & ALAN MOLOTSKY GILA BRONNER & DR. MICHAEL MORGENSTERN TAMAR KAPLAN-MARANS & JOSEPH NUSSBAUM DR. JOEL OKNER MIKI & AMI PISSETZKY CINDY & ALON REDLICH FRIEDA ROBINSON ROBINSON FINANCIAL GROUP BONNIE & SY ROSEN JENNIE & AVI ROTHNER YETTA SALTZBERG

ABRAHAM SCHIFFMAN SHALOM MEMORIAL PARK LYNN & IRV SHAPIRO RENEE BIRNBERG & JOSEPH SILBERMAN MARIANNE NOVAK & DR. NOAM STADLAN DR. MARA TESLER STEIN & RICHARD STEIN RACHEL & MICHAEL STEIN TAMMY & MICHAEL SUGAR ETHEL & LESTER SUTKER TRAURING FAMILY TRUST DEBRA & DAVID WELL

$1799-$500

ANONYMOUS JEFFREY AEDER LYNN & ALFRED ALTSCHUL AMSTADTER ARCHITECTS ARCELOR MITTAL ARM ENT. INC. RACHEL & JACOB AVRAHAM MR. & MRS. STUART BARNETT SHOSHANA & HOWARD BENDITZSON DR. SMADAR & JAMES BERGMAN GITA & ALLEN BERK ELLEN & ROY BERNSTEIN JEAN BEST ELEANOR & IRVING BIRNBAUM DEBBIE & SANFORD BOKOR ANAT & EITAN BOROCHOV BREADSMITH-SKOKIE BRICKYARD BANK BLUMA & RABBI YISHAI BRONER AUDREY & SIMEON CHAVEL PATRICIA & MYRON CHERRY CHEVRA KADISHA KAREN & CHARLES COHEN CONGREGATION OR TORAH HETTY & ABRAHAM DELEEUWE ANNETTE & DR. MORTON ELEFF LEONID FALKENSTEIN GAIL FARR BRINA & MARVIN FEIGER BARBARA & LARRY FIELD DR. & MRS. GERALD FREILICH RENA & MICHAEL FRIEDMAN DRS. LAURA BETH & BENJAMIN FRIEDMAN MICHELLE & ROBERT FRIEDMAN MICHELLE & ROBERT GAYNOR RITA GELLER DEBBI & MARC GELLER

LANI & DR. RICHARD GERSHON DARRYLE & DR. MICHAEL GILLMAN SHARON & SETH GILLMAN LISA & MICHAEL GLASS CATHY & DR. JOE GLUCK GAIL & DAVID GOLDBERG YOEL GOLDBERG SHIRA & YECHIEL GORDON ADINA & KEVIN GREENBERG JUDITH & DR. NAPHTALI GUTSTEIN SARAH HABERMAN BERNARD HAMMER ALIDA & DANIEL HARRIS ANDREA & MOE HERMAN DRS. SABINE & HAROLD HIMMELFARB HUNGARIAN KOSHER MIRIAM & DR. ELI JACOBS DR. PHILLIP JACOBSON DEBBIE & MITCH JACOBY MARLA & EZRA JAFFE JEWISH COMMUNAL FUND SUSAN & DR. JUDA JONA CHERYL & DR. STEPHEN KARESH CHERYL & ASHER KARP ORA & LEV KATZ CHANI & JAY KESTENBAUM JASON KIRSHNER MARLA & MARK KIRSHNER MR. & MRS. KENNETH KLEIN NORA & MATTHEW KOENIG BARBARA KOHN MIRIAM & LOUIS KOLOM DEBORAH KOSTER SUSAN & LARRY KRULE LAKESHORE RECYCLING SYSTEMS INC. JULIE & GEORGE LENNON HELENE & DAVID LERNER ELANA LICHTENSTEIN SANDRA LOEBMANN ANITA & MICHAEL LONDON AVIVA & JAMES MATANKY TAMAR & DAVID MEISELMAN SANDY & MARTY MIRETZKY HESSIE & BARRY NEEDLE DVORA & MICHAEL NUSSBAUM LAURIE & DOV PINCHOT GINGER & ROY PINCHOT PREMIER VENDING PROJECT MGMT ADVISORS JULIA & YEVGENIY RABINOVICH

* We grateully acknowledge those donors who generously contribute $1,800 or more to join our Society of Patons.

