2 Adar II, 5776

March 11, 2016

This Week atRochelle Zell

Model  U.N.  WinsFreshman  BibleBiblical  Fan  MailQuarkNet  HijinksSave  the  DatesAd  BookCommunity  EventsAlumni  TriviaTefillah Kavannah

Class ScheduleMonday,  March  14BB

Tuesday,  March  15C

Wednesday,  March  16A

Model U.N. #1 in Nation

Rochelle Zell Takes Back-to-Back First PlaceWins!

For  the  second  year  in  a  row,  Rochelle  Zell  Jewish  High  Schoolhas  taken  home  first  place  in  the  Na=onal  High  School  ModelU.N.  Conference,  aCended  by  over  3,800  students  from  150

Thursday,  March  17BB

Friday,  March  18CC

Quick LinksRZJHS.orgCalendarsLunch  MenuEdlineGive  Now

Save The DateMarch  18-­‐19All  School  Shabbaton

March  24Purim

March  252:15  Dismissal  Begins

April  10-­‐11Wagner  Ins[tute

April  10ACT

April  14School  Musical

April  20-­‐May  2Pesach  Break

April  22First  Seder

schools.    The  team  returned  home  to  a  hero's  welcome  onMonday  morning,  with  t-­‐shirts  and  banners  and  speecheshighligh=ng  the  work  they  did  simula=ng  interna=onalproblem-­‐solving  and  coopera=on  in  New  York.  

"It's  the  kipahs,"  responds  team  captain  Jason  Taitz,  to  themany  queries  about  the  secret  of  our  team's  success.    "We'reknown  for  them.    They  all  know  us  at  the  conference  as  "theguys  in  the  hats."    Jason  told  the  school  at  tefillah  on  Mondayhow  important  Jewish  iden=ty  is  to  our  team,  being  visible  inpublic  as  representa=ves  of  the  Jewish  community,  geUng  upearly  every  morning  to  daven  and  eschewing  their  Saturdaymorning  rest  without  sacrificing  their  energy  levels,  theirwriCen  eloquence,  or  their  reputa=on  for  leadership.

Team  captain  Melissa  Levin  explained  to  the  proud  and  curioussupporters  that  their  team  has  always  been  trained  to  win,  withtargeted  and  focused  leadership  stemming  from  their  foundingcoach  Mrs.  Myra  Loris,  and  con=nued  on  by  Dr.  Gary  Auslanderand  current  coach  Mr.  Joseph  Eskin.    The  Rochelle  Zell  seniorsinduct  the  new  freshmen  every  year  to  make  themselvesknown  on  their  commiCees,  to  volunteer  and  go  above  andbeyond,  to  be  unfailingly  inclusive  to  students  from  otherschools  and  above  all,  to  conduct  themselves  with  friendlyopenness  and  derech  eretz  to  everyone  they  work  with.

Kol  hakavod  to  our  award  winning  delegates:  Julia  Ma[  andJason  Taitz,  who  won  second  place  on  the  Security  CouncilCommiCee,  and  Melissa  Levin  and  Josh  Pliskin,  who  wonsecond  place  on  the  Historical  Security  Council  CommiCee.  Yasher  koach  also  to  our  many  speakers  at  the  Plenary  Session:Felix  Rosen  and  David  Levin  for  SPECPOL,  Ethan  Laney  and  LilyCopley  for  ECOFIN,  Livi  Moses  and  Eli  Ecanow  for  FAO,  DylanJanczak  and  Eli  Nasa[r  for  UN  Habitat,  Emma  Ma[  for  UNICEF,Jonah  Karoll  and  Brian  Silverstein  for  World  Bank,  Ranan  Valesand  Ari  Rosenthal  for  OSCE,  and  Arielle  Small  and  SammyHoffman  for  UNESCAP.    And  look  for  the  ar=cle  in  nextThursday's  Pioneer  Press!

Alumni Trivia

Which  of  last  year's  first  in  the  na=on  Model  U.N.  captains  could  be  seen  cheering  Rochelle  Zell  on

from  the  sidelines  in  New  York,  and  where  is  he  now?

Abraham and the AkedahObedience to a Greater Principle or Personal Ethics?

