Panim El Panim

19 Kislev, 5774 November 22, 2013

This Week at CJHS

Panim El Panim

All-School Shabbaton

Sacred Space Field Trip

Hebrew Guest Lecturer

Studio Art Show

Model U.N. Movie Night

Alumni Basketball Game

Mazal Tov

Baruch Dayan Emet

Alumni Trivia

A Taste of Torah

Junior Class Lobbies in Washington

Save the Date

Wednesday, Nov. 27 1:15 Dismissal Thursday, Nov. 28 Thanksgiving Break: No School Friday, Nov. 29 Thanksgiving Break: No School Saturday Night, Nov. 30 Alumni Basketball Game Friday, Dec. 7 - Saturday, Dec. 8 STAND Sleep-In; Sunday, Dec. 8 Model U.N. Movie Night

P.O. Corner

Parents: "Like" the official CJHS Parent Organization Facebook page for information on special programs and events! "Like" us today by visiting

our new Facebook page!

Interested in getting involved in the PO? Drop us a note at po@cjhs.org.

The P.O. is pleased to offer the gift card "Gelt" program. This program is designed to help families earn money toward their children's junior year Panim program and/or the Senior Israel Experience. Faculty and staff can also buy Gelt to support programs provided for the school by the P.O. By buying things you ordinarily purchase anyway, you can earn money which will be credited to your family or class for designated school trips. Contact Sheri Sandrof at ssandrof@cjhs.org or call her at 847.324.3723.

The junior class spent the early part of this week lobbying, touring, and attending panels with BBYO's annual political training initiative in Washington D.C. Class blogger Tali Geifman reports from the nation's capital, "A diverse group of kids from multiple Jewish schools across the country came together and formed a miniature community." The students hit the ground running on Sunday morning, getting briefed by the National Coalition for the Homeless and hearing firsthand accounts of life on the streets of what ought to be the greatest city in the nation. "Street Torah" got our kids out to meet the residents of the capital's park benches and bus shelters, to get to know them and recognize both their needs and their fine human qualities. The

class also attended a panel on conflict minerals to better inform them on international issues. Healthcare systems and dirty money were two of the topics that engaged the juniors on Monday. What does our nation need and how do we pay for it? And if we can pay for it, does it matter where the money comes from? The students participated in a community caucus and congressional simulation, and concluded the day with the annual ADL concert against hate, featuring moving speeches given by the families of Daniel Pearl and Matthew Shepard among the different musical performances. Trip chaperone Mr. Kassner reports that the concert was an amazing experience--truly the highlight of the trip! Finally, the big day came, and, briefed by specialists from AIPAC, the students split into groups to lobby their congressional representatives about the issues they had been discussing. Many thanks to Congressman Brad Schneider (father of Adam Schneider '11), and to the staff of Senator Dick Durbin and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky for meeting with us! Tali concludes, "On a daily basis we witness but don't truly think about the fact that there are people a lot less fortunate than us. We feel that this opened the eyes of our new community to advocate for housing and make a difference."

Community News and Events

Thanksgiving Catering from a CJHS Alum

Too busy to cook this year? Let chef Avram Pachter ('06) of Highland Park cater your family feast. Circle of Life catering operates out of North Suburban Beth El in Highland Park. Click here for his full menu and order forms.

USY Summer Info

Get the scoop on great Summer 2014 Teen Travel Experiences! Monday, Nov. 25 7:00 p.m. Menchie's 1929 Sheridan Road Highland Park, IL FREE! This is your chance to learn about USY's Summer Programs. For more information, contact Ben Varon, USY Summer Programs Coordnator, at varon@uscj.org or 212.533.7800, ext. 1117.

College Visits CJHS is pleased to welcome representatives from the following programs:

Midreshet

Ein Hanatziv

12/2/13

3:30 PM

Yeshivat

Maale Gilboa

12/2/13

3:30 PM

Sponsor Breakfast

What's better than a birthday celebration with friends? Celebrate your student's birthday or other

All-School Shabbaton Many thanks to Baye Miller and Avidan Halivni for organizing a fabulous DEAP (Direct Action, Education, Advocacy, and Philanthropy) Shabbaton at Anshe Emet Synagogue in Lakeview. The theme for this fall's Shabbaton was immigration, and we heard many speakers, community activists, and local organizers about issues pertaining to who is an American and how we can properly support would-be newcomers and their families. Thanks also to the wonderful welcoming staff of Anshe Emet for including us in their community and to Rabbi Silver, Rabbi Robkin, Ms. Karasov, Ms. Frankel, Dr. Schorsch, and Mrs. Eliaser for chaperoning.

Sacred Space Field Trip

Can space truly be sacred? Is there a fundamental distinction between sanctity, sanctuary, inspiration, and aesthetics? The sophomore class took a field trip on Monday to the Bahai Temple of Wilmette to examine the beauty of the structure and discuss the concept of sacred space. The Tanakh classes are drawing inspiration from their study of Shlomo's dedication of the Beit HaMikdash, while the beginning Chumash classes are preparing to study the mishkan. Thanks to Ms. Frankel and Rabbi Belgrad for chaperoning.

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, please call 847.324.3713 or email idrazin@cjhs.org. Order forms are available online here.

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Hebrew Guest Speaker

Last Friday, CJHS upperclassmen heard a lecture in Hebrew from noted Israeli author Yochi Brandes, who is visiting Chicago for the Israeli Book Fair. Brandes' novels and plays are primarily inspired by Jewish sources: the Tanakh, the writings of the sages, Jewish law and prayers, the Kabbalah, and Hassidic lore. Brandes has published novels and essays on Biblical women, all of them best-sellers in Israel. The students reported that it was challenging to follow a serious discourse about literature at the speed of a native Hebrew speaker!