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ANDREA & DR. STUART RICH AVIVA & AMICHAI ROBINSON DEBORAH & MORRIS ROBINSON LAURIE & MOISHE ROSEN HELEN & DR. MARC RUBENSTEIN HINDA & DR. FRANK RUBIN LYNDA & YALE RUBINSON SHAYNA & DAVID SCHECHTER ESTHER & WILLIAM SCHULDER ELAINE & BARRY SEMER DRS. AMY & MICHAEL SHAPIRO ETHEL & KALMAN SHINER LYNN & LOREN STEIN BEVERLY & JEFFREY STEINBERG SURI & ABRAHAM STERN MORRINE & BRIAN SWEER TARGET, TAKE CHARGE OF ED MICHELLE & RANDY TRUBNICK DEVORA & AVRUM WEINFELD LINDA & STANLEY WEISSBROT SHULAMIT & DR. BARRY WENIG MARILYN & REVEREND NOAH WOLFF DONNA & DR. YIGAL YAHAV RHONDA & ALAN ZAHTZ MYRA ZISSMAN

$499-$100

ANONYMOUS A.M.C. ELECTRIC AAA ENGINEERING ADINA & FRED AARON YAEL AARON JULIA & DONALD AARONSON TRACY & MICHAEL ABERMAN SANDRA & CANTOR ARTHUR ABERMAN BETH & BRADLEY ALTER IRINA & VLAD ALTMARK JENNIFER & BEN AMRAMI NAOMI ANTIS MIRIAM & SHLOMO APPEL MARSHA & RICK ARONS MIRIAM & ALAN AXELROD MORENE & BARRY AXLER SANDRA & KENNETH BERG SUSAN & GREGORY BERGMANN SAMANTHA & SHALOM BERSSON BARRY BEST TZIVIA BIELER ALITA & MICHAEL BIRN DORIS & PINCAS BITTERMAN JENNIFER & TOMER BITTON NECHAMA & RABBI REUVEN BRAND PAMELA & HOWARD BRAUN

SHIMMY BRAUN PHYLLIS & STEVEN BRODY TOVA BUKINGOLTS AVIVA & LAWRENCE CAMRAS CHICAGO JEWISH FUNERALS SARAH BATYAH & BENJAMIN COHEN ZENIA & JEFFREY COHEN HELENA & JEFFREY COHEN MICHELLE COLLINS RANA & KENNETH COOPER ROSE ANN COPE PEGGY CULLEN DRS. JUDITH FINE & JEFFREY DACH YISRAELA & DR. ABRAHAM DACHMAN DARCHEI NOAM OF GLENBROOK DAVID FREDERICKSON INS. RACHAYL & RABBI HILLEL DAVIS LILLIANE DAYAN FELA DOGADKO DELORES & WILLIAM DONOHUE TAMI & DR. SHLOMO DRAPKIN SUSAN EDELHEIT CAROLINE ELIOT JEREMY ELKINS JAMI & DR. SCOTT EMALFARB EMBASSY BANKCARD SOLUTIONS CARYN & ANDREW ENGEL LAURIE & RABBI ZVI ENGEL CHARLOTTE & RABBI, DR. JOSEPH FEDER SHARI & RABBI AZI FEIFEL FREDERICK FENIG LESLIE & DR. NORMAN FINKEL FIRST CLASS MOVING & STORAGE RACHEL FISHKIN JUDY & GERALD FISHMAN BARBARA & DR. JACOB FOX MICHAL & NATIE FOX LINDA & MILTON FRANK DR. DAVID FRETZIN JOAN & SELWYN FRIEDLANDER RONNA & DAVID FRIEDMAN ESTHER FRIEDMAN SHERRY & HARRY FRIEDMAN SUSAN & LARRY FUTTERMAN EDITH & DAVID GASS SHARON & SEYMOUR GERTZ ESTELLE & LEONARD GLASS LISA & HENRY GOLDBERG SONIA & RABBI NORMAN GOLDBERG DR. LISA KORMAN & ALLEN GOLDENBERG SHARON & HARRIS GOLDENBERG DEBORAH & DR. ROBERT GOLDENBERG DEENA & LAWRENCE GOLDMAN

ARLENE & NORMAN GOLDMEIER BARBARA & BERTON GOLDSTEIN SALLY & DR. HOWARD GOLDSTEIN MARILYN & RABBI JAMES GORDON ADELE GORENSTEIN MARI & ARON GORENSTEIN SONDRA & RABBI MOSHE GOTTESMAN CHUMI & RABBI MARK GOTTLIEB LEAH GRANT EUDICE GREENFIELD SHERYL & ROBERT GREENSTEIN BETH & JORDAN GREY ELAINE & LEONARD GRYN SUSAN & JONATHAN GUTSTEIN HAMAKOR GALLERY JONATHAN HANUS RAICHEL HARAZI RACHEL & DR. SOLOMON HASSON SANDY HASSON RANDI & FREDERICK HEICHMAN IBM MERYL & ALEX JACOBS JENNIFER & JOEL JACOBSON JEAN & STANLEY KALB ELANA & BENJAMIN KANDELMAN GERRY KAPLAN ILANA & HOWARD KARESH ELANA KATZ CAROL & GERALD KAUFMAN DR. SHOEL KERZNER RITA & SHELDON KIRSHNER SUSAN KIRSHNER SYDELLE KLEIN JULIE KLEIN DEBRI & DOUG KLEIN MARTIN KOGAN TAL-OR KOHN GAYLE & IRA KOPIN DR. STEVEN KRAUSS SHIRA & RABBI DANIEL KROLL EDITH & JACOB KUPIETZKY ESTHER & DR. MICHAEL KURZMAN SARA & DANIEL KUTLIROFF RAISA & KONSTANTIN LAKIROVICH DR. GILBERT LANOFF RACHEL & STEVEN LEFKOWTIZ JAMIE & LARRY LEONARD MARSHA MAYEFSKY & AVI LERER TAMAR LERNER CYNTHIA LEVIN DORIS & NORMAN LEVITZ DRS. JUNE & JONATHAN LEWIS DEVORA & RABBI MENACHEM LINZER

