Congratulations class of '13!

May 31, 2013 / 22 Sivan, 5773

Graduation Day

In This Issue

Senior Siyyum

Graduation

Class of 2013

Passing the Torch

El Malei Rachamim

Bike the Drive

Physics Expo

Math Team Party

Exam Schedule

Summertime Torah

Study

STAND UPdate

Baruch Dayan Emet

A Taste of Torah

Siyyum Sets the Tone For Graduation

Alumni Trivia

Save the Date

Sun., June 9

ACT

Tues., August 13

New Teacher Orientation

Wed., August 14 -

Thu., August 15

Staff Development

Mon., August 19

New Student Orientation

Tues., August 20

First Day of School

P. O. Corner

Gelt Program The P.O. is pleased to once again introduce the gift card "Gelt program" to our families and we have made it much easier (look for upcoming email with details on how to register). Faculty and staff can also buy Gelt that will help to support programs provided for the school by the P.O. This program is designed to help families earn money toward their children's junior year Panim program and/or the Senior Israel Experience. The program is a passive earning system, in which you buy the things you ordinarily purchase anyway, and earn money which will be credited to your family for designated school trips. If you have any questions, contact Sheri Sandrof at [email protected] or call her at 847.324.3723.

Community News

and Events

Libenu Beauty Night for

"Before we intellectualize,

before we use the tools of

reason in which we have

been schooled for years,

we must allow ourselves

to appreciate that

wondrous expanse which

is so much bigger than we

are. That ultimately

allows us to be at our

most human," Rav Beit

Sefer Zach Silver

explained, fondly recalling

the desert experience

shared by the Class of

2013 this winter in Israel.

The Class of 2013 culminated their studies at morning

services with a passage from the kedushah, expressing

awe at the divine

omnipresence and

simultaneously trying to

locate and quantify the

infinite ("Ayeh mekom

kevodo?"). With the

blessin

g for

good

fortune

appreci

ated and shared with others, Rabbi

Silver formally concluded his teaching of

our senior students, and the rest of the

staff rose to acknowledge the gifts and

good memories contributed by every

member of the class.

"If my heart breaks on

Women

Look and feel your best! Join us for the Libenu Evening of Beauty and Wellness for Women.

Tuesday, June 4

6:30-9:30 PM

Women's LifeCenter

118 Skokie Blvd., Wilmette

Support this wonderful Jewish organization with a wine and cheese reception, expert consultations with health and beauty experts, and free beauty products!

For tickets, click here or call 847.982.0340 ext. 227. Libenu is a 501(c)3 organization that fosters independence and inclusion by providing supervised group homes and vocational training for Jewish adults with special needs.

.

Sponsor Breakfast

What's better than a birthday celebration with friends? Celebrate your student's birthday or other milestone with a special breakfast at CJHS. For a donation of $180 (10x chai), bagels, cream cheese, and orange juice will be served to everyone. An announcement will be made in Tefillah and in the dining hall, and the occasion will also be listed in our weekly E-News and on the school announcement board. If you have any questions,

the spot, one of you

parents please call 911,"

Mr. Griffith opened his

remarks to his

students. Rabbi Belgrad

described Zoe

Goldhirsh's graceful

dance as a metaphor for

her life, while Dr. Miller

predicted brave things for

Gabe Gavrielov, who will

always

have

his

buddies

' backs

in the

IDF next year. Mr. Griffith described the

talented Jonathan Tupper as the best-

kept secret at CJHS. "Pescadito"

Fishbaum and "Margarita" Tunik

were sent off with hugs and affection by

their Spanish teachers, while the late-

working Dani Sery was

saluted by fellow

nighthawk Ms. Gladstein.

Mr. Marchenko paid

tribute to the fearsome

leadership skills of debate

queen Ceren Maeir, and

Dr. Auslander compared

Aitan Licht to other

great New York Yankees

of history--this from

a Dodgers fan, no

less! Rabbi Silver

applauded the passion for

ethics and organizational

genius of Miranda

Smerling, whose IFYC

programming enabled

Muslim, Jewish, and

Catholic students to talk about the Israeli-Palestinian

conflict without a single feather flying. And Mrs. Eliaser, as

always, sent off Ilan Hulkower with Star Trek references

and quotes from Pirkei Avot.

If you've ever wanted to learn how to say, "And now the

teacher chokes up and cries," in American Sign Language,

you'd find this year's Siyyum particularly noteworthy. In

please call 847.324.3713 or email [email protected]. Order forms are available online here.

Quick Links

Our

Website

Online Calendar

Trumba

Calendar Tips

2012-2013 Year

Calendar

Lunch Menu

Join the Tiger

Club

addition to our fond and teary teachers, CJHS wishes to

extend an extra-special thank you to our team of talented

and dramatic ASL interpreters, who navigated through

Hebrew prayers, inside jokes, Talmudic citations, and

basketball puns to make the morning an inclusive and extra-special experience for everyone present.