Rabbi  Belgrad's  freshmen  have  concluded  their  debate  on  Avraham  Avinu  and  his  final  test  tosacrifice  his  son.    Sammy  Vayngart,  speaking  towards  our  Patriarch  passing  God's  test,  explains,"We  should  learn  that  God  always  has  a  plan  and  an  agenda,  and  the  best  op=on  is  to  be  faithful,respeccul,  and  obedient  to  God.  It  is  unfair  to  decide  where  the  supreme  right  comes  from,  divineethics  or  human  reason,  because  the  life  culture  and  society  [in  Abraham's  =me]  was  muchdifferent  than  what  it  is  now.  "  Joey  Rosenblum,  represen=ng  the  view  that  Avraham  did  not  passhis  test,  went  a  step  further.    "Before  the  Torah,  all  of  our  ethics  came  from  God  Himself.  Yet  nowthat  we  have  the  Torah,  we  extract  our  ethics  from  it  and  shape  them  into  our  own  morals  andethics."    Yasher  koach  to  both  teams,  and  thanks  to  guest  judges  Ms.  Nadis  and  Mrs.  Eliaser!

Biblical Fan MailRobert Alter Corresponds With Freshmen Bible Students

Thank  you  to  interna=onally  renowned  scholar  Robert  Alter  for  responding  to  our  leCer!  Sophomore  Brian  Silverstein  expressed  his  gra=tude  to  Prof.  Alter  for  the  transla=on  andcommentary  that  helped  the  class  gain  a  richer  understanding  of  the  characters  and  the  flow  ofthe  narra=ve.    Prof.  Alter  is  a  well-­‐known  Bible  scholar  and  author  who  focuses  on  literary  analysisof  the  text;  his  missive  reached  us  from  the  University  of  California  at  Berkeley,  where  he  is  aprofessor  of  Hebrew.

QuarkNet HijinksPhysics Club Investigates Electric Fields

If  you  saw  six  boys  and  girls  piling  into  the  staff  bathroom  last  Thursday,  it  was  strictly  in  pursuit  ofscien=fic  knowledge!    QuarkNet  physics  students  were  trying  to  see  the  corona  discharge  aroundthe  electrosta=c  generator  they  were  playing  with!    Although  we  didn't  glimpse  thecharacteris=c  orange  glow,  even  in  the  darkened  room,  we  did  feel  the  crackle  of  the  enormouselectric  field  on  everyone's  hands,  and  spend  a  merry  quarter  of  an  hour  making  mylar  ribbons  flyaround  the  room  and  s=ck  to  the  ceiling  with  electrosta=c  induc=on!    Join  the  physics  buffs  nextThursday.  March  17  when  Dr.  Michael  SchmiC  of  Northwestern  University  comes  to  answerques=ons  and  talk  to  us  about  gravity  waves!

Mishloach Manot 5776YPI Raises Funds for City Schools

Here  at  Rochelle  Zell,  the  Youth  Philanthropy

Ini=a=ve  (YPI)  sponsors  an  annual  MishloachManot  drive  for  the  school  community.  Thisyear's  proceeds  will  go  to  The  ChicagoFounda=on  for  Educa=on,  a  local  organiza=onthat  provides  resources  to  teachers  and  schoolsto  enhance  the  quality  of  educa=on.    MishloachManot  (literally  delivery  of  por=ons)  is  one  of

four  central  mitzvot  on  Purim,  the  prac=ce  of  sending  gios  of  food  to  friends  and  rela=ves  to  bringhappiness  to  our  local  community.

By  par=cipa=ng  in  the  Rochelle  Zell  Jewish  High  School  Mishloach  Manot  drive  you  not  onlyensure  that  every  Rochelle  Zell  Jewish  High  School  family  receives  a  delicious  bag  of  treats,  butalso  contribute  to  an  organiza=on  that  does  powerful  work  in  our  community.    There  are  a  fewways  to  par=cipate  in  this  year’s  Mishloach  Manot  drive.  Click  here  see  your  op=ons  and  todownload  the  order  form.  Thank  you  for  par=cipa=ng  in  this  year’s  Mishloach  Manot  drive  andhelping  people  in  need!