DANIEL LITVIN ELYSE & RABBI STUART LITWACK BERURIA & DR. EDWARD LOEW ELISA & DR. STEVEN LUPOVITCH SHIRLEY & DANIEL MAEIR LINDA & RABBI REUVEN MANN EVEY & MICHAEL MARGOLIES HARRIET MARGOLIES WENDY & JONATHAN MARGOLIN DEBORAH & DAVID MARMOR STACEY & AARON MASLIANSKY TRUDE MATANKY AVI MATANKY LEE & ROBERT MATANKY LEONIE & SONNY MEISELMAN BARBARA MEYERS DRS. RACHELLE & ALAN MILLER TAMI & DAVID MILLER SARI & DR. IRA MILLER SUSAN & ROBERT MILLNER SARA & STUART MILSTEIN CARYN & STUART MORGINSTIN RACHEL & HILLEL MORRIS EMILY MORRIS ZIVYA & ELAN MOSBACHER CELIA MUSSMAN ISABEL & RABBI SANDER MUSSMAN FRED NATHAN RACHEL NEIKRUG DR. WILLIAM NELSON LORI & DR. STEVEN NEREN YOCHEVED & JONATHAN NEUMAN NORTH SUBURBAN SYNAGOGUE BERNICE & DR. OSCAR NOVICK DENA & MENDEL NUDELMAN ROBERTA & JEROME NUSSBAUM JACK NUSSBAUM HENRY NUSSBAUM JODI OKNER OSTROW REISIN BERK & ABRAMS MAUREEN & DR. CHARLES OVITSKY ASHIRA & RABBI JOSEPH OZAROWSKI EVA OZAROWSKI DR. SHARON PACKER PAIGE & DR. DAVID PERITT MELISSA & DR. HARRIS PERLMAN JILL SNYDER & DR. REID PERLMAN DEBORAH & HAROLD POLSTER JOANN & DR. STEVEN POTASHNICK SARA & PETER PRICE JENITA FISCHOFF RAAB & ALEX RAAB PHYLLIS & ABRAHAM RAVVE YONATON RAY

26

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RABBI AVRUM REIFER ARIELLA & ADAM REINHERZ RESULTS DIRECT MAIL MARKETING CORP LEAH & LARRY RICHMAN OMAR RIHANI SUSIE & RABBI BARRY ROBINSON DR. BARBARA & JAY ROBINSON MICHAEL ROBINSON RONNI & ELLIOTT ROBINSON RONEE & DAVID ROFFE ROMANIAN KOSHER SUE ANN & DR. ROBERT ROSEN ERROL ROSEN ALIZA & RABBI MENACHEM ROSENBAUM RENEE & RABBI SETH ROSENBERG MICHAL & DR. EDWARD ROSENTHAL ELYSE & SCOTT ROSENZWEIG AMY & DANIEL ROTHNER TAMAR & DR. JEROME SACKS JAMIE SCARBOROUGH COOKIE & SHELDON SCHAFFEL HARVEY SCHAFFER ANN & TOBIAS SCHAPIRO NATALIE SCHLEIFER SCHLASS MARIE SCHLESINGER DANIELA & LAURENCE SCHREIBER SUSAN & ARNOLD SCHWARTZ MIRIAM & RABBI SAMUEL SELESKI BEVERLY & CHARLES SERLIN RACHEL SHANDALOV MARA & DR. JEFFREY SHANES YAEL & DAVID SHINER DINAH & MICHAEL SHINER JUDY & DR. LEE SHULMAN JASON SILVER DEBORAH SILVERMAN AARON SIMON DAHLIA & JEREMY SIMONS REBECCA & DR. STEVEN SINGER JOEL SINGER MARLENE & MERV SINGER DEBORAH & RONALD SIRT SLICE OF LIFE MARISA & RICHARD STADTMAUER ETHEL & ISRAEL STARCK DR. MICHAEL STEIN CAROLE & LARRY STEIN ALIZA STEINBERG KERRI & NATHAN STELZER JONATHAN STERN SHLOMIT & ARNON STORFER ETTIE & JACK STRICK MINNA & MICHAEL STRICK

STYLE SHACK MARCY & DAVID SUGAR SUNSET FOODS ANAT & DR. MARTIN TANNER MIRIAM & GAVE TAUBENFELD MICHAEL TRAISON DR. YOSEF WALDER MRS. & DR. MARK WARSHAWSKY MARLENE & HENRY WASSERSTROM MAXIMA & RABBI BURTON WAX SUSAN & CARL WEBER SAMUEL WEINSTEIN MARSHALL WEINTRAUB JESSICA & LEONARD WEISS ELISSA & ZEV WEISSBERG SHLOMO WEISSBERG ELAINE & ALAN WEISZ MARSHA & ELLIOTT WELLER WENDY & MICHAEL WILENSKY DVORA WILENSKY ZUOIRAG & ZEV WILOH CHAVA WINTNER DRS. RACHEL & MOSHE YUDKOWSKY DEVA & JOSHUA ZWELLING