"I love this tradition!" was heard

on all sides, from parents and staff

alike, as one by one, the

graduates were called up to be

addressed and congratulated by a

favorite teacher. "You can just see

how well the teachers know these

kids and how much they've shaped

each others' experiences. You

don't get moments like these at

any other school!"

Commencement Exercises

Preceded by class marshals Zach Erlichman and Annie

Schrayer, the Class of 2013 marched down the aisle for

this year's graduation. Aaron Zell

began the proceedings with a

mighty blast of the shofar, and

Nate Swetlitz gave the

invocation at this year's

commencement exercises. Aitan

Licht and Rachel Rubinstein

reflected on the bewildering

number of opportunities at CJHS

that threatened to overwhelm the

Class of '13 during their freshman

year--and

the sense

of unity,

enthusias

m, and

responsibil

ity which they have grown into so

exuberantly.

"What says CJHS more than bagels

for breakfast and dozens of club

meetings at lunch?" asked Va'ad

president Elan Sykes and Senior

Gift Chair Eryn Minkow. The

Class of '13 leaves to CJHS a

brand new 46" monitor to be used

for birthday announcements,

student group meetings, athletic schedules, and other daily

data. (At the moment, it's being used for Prom pictures--

were you there?)

"When you are called, how will you answer?" Board

President Michael Small urged the outgoing class. "For

each of you, in ways direct or subtle, by great causes or by

those near and dear, will be called, and not just once--

many times. How will you answer? Will you say: hin'ni

muchan um'zuman? Here I am, prepared, and ready for

the moment!"

"Be active and involved participants

in the larger community," Head of

School Tony Frank charged the

graduates. "Find a niche in which to

exercise leadership; strive for a

healthy balance between your

academic and extra-curricular

pursuits. Be true to yourselves, but

continue to do for others. And finally-

-in true CJHS fashion--never forget

to hold the

door open

for the

person

coming in behind you."

On behalf of all the graduates, the

eloquent Ceren Maeir concluded

the ceremony with these blessings,

"May we always have the courage

to seek truth and goodness during

moments of struggle, to stand for

what we truly believe in even if it

is not the norm, to never let the

light that lives within our souls

fade even when it flickers in

darkness. May we always

remember the precious lessons our dedicated teachers

have impressed upon us and allow them to continue to

guide us. May we continue to live by the ethics and morals

of our tradition, to find comfort and a home in the

community we have created together, and to appreciate

the gift of having parents and teachers that lead us, guide

us, and love us unconditionally. May we always remember

to accept and care for our fellow human beings, for this is

all that truly matters. May we never let our zest and

passion for life fade no matter the circumstance. But most

of all, may we never, ever let the bond between us break!"

The Class of 2013

"I love CJHS because it is, more than anything

else, a community. It is one big dysfunctional,

weird, amazing, beautiful and special family...

The best thing about CJHS is the unspoken

rule to hold the door open for the next person

entering the building behind you..."

--Class of '13, Anonymous Exit Slip

Thus departs the class of 2013, the class

that gave us the media club, the breakfast

posse, IHSA volleyball glory, and the best

Jewish men's basketball team in the

country! Among them we graduate dancers

and soldiers, prize chemists and prize

photographers, microbiologists, political

scientists, philanthropists, collegiates and

seminary girls: thirty-six talented, beautiful

young men and women who will be making

a difference on campuses all over the

world.

Passing the Torch

For the first time since the school opened, CJHS will be

going back to school next fall without a single Flink! The

Flinks were one of our pioneer

families and have graduated

four children and one nephew

from CJHS. "It is not," as our

graduates wisely said, "upon

you to finish our great work,

but neither were you free to

neglect it." We are grateful for

all these wonderful families

have given the school: as we leave our pioneer days

behind us and move into the new era of IHSA

championships, award-winning debate teams, world-class

M.U.N., and college admissions readers who know us by

name, we will surely not neglect to continue the work they began.

Zecher Tzadik Livracha

God of mercy who rests on high, find

perfect rest under the wings of the

shechinah among the righteous, the

inspiring, and the holy, to the soul of Mr.

Harvey Gross, Zvi Mordechai ben Yoel,

our beloved social studies teacher,

whose second Yahrzeit we mark with

fond remembrance. O Giver of Mercy, may his soul be

bound up in life with all the students he has inspired. May

his mighty deeds of social justice and the love he bore for his students help him rest in peace, in honor, and in love.