Join Us This Saturday Night

Click here or anywhere on the image above to RSVP

AIPAC Chicago Policy ConferenceRochelle Zell Delegation

Click here or anywhere on the image above to register

Wagner Institute

Adbook Sponsorship

Adver=se  your  business  in  the  Rochelle  Zell  Jewish  High  School  ad  book  supplement  to  theyearbook.  Recall  memories,  give  a  bit  of  advice,  or  simply  extend  good  wishes  to  students,  thecommunity  or  to  the  faculty  and  staff.  Click  here  for  an  order  form,  or  pick  up  a  form  in  the  schooloffice.  Complete  and  submit  to  the  front  office  at  Rochelle  Zell  Jewish  High  School  in  an  envelopemarked  'yearbook'.  You  can  also  email  ad  copy/artwork  here.  All  ad  book  submissions  are  dueApril  15.  For  ques=ons  or  more  informa=on,  contact  Ms.  Averbach  at  847.423.5977.

Community  News  and  Events    

Alumni Concert Next Week

Benji  Fleischacker  ('12)  is    coming  toChicagoland  with  Low  Strung,  "the  biggestall-­‐cello  rock  band  in  the  world."  Benjiand  his  fellow  punk  cellists  play  originalarrangements,  combining  rock  andclassical  music  for  a  new  sound.    Ticketsare  now  available  for  Fleisch's  Chicagotour-­‐-­‐Evanston,  Skokie,  and  downtown-­‐-­‐so  stop  by  lowstrungcellos.org  and  checkthem  out!  

JUF's Annual Jewish Day School NightTuesday, March 29, 7:15 p.m. | 5300 West Touhy Avenue in Skokie, IL

Alumni Trivia

The  captains  of  last  year's  M.U.N.  team  that  made  Deerfield,  IL,  "Home  of  Chicagoland  Jewish  High

School,  #1  Model  U.N.  Team  2015"  were  Ruli  Warner-­‐Rosen  and  Joe  Cohen!    Ruli  is  in  WashingtonD.C.,  studying  engineering,  environmental  sustainability,  corporate  social  responsibility,  andbusiness  ethics  at  George  Washington  University.    Joe  Cohen  was  thrilled  to  be  tex=ng  fromNHSMUN  in  New  York,  where  he  was  on  staff  to  witness  his  successor's  victory.    Joe  reports  how

great  it  was  to  see  his  old  school  team  s=ll  having  the  same  success  as  last  year.  Joe  is  studyingphilosophy,  poli=cs,  and  economics  at  the  University  of  Michigan,  where  he  is  also  co-­‐president  ofan  Israel  advocacy  and  educa=on  group  on  campus  called  I-­‐Lead.

Kavannah from Friday's Tefillah

"Adar  is  a  month  in  which  we  are  supposed  to  increase  in  joy.  Purim,  shpiels,  and  delicious  foodsare  all  part  of  this  joyous  month.  Yet,  how  can  we  be  so  joyous  when  there  are  people  in  our  worldsuffering  everyday?  This  is  ques=on  I  ooen  think  of  and  am  ooen  confused  by.  Do  I  have  the  rightto  be  joyous  and  happy  while  others  do  not  have  this  privilege?

"There  is  a  midrash  that  tells  of  angels  wan=ng  to  sing  and  rejoice  aoer  God  closes  the  Red  Sea  onthe  Egyp=an  soldiers.  God  asks  the  angels  how  they  could  be  so  happy  when  God’s  creatures  werejust  destroyed.  This  midrash  highlights  that  humanity  as  whole  can  never  be  completely  joyouswhen  even  one  human  being  is  suffering.  That  being  said,  it  is  possible  to  aCempt  to  rejoice  asmuch  as  one  possibly  can.  Being  joyous  gives  human  beings  the  strength  to  live.  So,  the  month  ofAdar  is  a  =me  in  which  we  must  strive  to  rejoice,  yet  recognize  that  the  world  can  not  becompletely  joyous.

"Can  we  be  joyous  when  there  is  so  much  suffering  in  the  world?  I  believe  that  we  can  try  as  hardas  we  can  to  be  joyous  through  singing  and  dancing  in  tefillah,  funny  Purim  shpiels,  and  cleverPurim  costumes.  Simultaneously  though,  the  suffering  in  the  world  is  devasta=ng  to  the  joy  in  theworld,  but  we  must  not  let  this  discourage  people  from  trying  to  be  joyous.  So,  let  us  embrace  theprivilege  of  joy  and  strive  to  rejoice  in  this  joyous  month."

-­‐-­‐Idan  Chazan  ('18)

1095  Lake  Cook  Road      •      Deerfield,  IL  60015      •      =gers@rzjhs.org      •      847.470.6700