UP TO $99

AAA NORTH SUBURBAN AGENCY SYLVIA AARON MRS. & MR. STEVE ACKERMAN BARBARA & STEVEN ALEXANDER ELLIOT ALLSWANG MRS. & MR. BENZION ALLSWANG DALE & SIDNEY AMDUR MR. & MRS. JEREMY AMENT ANSHE SHOLOM B’NAI ISRAEL HAMUTAL & SETH APPEL DANIELLA & ZACHARY APPEL EMILY ASHMAN SUZANNE & WILLIAM AUERBACH SHOSHANA AXLER ARIELLA AZARAF DENA & GARY BAJTNER SARAH & ARI BAJTNER LIZA & YAAKOV BAJTNER DEBORAH & ABRAHAM BAJTNER PEARL & AVI BANKER KAREN & HANOCH BARAK SHULA BASHKIN JACQUELINE BATES JOAN & DOUGLAS BECKER JONATHAN BECKER CARMELLA & YOSEF BEGA SAMANTHA & AARON BEGNER

RONA & ROGER BERGER ROBERTA & SIDNEY BERGER SHOSHANA & JOSHUA BERGER MORIAH & YOSEF BERMAN ROBERTA & CHARLES BERNSTEIN JUDY & SAMUEL BIBER RABBI TZVI BIDER TSAI & JOE BILETT RENEE & PHILIP BIRN MIKE BLANK SARITA & LES BLAU REFAELLA & ETAN BLEICHMAN AARON BLOCH SHANI & BILLY BOKOR MARJORIE & DANIEL BOMBEN DANIEL BORNSTEIN ERIC BRESSMAN BRIDGEPORT FOOT & ANKLE CLINIC ANDREA & EARL BRODY MYRNA & DR. JEFFREY BUCKMAN ADRIANNE & SCOTT BURGHER MICHAEL BURGHER CATHY & MARK CAMPBELL MRS. & RABBI BERISH CARDASH MIRIAM & DAVID CARL SANDRA & SASHA CHACK LYNN & JERRY CHERNEY JACOB CHERNEY DEBORAH & WILLIAM COHEN SANDY & STEVEN COHEN MICHAL & RABBI ZEV COHEN BEN COHEN LEAH & ALAN COHEN ROSALYN & RABBI ABE COOPER MARLA & SEYMOUR DAICHES NAGIA DAVID DEVON BANK DENISE DEYONG MARILYN & IRVING DOMSKY BARBARA & ALEXANDER DOREVITCH MARK DREDZE JANIS EDELHEIT NEELI & ARI ENGELHART ELIE ENGLER ROBERT EPPENSTEIN SHARI & AHIAD ERLICH DEBBIE & MICHAEL FEDER ADAM FEIFEL ALEXANDRA FEIGER DINA & RABBI ASHER FEUCHTWANGER JESSICA & JEREMY FINE ILENE & DR. PHILLIP FINKEL REBECCA FINKEL

MRS. & MR. TED FISHMAN ALIZA & CRAIG FRANK JOSHUA FREED ARLENE & DR. KENNETH FREEDMAN LEVANA & ISRAEL FREUND EVELYN & DR. HERBERT FRIEDMAN ARIELLA & AARON FRIEDMAN BONNIE & ARYEH FRIEDMAN FUENFER JEWELERS YEHUDIT & AARON GAVANT ANITA & DENNIS GELBART ZEV GELLER ELIANA GELLER JODI & ALAN GERSHMAN TANYA GERSHON RICHARD GEVIS ELISE & RABBI COLMAN GINSPARG SARI & RABBI ELIE GINSPARG PEGGI & BRUCE GLASER RACHELLE GOLD ALISE GOLD RICHARD GOLDBERG ANDREA & ROBERT GOLDEN SUSAN & HOWARD GOLDMAN SARA & NOAH GOLDMAN TEDDY & HOWARD GOLDMAN ANNA & BORIS GOLDSCHMIDT PHYLLIS & HAROLD GOLDSMITH LARRY GOLDSMITH SHERI & HOWARD GOLDSTEIN LEAH & LARRY GOLDSTEIN EILEEN & LARRY GOLTZ GAIL & LEE GORDON GORDON FOOD SERVICES CHAVEE & AVI GOTTLIEB SHERWIN GREENBERG MARIA & STANLEY GREENBERG PENNY & SEYMOUR GREENSTEIN LAURA GREER CAROLE GROOVER SHOSHANA HABERMAN MAXINE SEGAL & JACOB HANDELMAN TYE HARRIS MIRYAM HARRIS RENA & TZVI HARRIS EVELYN & SOLOMON HARRIS LEAH & PAUL HARRIS MARLEE & DR. ALBERT HASSON JOSEPH HASTEN KAREN & DANIEL HECHTMAN ZIPORA & RABBI MOISHE HEISLER CHARLOTTE & RABBI SHIMON HERMAN SARA & DANIEL HIRSCH

