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Ida Crown Jewish Academy

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Ida Crown Jewish Academy
Location
Map
Chicago
,
Illinois

United States
Information
TypeParochial; Coed
Established1942
DeanRabbi Leonard A. Matanky
Number of students275-350
Color(s)Red, blue and white
MascotAces
Religious AffiliationJewish
Websitehttp://www.icja.org

The Ida Crown Jewish Academy is an Orthodox Jewish high school in West Ridge, Chicago Illinois overseen by the Associated Talmud Torahs. Its current Dean is Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky. Ida Crown places emphasis on both Judaic and Secular studies, and holds their students to high academic standards. The Academy prides itself on its college-preparatory environment, yet still encourages its students to pursue a year in Israel before attending college. Ida Crown serves students from all over the Chicagoland area, including students from Chicago, Skokie, Northbrook, Highland Park, Glencoe, Deerfield, and Evanston.

History

Leaders from the Associated Talmud Torahs (ATT) and Hebrew Theological College met in 1942 to address growing educational concerns. The primary problem centered around the fact that many Jewish children began to drop their studies around Bar Mitzvah time, setting the scene for rampant assimilation and a loss of tradition. They eventually established a plan: to create a high school which combined the secular studies taught in public secondary schools and Judaic studies under one roof. With a day from 9:00 Am to 5:00 PM, students would be the most receptive, and would not have to endure tiring evening classes at Hebrew high or similar institutions. Ideally, these students would move on to pursue Jewish higher education, or at least continue to serve the community.

The school began as Chicago Jewish Academy in September, 1942. It was first located on the West side on the corner of Douglas Blvd. and St. Louis Ave. It was a coeducational junior high school with grades 7-9, subsequent grades were added with each upcoming year. The school became a complete six-year secondary school in September, 1945. The first Commencement ceremony took place in June 1946.

By that time, the school outgrew its previous facilities. The ATT purchased the building of the Metropolitan Masonic Temple in the Garfield Park area; the school moved to the building in 1947. The three-story building was remodeled during the two-year waiting period to accommodate the needs of a modern academy. The University of Illinois officially recognized its existence shortly thereafter. Later, the State placed the Academy on the official list of accredited high schools in 1956.

Despite ample room and much progress, the West side of Chicago began to deteriorate as a whole by the early 1960's. The Academy was forced by virtue of circumstances to relocate in 1961 to the Torah Center. The move helped catalyze the institution of a new branch, a Yeshiva; a section of the high school for boys, which included intensified Talmudic studies. To satisfy the needs of parents and help hinder overcrowding, a third branch, a Girls' school, was established in September 1963.

The Chicago Jewish Academy made its final move in 1964 due to overcrowding. To fund the move, the ATT proposed a campaign to raise funds for a building to house up to 750 students. This building, in the West Rogers Park area, a center of Jewish community regionally, was named the Ida Crown Jewish Academy, after a generous donation from the Crown family. [1]

Later, the Academy would drop its junior high school, and both branches became their own separate Jewish high schools. The Yeshiva became Fasman Yeshiva High School, in Skokie, and the Girls' School became Hannah Sachs Bais Yaakov. Still, the atmosphere and philosophy has generally remained the same over more than fifty years of progress.

Ida Crown Jewish Academy may be planning another move, this time to Skokie. If so, the move would satisfy a student body which is primarily from the North Shore area, and address overcrowding at the current building. (This is still under development.)

Facts

Statistics

  • Days in year: 176
  • Hours in day: 9.7
  • Student/Teacher Ratio: 5:1
  • Enrollment: 280 [2]

Achievements

  • University of Illinois recognized
  • Officially accredited Illinois high school
  • Boys' basketball team won the Joseph Weiner Memorial Basketball Tournament in 1990 and 1995; Girls' team won in 1994 [3]
  • Recognized by the Illinois Department of Education (2003-2004)[4]
  • Chicago Sun-Times rated it as one of the top ten private high schools in Illinois (2004)
  • Wrestling team took second place in the XI Henry Wittenberg Invitational Wrestling Tournament (2006) [5]
  • Two students won the American Mathematics Contest (2006)

Associations

Notable Alumni/Mentions

Israel Programs

ICJA remains the only Jewish high school in the Chicagoland area which emphasizes the importance of learning in Israel for one year, especially in a yeshiva, seminary, or university. ICJA administrators keep close connections with the heads of each program and with the ICJA alumni who attend them to ensure that Israel-bound students recieve the most accurate information. Participation in these programs is heavily encouraged. ICJA publishes an annual guide with information on a wide variety of programs -- the only commonality among them being that these schools maintain and teach according to the laws and customs of Orthodox Judaism (the exception being Hebrew University).

Coeducational Programs

Men's Programs

Women's Programs

The 2006-2007 edition of the "ICJA Israel Programs Guide: Women's Programs" includes the following schools:

  • Afikei Torah
  • Ayelet HaShachar
  • Ba'er Miriam
  • B'not Torah (Scharfman's)
  • Darchei Binah
  • Emunah V'Omanut
  • Machon Gold
  • Machon Maayan
  • Michlalah
  • Michlelet Esther
  • Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalaim (MMY)
  • Midreshet HaRova
  • Michlelet Orot
  • Midreshet Lindenbaum
  • Midreshet Moriah
  • Midreshet Tehiillah
  • Midreshet Yeud
  • Neve Yerushalaim College
  • Nishmat
  • Sha'alavim for Women
  • Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women ("Migdal Oz")
  • Tiferet

See also

References

  1. ^ Rapoport, Rabbi Shlomo (1967). "A Quarter Century of Progress By the Academy". Retrieved 2006-04-17.
  2. ^ "NCES survey".
  3. ^ "List of Tournament Champions".
  4. ^ "Recognized Nonpublic Schools for 2003-2004" (PDF).
  5. ^ "ICJA Wrestling team win".
  6. ^ "Schools benefitting from AMODS endowal fund".
  7. ^ "GreatSchools entry".
  8. ^ "Biography of David Draiman".
  9. ^ "Academy reference in Crossing California".
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