Bike the Drive

This past Sunday, nine CJHS students and Dr. Auslander

participated in Bike the Drive and raised over $4,000 for

Chai Lifeline, a wonderful organization which provides

year-round emotional, social, and financial support to more

than 4,000 seriously ill children and their families every

year, helping them to live full and happy lives despite the

presence of serious illness. This marked the fourth year

that CJHS has participated in this event and also saw the

most students ever

participate in Bike the

Drive from CJHS.

Freshmen Ranan Vales,

Seth Wein, Michael

Weldler, and sophomores

David Steinberg,

Jonathan Schrag, Alex

Cope and Eli Schrayer

rode. Junior Zahava

Vales participated, as did

senior Yoni Gabel, biking

with Team CJ for his third year.

Zahava Vales remarked, "Raising money for Chai Lifeline

and participating in Bike the Drive at the same time was

truly an experience that I will never forget. I got to spend

time with my friends, I got good exercise, I got to raise

money for an extraordinary cause, and I got to see how

beautiful my city really is. Thank you so much, everyone,

and I look forward to participate next year as well."

Rabbi Shlomo Crandall was so impressed by our school's

participation that he came to the school on Tuesday to

personally thank the students for helping out. Most of the

participants are already talking about participating next

year! What do you say--do you think we can get 20

riders?

Alumni Trivia

This CJHS thespian starred in CJHS' original production of

David and Lisa, and after graduating from the University of

Pittsburgh with a theater arts and psychology major, has

been working on stage and in drama education ever

since. Who is she, and what production of hers is about to hit the airwaves?

Physics Expo 2013

If you think it's time to try defying gravity, than the 2013

Physics Expo was the one you've been waiting for! Sixteen

teams of juniors in Mrs. Eliaser's three physics classes

showcased five months of research in the physics of tennis,

the physics of dance, the physics of superheroes, and the

physics of the Bible. 2013 was a good year for movies: we

had Willy Wonka and

the Physics Factory,

where three orange

Oompa-Loompa girls

explained fluid pressure and T.V.

transmissions to kid brother

Charlie, and the uproariously

funny The Physics of Bullying, highlighting the physics of

toilets, text messages, and other nefarious tools of the

trade--plus the physics of Krav Maga for the victims to

even the odds! And over in the corner, you might have

heard Arielle Kaye and Talia Canter warming up their

voices for The Physics of Music and The Human Voice.

Honors for the evening went to Defying Gravity: The

Physics of Stage Flight, a cinematic masterpiece calculating

tension in stage rigs courtesy of Shira Harris and Josh

Swatez. High honors also went to Sara Splansky and

Tali Lupovitch's The Physics of Cooking, whose

thermodynamic cake bakeoff and

grill stations tied Jessica Hochberg

and Tali Shapiro's The Physics of

Animals sodium-potassium gradient

hopscotch for the best demos of the

evening. The Daniel Bier Award for

Best Use of Film went to Jeremy

Goodman, Yarden Michael, and

Josh Silverman's The Physics of

Football, winner of the loudest groan

of the afternoon for, "Ouch--that has

got to have hurt!"

Many thanks to all the friends,

parents, teachers, alumni, cheering

younger siblings and volunteer

camera operators who came to

applaud and to help make this year's Expo a success. And

godspeed to our graduating cameraman Yoni Gabel

('13), who since his freshman year, has attended over 12

hours of Physics Expos as our most enthusiastic fan!

Mathletes Celebrate

The math team celebrated the end of a successful season

during lunch on Monday, enjoying ice cream sundaes,

puzzles, and friendly games of Set. In our first year in the

55-school North Suburban Math League, CJHS finished

fifth out of the twelve teams in its division; Joe

Kupferberg and Benji Fishbaum earned Honorable All-

Conference Awards. The team recognized the contributions

of this year's captains: Josh Aaronson, Evan Gorstein,

and Joe Kupferberg, and each student's accomplishments

were recognized via a "Piece of Pi" award such as Matt

Dulberg's "Super Matt" award, awarded for the enthusiasm

he demonstrated at each meet by donning his Superman

cape. Our math team looks forward to many more future

events under our new Board of Math Evan Gorstein, Joe

Kupferberg, Jonah Glick-Unterman, Sarah Comar,

Hana Lieber, and Rayna Gorstein.

Many thanks to our faculty coaches, Ms. Averbuch, Mr.

Baumstark, Mrs. Charous, Ms. Gitlin, Ms. Musleh, and Dr.

Yuen, for all their dedication and hard work this year.