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ADINA HIRSH SARAH HIRSH JEFF HOFFEN KENNETH HOLLANDER CAROL HORWITZ KELLY & SCOTT HURWITZ ILLINOIS DRIVING SCHOOL LAUREN JACOBSON BETH & RABBI RONALD JAWARY JUST GIVE.ORG ERIKA & BERT KAHN HARRIET & ROBERT KAHN MARGO KAHNROSE PEARL KANE ESTHER & GLENN KAPETANSKY ESTHER & RABBI HAROLD KARP MR. & MRS. MICHAEL KARZEN PHYLLIS & ELLIOT KATTEN ERIS & SEAN KATZ KEVIN KATZ ELLIE & STEVE KATZ BRACHA & RABBI MOSHE KATZ ROBBIN & DORRON KATZIN MIRIAM & DR. DANIEL KATZMAN JUDY & DAVID KERSHNER TIKVA & BENNIE KIRSCHNER TALIA KIRSHENBAUM ROCHELLE KOCHIN LINDA KOGEN GLENDA & DR. HOWARD KRAVITZ JENNIFER & RABBI JONATHAN KROLL SYLVIA KUSHNER JILL & OREN LAKSER AVNER LANDES REPRESENTATIVE LOUIS LANG JEREMIE LAPPIE DANIEL LAPSON LINDA & STEVEN LAVENDA RACHEL & MARK LEBOWITZ ANN & MARVIN LEINER EMILY & MARC LENNON GOLDIE LERER MICHELLE LERER KAREN & RICHARD LEVIN MAZEL & YEDIDYA LEVIN AVIGAIL & ASHY LEVINSON PETER LEWIS BASSIE LEWIS TIMNA LIBERMAN SHERYL & MARK LICHTENFELD ESTHER & RABBI JOSEPH LICHTSHEIN RENEE & MELVIN LIFSICS SHERI & LEON LIPSHITZ RACHEL & HILLEL LIPSON

28

Annual report 14.indd 28

JOSEPH LITZ RANDI & MICHAEL LOSKOVE EVA & MARVIN LOSKOVE MRS. ELIZABETH LOW JOSHUA LOWENSTEIN ELLEN MACKLER MACY’S/BLOOMINGDALE FOUNDATION RABBI MANUEL MAGENCE PEARL & DANIEL MAGENCE TZIPI & JOEL MARGOLIES ARIELLA MATANKY ELISHEVA MATANKY PHILIP MATSUHASHI RACHAEL & DOVIE MAUER LOUIS & DR. JAY MAYEFSKY FLORENCE MAYEFSKY LEOR MELLUL JUDY & BARRY MENDELSBERG TAMAR MENDELSBERG RABBI GAVRIEL MEYEROWITZ ESTHER MEYERS MARSHA MILLER RONALD MILLER BRADLEY MILLER ROMELLA & NUVAKH MISHIE SUZANNE & NOAH MISHKIN LEONA MOLOTSKY SYLVIA & DR. CHARLES MULRY LILLIAN & DAVID NACH SHIRLEY NATHAN SHOSHANA & BENJAMIN NEIKRUG BATSHEVA & DAVID NEIMAN JOANNE & HARVEY NEWMAN MARNA & DR. MARK NITEKMAN ZACHARY NOVETSKY DRS. IRMA & IRA OLIFF MR. S ORELOVE OFIRA & SHAMIR OTANI LORRI & STEPHEN OTIS MICHELLE PALMER RACHEL PECKERMAN JUDITH & JORDAN PEIPER ALLA & PETER PELTS ESTHER & MICHAEL PERL DRS. TAMAR & BRUCE PERLOW PERSONNEL PLANNERS TANYA & HENRY PIETRKOWSKI DEBRA & DR. KENNETH POLIN QVC PARTNERS IN GIVING RIVKAH & RABBI IRA RABIN MRS. HILDA RAPOPORT SARI & ALAN RAY RACHEL REICHBLUM JOAN & BERNARD REVSINE

