Chicagoland Jewish High School

Curriculum

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School offers a dual curriculum of general studies and Judaic studies. It is affiliated with the Solomon Schechter Day School Association, and its student body includes students from all streams of Judaism. Every day begins at 8:00 A.M. with Shacharit, a Jewish prayer service, followed by breakfast. Classes begin at 9:00 A.M. and end at 3:27 P.M., with optional Minchah services held during advisory, or after school depending on when the sun sets. There is also an extra class period from 3:30 P.M. until 4:10 P.M. for students to have a gym class, practice with their sport team, or meet with teachers.

Sports: Rochelle Zell offers a variety of sports, such as basketball, soccer, cross country, tennis, baseball, golf, bowling, volleyball, dance, and others, with the department increasing every year. Rochelle Zell is a member of the Chicago Prep Conference. The Rochelle Zell Men's Basketball team won IHSA Regional Championships in 2010, 2013, and 2014. In 2013 the basketball team became the first Jewish High School in Illinois to compete in a Sectional Championship. The Women's Volleyball team won the 2012 IHSA Regional Championship. The Men's Volleyball team won conference in 2012. The Rochelle Zell Men's Cross Country team has won the Chicago Prep Conference Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 while the Women's team won the Chicago Prep Conference championships in 2010 and 2011.

Co-Curriculars: Rochelle Zell allots a 41-minute period on Tuesdays and Thursdays, immediately following lunch, during which activities such as LD Debate, Model United Nations, dance, vocal music, jazz band, drama, yearbook, photography, and art take place.

Va'ad: The student government, the Va'ad Hastudentim (formerly Va'ad Hatalmidim; Va'ad means committee), represents the student body. There are also many other clubs, such as a fashion club, an Israel club, a Math Team, Friend's Club, a United States Politics Club, Garden club, Youth Philanthropy Initiative, Interfaith Youth Corps, the new RC club the Va'ad Tefillah, and the Va'ad Tikkun Olam. Students are encouraged to start new clubs with the help of a faculty advisor.

Shabbatonim: During selected weekends, the school gathers together for a fun Shabbat full of activities to strengthen the sense of community within the school.

History

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School opened its doors in 2001, welcoming 23 freshmen and 3 sophomores. In the 2005–2006 school year, 94 students attended Rochelle Zell, and the number increased to 132 students in the 2007–2008 school year, along with many new faculty members. Due to growth in its student body, Rochelle Zell moved from its Morton Grove campus to a state-of-the-art high school in Deerfield in fall 2007. In the 2014–2015 school year, the number of students increased to 159.

In 2015, the school received a generous gift from the Zell Family Foundation and subsequently changed its name from Chicagoland Jewish High School to Rochelle Zell Jewish High School.

Student body

As of 2012 the students at Rochelle Zell were from Algonquin, Buffalo Grove, Chicago, Deerfield, Evanston, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Zurich, Lindenhurst, Long Grove, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, River Forest, Riverwoods, Skokie, Naperville, Vernon Hills, Wheeling, Wilmette and Philadelphia, PA. As of the same year students attended 42 different synagogues.