Exam Schedule

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

8:30 Tefillah

9:30 Science Hebrew English Math Talmud

12:30 Bible Hebrew Spanish History English

Summertime Torah Study

Best Friends Forever: Ruth and Naomi,

Jonathan and David

This summer, join CJHS teacher Shira

Eliaser and alumni parent Dr. Elysa Barack Fisher at the

LifeCenter Torah Network to explore the hidden

relationships in the Book of Ruth and the story of King

Saul's doomed son. Through the lens of Pirkei Avot, we

will examine what it means to be a true friend in the face

of hardship, exile, and an uncertain future: how friends

shape our self-awareness and our destiny. The first

session begins on Monday, June 10! Click here for details.

STAND UPdate

STAND secretary Yadid Licht signs off for the summer,

"This past year has been one of STAND's most active and

successful years in recent history. With a fantastic Sleep-

In, and a great Human Rights Week, STAND has informed

the community on various issues relating to global conflicts

and human rights. STAND has also raised a large sum of

money which has been donated to the Solar Cooker

Project. Thank you to everyone who has participated in

STAND this past year, and especially to our fearless leader,

Nate Swetlitz. Thank you to you all for reading these brief

updates every week. If you would like to stay updated in

terms of human rights news during the summer, check out

http://endgenocide.org or http://enoughproject.org/."

Baruch Dayan Emet

Condolences to sophomore Hannah Lynch and her family

on the recent loss of her aunt, Sally Chasse. May the

Omnipresent comfort the entire family along with all the

other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

A Taste of Torah: Shlach Lecha

The true difference between the two accounts of the scouts--the ten traitors on one hand, Joshua and Caleb on the other-- is in the way that the perspective taken affected their motivation to complete the task at hand. In the first case, the less reliable

concluded that because of the strength of the enemy and the difficult terrain of the land, it would not be possible to conquer it. Joshua and Caleb, who saw the same land with the same challenges, looked hard at the panorama and decided, "It can be done! Let's go!" The Jewish

people's problem was not only the desire to return to Egypt, but in the fact that their leaders, the unfaithful scouts, discouraged them from completing the task before

even beginning it.

Now, the lesson becomes clear. As leaders, it is essential to be conscious of the perspective we take: perspective has major implications on motivation. At every moment we observe and in

every situation, we must pause and think. Is this perspective I am taking productive? Does it it help get the job done? This is so crucial because leaders must lead. If the leader decides that the task is too daunting, he or she is not leading. And their followers have nothing to do but wander in the desert.

As seniors heading out to some of the

world's best universities or to defend the State of Israel, it is certain that we will all be in positions of leadership. It is important for us to remember parashat Shlach Lecha at these times,

because our perspective and attitude as a leader has a strong influence on all of those around us. We have to be sure that we are always working, providing a perspective that motivates others to work at the task at hand.

It may seem like a tall order, but we are lucky to be coming out of an institution like CJHS, for we have

really already been doing it. At CJHS, we don't look at all of the knowledge the world has to offer, say, "Too vast!" and then never work at it. Instead, we work at it chunk by chunk constantly working to be the best students we

can be. At CJHS, we don't look at the hardest questions in Judaism, whether its God, mitzvot, humanity, or community, say "Too hard!" and then forget it. Instead, we question, we think critically, we discuss, and we grow. At CJHS, we don't look at the injustice in the world, say "Too much!" and then hide in artificial blindness. Instead, we volunteer, we fundraise, we donate, we

educate, and work to make the difference.

לא עילך המלכה לגמור ולא אתה בן חורין להבטל ממנה

It is not for you to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it. Often times the task is vast, and we know that our efforts alone will not complete it. But it is important that we stay motivated, and continue working so that we inspire others to join in. Perhaps with the help of others we may complete it, but otherwise we will be wandering the desert for forty years.

In the end, this is what I think it means to be a leader, always focus on the task at hand and make sure that you are always

thinking that the task can be completed, because it cannot be completed alone. We need help, we need friendships, we need

communities dedicated to bettering the world, we need people working together. Graduates, I hope that each year, as parashat Shlach Lecha rolls around you remember this lesson, and all of the lessons that we have learned here at CJHS. For if you do, I'm sure that this world will be lead to a better place.

--Aaron Zell ('13), in honor of the graduates

Alumni Trivia

Renana Fox's ('06) radio adaptation of

Shakespeare's As You Like It will air on

Sunday, June 9 on Washington DC's local

NPR station. We can catch the live stream

on the WAMU website here. Alumni in D.C. can even

attend the live showing at American University's Woods-

Brown amphitheater; for more information on the show

and on the Lean and Hungry Theater Company, click here. Break a leg, Renana!

Shabbat Shalom

Candlelighting this Friday will be at 8:02 p.m. Shabbat

shalom!

To all our readers, we wish a relaxing, safe, and productive summer. Whether you're at camp, in Israel, working hard, or just

relaxing at home, we wish you nothing but the best. E-News will resume in August. See you in the fall!