MARILYN RICHMAN JACKSON RICHMAN SUSAN RIFKIN TZIPPI & RABBI EPHRAIM RIMEL ARIELA ROBINSON DANIELLE & JOSHUA ROBINSON DR. TARA & BRIAN ROFFE MIRIAM & SAMUEL ROMIROWSKY RIVKA & JOSEPH ROSEN ROBIN ROSEN HELENE ROSENBERG DANIEL ROSENBERG NAOMI ROSENBERG FRANCES & RABBI DAVID ROSENBERG JONATHAN ROSENBLATT ALYCE & JOSEPH ROSENTHAL SHARYL ROSS LESLI & JORDON ROSS RACHEL ROTH CHERYL & ROBERT ROTHSTEIN RENE & CHAIM RUSSELL RUTH & STEPHEN SAKS JODI & RABBI DAVID SALTZMAN INEZ & JOSEPH SAMUELS SUZANNE & DAVID SCHNAIR SCOTT SCHREIBER BETHIA & ALLEN SCHWARTZ SHARON & DANIEL SCHWARTZ FRAN & RON SCHWARTZ RENA & RABBI DONNY SCHWARTZ SHELLEY & SANFORD SCHWARTZ DANIELLA & ELI SCHWARTZ REBECCA & YOSEF SCHWARTZ CINDY & JEFFREY SCHWARTZ JANICE & DR. MICHAEL SCHWARTZMAN LEAH & GABE SEGHI ELISSA & STEVEN SELTZER NATHAN SERLIN SIMI & ABRAHAM SERUYA INNA & EDWARD SHABOTINSKY SIMMIE & RABBI BENJAMIN SHANDALOV MELANIE & DOV SHANDALOV DENA SHANDALOV JULIET SHAVITZ NAOMI SHICKER DR. MARILYN SHOLITON YOCHEVED & YURI SHOSHAN MARILYN & ARTHUR SHULMAN JANET SIBLE NESANEL SIEGEL RACHEL & RICHARD SILVERMAN KLAVDIYA SNEGUR MARILYN & DON SNEIDER RAMESH & SIAMAK DANIEL SOLEYMANI

AVIVA & ETAI SOOLIMAN DEVORA & ALAN SORSCHER MIRIAM & SELIG SPUN REBECCA & SHLOMO STARCK LARRY STEIN CANDICE & ABRAHAM STEINBERG ALIZA & ARI STEINBERG SARI STEINBERG LINDA WOLFSON-STEINBERG & YOSSIE STEINBERG NANCY & DOV STEINBERG GOLDA & DR. HERBERT STOLTZE SHELLEY & EDWARD STOPEK MINDY & HERB STRULOWITZ MARTIN STUB JUDY & DR. SAM SUGAR JEFFREY SUGAR LANCE TAXER TEL-AVIV KOSHER BAKERY TOBIE TELLER RACHEL TOPPER ELIZABETH SHELTON & PAUL TOWB FRIEDA TRUBNICK HARVE TUCKER SHERWIN TURK RABBI MOSHE UNGER VILLAGE MARKET PLACE WASHTOWN EQUIPMENT WEE SPEECH JULIA & AARON WEIGENSBERG MICHAEL WEIL JODI WEINSTEIN MARCI BETH WEISEL DANIEL WEISS HEDI & RABBI DON WELL LEAH & RABBI MOSHE WELLER ANITA WENNER JUDITH AARON & JEFF WHISLER SHIRA & RAFAEL WIESENBERG CHAI WILENSKY REGINA & DR. SANFORD WOLGEL MORRIS WOLINETZ LESLIE & AARON WORTMAN KALMAN YUDKOWSKY ANDREW ZARKOWSKY BONNIE & PHIL ZBARAZ ALISSA & RABBI LEVI ZEFFREN SARAH ZIVIC MOLLY & DR. JACK ZWANZIGER ELEANOR ZWELLING SHANI ZYLBERMAN

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summary is based on the Audited Financial Statements for the years ending June 2011 and June 2012, the last two FINANCIAL SUMMARY Thefiscalfinancial periods for which statements are available.

2013 REVENUES $7,205,069

2012 REVENUES $7,214,246 5.8% 4.9%

Gross Tuition & Fees 4.5% 15.3%

67.9%

Fundraising & Endowments Federation & DSGTF

Gross Tuition & Fees

7.7% 67.3%

14.3%

The Bernard Heerey Family Foundation

7.4%

Other

Other

4.9%

2012 EXPENSES $7,158,680

2013 EXPENSES $7,060,233

2.6%

3.0%

Educational Expenses

3.4% 45.6%

Administrtive Expenses

46.4% 23.4%

Other

Scholarship Administrative Expenses Facilities

Facilities 24.1%

Educational Expenses

3.5%

Scholarship 23.9%

Fundraising & Endowments Federation & DSGTF The Bernard Heerey Family Foundation

24.1%

Other

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8/7/14 1:11 PM

After nearly a decade-long initiative to raise funds for an endowment that would include a new building for Ida Crown Jewish Academy, we are thrilled to be planning our groundbreaking for this fall 2014. The campaign spanned a changing real estate market and an economic recession, making

BREAKING GROUND ON NEW BUILDING THIS NOVEMBER

it a project that lasted much longer than initially anticipated. As if building a new, state-of-the-art facility isn’t exciting enough, the long wait makes the close of our campaign even more rewarding.

The new campus will include outdoor space, sports facilities, space for cultural arts, expanded library and technology resources, study halls, expanded kollel and chavruta learning spaces, an auditorium, workout facilities, student and faculty lounges, a central Beit Knesset that can accommodate the entire school.

The Crown-Goodman family, represented by Lester Crown and Charles H. (Corky) Goodman, led the campaign and then led a final push for fundraising with a $5.5 million matching gift challenge.

This gift is in addition to the $10 million lead gift the family contributed at the campaign’s launch in 2010.

In addition to a new building located at 8225 N. Central Park, Skokie, the capital campaign will more than double the school’s endowment, providing crucial scholarship funds and program support. All commitments to ICJA’s capital campaign are credited as gifts to the Jewish Federation’s Centennial Campaign.