Studio Art Show: "Texting"

The Fall 2013 Studio Art Show is up and running. Our students watercolor texture-studies, tesselated and reproduced as full posters, will be on display at Am Yisrael Congregation in Northfield until November 27. CJHS thanks Rabbi Debra Newman-Kamin for this wonderful opportunity to showcase our students' work. Do stop by and see!

Alumni Trivia

Who's the mystery Badger? Last week's Alumni Trivia featured photos of University of Wisconsin and University of Illinois students up at a Ramah reunion--which additional CJHS alumna could be seen in both pictures?

Model U.N. Movie Night

Each year, the CJHS Model U.N. team presents a program regarding various world issues. The purpose of the program is to both enlighten the CJHS community and to raise needed funds to help support the Model U.N. team. So, please mark your calendars for Sunday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m. when we present The Sudan: Then and Now. We will be showing the movie Darfur Now to be followed by a discussion led by members of the Model U.N. team and members of the Sudanese Community Center of Chicago. Darfur Now follows the story of six individuals who are tied together by the same cause: the crisis in Darfur. These individuals include Hejewa Adam, a woman whose baby was beaten to death by Janjaweed attackers who now fights in the Sudanese Liberation Army; Ahmed Mohammed Abakar, a displaced builder and farmer who now serves as leader and head sheikh of a camp of 47,000 other displaced Darfurians; and Pablo Recalde, leader of the World Food Program in West Darfur. Western activists include Don Cheadle, an Oscar-nominated actor using his celebrity status to draw attention to the issue, Adam Sterling, a 24-year-old who urged Governor Schwarzenegger to sign a bill to keep California funds from investing in companies with interests in Sudan, and Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Hard to watch but impossible to turn away from, Darfur Now aims to educate, illuminate, and, most of all, motivate viewers to somehow get involved and have a greater understanding of the calamitous situation in that African land. Tickets may be ordered for $10 by sending a check made out to CJHS Attn: Model UN. You can also give ticket orders to Nathaniel Moses, Charlotte Kamin, Ari Spellman, Zev Mishell, Josh Pliskin, Ranan Vales, Jason Taitz, Ruli Warner-Rosen, Shira Harris, Arielle Small, and David Steinberg, or to Dr. Gary Auslander.

Alumni Basketball Game

Featuring the annual tug-of-war competition and game entertainment Saturday evening, November 30, from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. There will be a suggested $10 donation at the door. Each entrance donation will include a free travel mug from the Roar Store! To play in the Alumni Basketball Game, sign up here. For any other questions, contact Tara Seymour at 847.423.5489.

Mazal Tov On November 16, Jamie Weisman, daughter of CJHS Spanish teacher Lee Weisman and her husband Michael, married David Friedman in Chicago. Please congratulate Sra. Weisman on this joyous occasion.

Baruch Dayan Emet It is with great sadness that we announce the passing late last week of Charles Miller, father of freshman Erin Miller. Hamakom Yinachem Etchem B'toch Sh'ar Avalei Tziyon V'Yerushalayim. May God's presence comfort the entire Miller family and the CJHS community among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Alumni Trivia Did you find Shelby Cooper ('11) in both pictures? Shelby is currently a junior at the University of Wisconsin, where she is studying economics. Shelby is vice-president of her sorority, Chi Omega, and she's very excited to be spending next semester studying abroad in Rome on the same program as fellow-Tiger Adam Rudolph ('11).

A Taste of Torah: Vayeshev

This twist in the Joseph/Judah narrative is striking. Commuting a death sentence into one of slavery, Judah manipulates his brothers to sell Joseph for profit; he then is promptly manipulated by his daughter-in-law Tamar, whose marital and familial rights he has knowingly violated. This leaves her a childless and unsupported widow without even the levirate marriage to which she was entitled. Ironically, Joseph--the favorite son of a wealthy man--is powerless, but Tamar--Judah's foreign Canaanite dependent-- is not. Tamar refuses to submit to Judah's callous treatment, and eventually seduces the unknowing patriarch into providing her with the children whom she wants so badly. When Judah wishes to

punish Tamar for her sexual adventures, Tamar subtly sends him the message that the children are his, and it is he, not she, who has committed an indiscretion.

Tamar sends her father-in-law a message privately, but he responds publicly: "She is more righteous than I, since I did not [marry] her to my son Shelah!" Public acknowledgement of his own wrongdoing, and respect for Tamar and her newborn twins, sets Judah on the path to lead effectively and righteously. Peretz, the elder twin, will sire the line which will culminate in the Messiah; Judah, his somewhat reluctant progenitor, will stand against the

viceroy of Egypt--the brother whom he failed to save--to defend his youngest brother from the despot's machinations. This time, Judah does not play off "the lesser of two evils," but addresses the powerful Joseph with erudition, wit, and the strength of character gained from knowing he is truly in the right. Tamar's humbling power play not only ennobles her and exposes Judah's faults for immediate correction, it teaches Judah a valuable lesson about leadership. Joseph always takes his own power for granted, and assumes it is a birthright that comes with intelligence and charisma. But true power, Judah recognizes, is recognizing that there is power outside of yourself.

--Rav Beit Sefer Zach Silver and Mrs. Shira Eliaser

Shabbat Shalom

Candlelighting tonight will be at 4:07 p.m. Shabbat Shalom!