At an outdoor summer event on the grounds of the new building, over 60 supporters of the Capital

Campaign gathered on the lawn to celebrate the near close of a long campaign. Excitement was high for parents and donors who viewed final architecture plans for the facility and heard a Q&A panel from Rabbi Matanky and the lead architect.

Lester Crown has complimented ICJA, saying, “You’ve really attracted an awful lot of smart kids, and they get smarter in their four years there. They deserve this new facility because how you’ve been able to accomplish what you have in your facility is a wonder.”

The new facility will meet the needs of modern education programs by providing more classrooms, cutting-edge science and technology facilities and expanded amenities for extracurricular activities.

David Strulowitz, co chair of the campaign, along with Jacques Gliksberg, said, “We all want to see the best for our kids, and we want Chicago to continue to be an attractive community for our grown children.”

The building will also house the Keshet High School program, providing the organization with increased space and continuing Keshet and ICJA’s long-standing relationship. Keshet Executive Director Abbie Weisberg pledged to raise $1 million for the project from Keshet supporters.

We thank our partners for being the visionaries of our community’s future by contributing to ICJA’s Building Campaign and for helping us achieve a once-in-a-generation goal of building a contemporary high school for our community and strengthening ICJA’s endowment to guarantee the scholarship and financial needs of future generations.

This dream would not be a reality without the help of the Jewish Federation and our lead donor, the Crown-Goodman Family. Many thanks to all of those involved in this tremendous effort.

For more information, please contact Jane Best, Building Project Campaign Director, at (773) 973-1450 x136.

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IDA CROWN JEWISH ACADEMY

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN Building

for Excellence

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS At an outdoor event located at the new building site this summer, the crowd was all smiles – especially (from left) Campaign Co-Chairs David Strulowitz and Jacques Gliksberg, along with lead donor Corky Goodman. $10,000,000 + THE CROWN & GOODMAN FAMILY $1,000,000 - $9,999,999 DELICIA & RABBI MORRIS ESFORMES KESHET $500,000 - $999,999 ANONYMOUS JOAN & SHAEL BELLOWS DANIELA & JACQUES GLIKSBERG HOCHBERG/LOWENSTEIN FAMILIES BARBARA & RICHARD ROSENFIELD GALE & ERIC ROTHNER LYNN & IRV SHAPIRO RALPH WANGER $250,000 - $499,999 ANONYMOUS BERNICE & DR. OSCAR NOVICK BETHIA STRAUS & PAUL QUINTAS FRIEDA & SHELDON ROBINSON FAMILY LESLIE & TOM SILVERSTEIN SUSAN & DAVID STRULOWITZ SHIRA MALKA & DR. YOSEF WALDER

$100,000 - $249,999 ORA & MAURY AARON YONI & ALLISON BELLOWS JANE & EDWARD BEST SARA W. & SAMUEL T. COHEN z”l LANI YAMPOL GERSHON & RICHARD GERSHON THE GILLMAN FAMILY LAURIE & BERNARD HASTEN JOAN HOLLAND SADIE & HARRY LASKY FOUNDATION JUDY & ALBERT MILSTEIN PHYLLIS & STUART MULLER DR. STEVEN B. NASATIR NEW DIRECTIONS FUND $50,000 - $99,999 YARONA & SHLOMOH BEN-DAVID VIVIAN & NATHAN BLOCH JUDY & MICHAEL DANIELS ABBY & GARY ELKINS GINA & JOSEPH GOTTESMAN DR. TAMMY & DR. EDWARD KAPLAN HELENE & DR. DAVID LERNER MARIANNE NOVAK & DR. NOAM STADLAN ETHEL & LES SUTKER MYRA ZISSMAN DEBRA & DAVID WELL

$25,000 - $49,999 BETH & BRADLEY ALTER ROBIN & YOSSI AZARAF MYRA RAPOPORT & RABBI MICHAEL BALINSKY DRS. SHERRI & JEFFREY BRESSMAN SANDRA & JEFFREY CAGAN ZENIA R. & JEFFREY L. COHEN FAMILY COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL DEBBI & MARC GELLER BARBARA & DR. STEVEN GELLER TERRI & ANDREW HERENSTEIN SANDRA & HOWARD HOFFEN DRS. AMY & GUY KAISSAR MIRIAM & LOUIS KOLOM RIVKIE & EVAN LAFER THE LENNON FAMILY AVIVA & NATE LICHTENSTEIN SUSAN & RONNIE MASLIANSKY MARGARET & RABBI LEONARD MATANKY TRUDE MATANKY DVORA & MICHAEL NUSSBAUM CINDY & ALON REDLICH THE FAMILY OF IDA ROSEN MIKI & SHMUEL SCHREIBER LYNN ROSEN & LOREN STEIN TAMMY & MICHAEL SUGAR FLORA & MARTY WEISS RIFKA & DANIEL WEISS UP TO $25,000 RON ABRAMS LAURA & DAVID ALLSWANG LYNN & ALFRED ALTSCHUL REBECCA & JEREMY AMSTER SANDRA & KENNETH BERG

JEAN BEST GILDA & ARTHUR BIRN HELENE & MITCHELL BLIVAISS DEBRA & DR. JONATHAN BLOOMBERG DEBBIE & SANFORD BOKOR JO & JONAH BRUCK AVIVA & DR. LARRY CAMRAS SHARON & LARRY CHAMBERS KAREN & CHARLES A. COHEN ELIZABETH & MITCHELL DAYAN EDIE & RABBI YOSEF DAVIS DEBBIE & DAVID DOBKIN MARILYN ALLSWANG EISENBERG DEBBIE & DR. DANIEL EISENSTEIN HINDY & DR. CALVIN FINKEL TED FISHMAN DONNA GREY & DR. HAROLD FLUSS ROBERTA & DR. SCOTT FRETZIN DANIELLE & JASON FRIEDMAN RITA & HOWARD (z”l) GELLER ANNETTE & HARRY GENDLER CATHY & JOE GLUCK SHARON & JEFFREY GOLDBERGER REGINA & ERNIE GOLDBERGER JEAN GOLDRICH BETH & JORDAN GREY LANA & NAT GREY CHERYL & DR. GARY HOBERMAN MARLA & EZRA JAFFE CONNIE & DR. ALAN KADISH DONNA KAHAN SUE & JORDAN KLEIN SYDELLE KLEIN RABBI STANLEY & SHELLY KROLL SHARI & WILL LENNON MICHELLE & BRIAN LEVINSON

JUNE & JONATHAN LEWIS MONICA & RICH MAGID STACEY & AARON MASLIANSKY AVIVA & JAMES MATANKY TAMAR & DAVID MEISELMAN JUDITH & BARRY MENDELSBERG ALISON & ALAN MOLOTSKY JODI OKNER MARGOT & SAMUEL PARNASS STUART PERLIK CHARITABLE FUND AT THE CHICAGO COMMUNITY TRUST SEYMOUR, ABBY & JONATHAN PERSKY LAURIE & DOV PINCHOT DEBBIE & KENNETH POLIN DIANE & ROBERT REICHBLUM ERYNNE & ARI RENNERT RONNI & ELLIOT ROBINSON JILL & MICHAEL ROSE JENNIE & AVI ROTHNER HELEN & DR. MARC RUBENSTEIN CHARLENE & DR. DAVID SALES SHAYNA & DAVID SCHECHTER AUDREY SCHIFF ROCHELLE & SHERWIN SCHNEIDERMAN RABBI BINYAMIN SEGAL RENEE & JOE SILBERMAN RACHEL & MICHAEL STEIN SUSAN & HOWARD STEIN MICHELLE & RANDY TRUBNICK RONNA & DAVID WEINSTOCK ELISSA & ZEV WEISSBERG LINDA & STANLEY WEISSBROT JUDITH & JEFF WHISLER REV. NOAH & MARILYN WOLFF

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2013-2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dov Pinchot, President Laura Allswang Joseph Ament Yarona Ben-David Nathan Bloch Dr. Jeffery Bressman Arthur Birn Mitchell Dayan Dr. David Dobkin Michelle Friedman Sharon Gillman

Jacques Gliksberg Manuel Gliksberg Steve Grant Debbie Jacoby Ezra Jaffe Dr. Amy Kaissar Dr. Tammy Kaplan Cheryl Karp Dr. Kevin Kirshenbaum Amy Lowenstein

Rich Magid Ronnie Masliansky Stuart Muller David Polster Paul Quintas Miki Schreiber Dr. Noam Stadlan

I

C

IDA CROWN JEWISH ACADEMY

J

A

Sponsor or attend our winter event Attend the Dr. Edward A. Crown Scholarship Dinner or place in ad in the dinner ad book Contribute to our holiday appeals on Rosh Hashanah and Pesach Contribute to our parent campaign or grandparent campaign Make a tribute gift in honor of a simcha or in commemoration of a loss



Ida Rosen ‫ז’’ל‬



Paul Rosenberg ‫ז’’ל‬

Ida Crown Jewish Academy 2828 West Pratt Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60645 Phone: (773) 973-1450 Fax: (773) 973-6131 icja@icja.org Ida Crown Jewish Academy is an affiliate of the Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago and a partner in serving our community, supported by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

Athletic photos by Mitch Jacoby. Dinner and graduation photos by Deja Views.

Annual report 14.indd 32

Become a Society of Patrons member

Commit to our annual alumni campaign

George Hanus, Chairman Emeritus Honorary Life Members Joseph Ament  Rabbi Oscar Z. Fasman ‫ז’’ל‬

CONTRIBUTE TO THE 5775 ICJA ANNUAL CAMPAIGN

Rabbi Dr. Leonard A. Matanky, Dean Daniel Harris, Associate Principal Dr. Jeremy Kahan, Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction Michael London, Director of Finance Deva Zwelling, Director of Development Jane Best, Project Campaign Director & Alumni Relations Wendy Margolin, Communications Director Rivkah Rabin, Admissions Director

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