Schools

CJHS Welcomes Six to Staff

Four new teachers, a school rabbi and finance director join Chicagoland Jewish High School for new term.

welcomed six new staff members to its Deerfield campus when its new term began Monday including a school rabbi, a finance director and four teachers.

Holding the title rav beit sefer—Hebrew for school rabbi—Rabbi Zachary Silver was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in May after experiences as diverse as leading student on a trip to Uganda and working as a sports editor.

Silver did his undergraduate work at the University of Pennsylvania where he was the sports editor of the school paper. He was also a group leader for a high school American Jewish World Service trip to Uganda devoted to engaging in issues of global responsibility, according to information provided by the school.

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Bob Karkowsky will be the school’s new finance and business operations director bringing years of experience in the not for profit world. Most recently he was the executive director of Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago for 11 years. He holds an undergraduate degree from City College of New York, an MBA from Columbia University and a law degree from Suffolk University.

New to the Jewish studies department is Rabbi Ayal Robkin. After receiving degrees from the University of Maryland and the University of Pennsylvania, Robkin has spent a career teaching in Jewish schools.

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Also coming to the Jewish studies department is Ilana Gleicher-Bloom with experience teaching at the high school level in both the United States and Israel. She earned her undergraduate degree from Brandies University and obtained a masters from the University of Tel Aviv.

James Baumstark brings a 20-year business career to his new job teaching honors pre-calculus in the mathematics department. “Jim will demonstrate to his students the practical implications of their coursework in math,” spokesperson Tara Seymour said. Baumstark got his undergraduate degree from Brown University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Joining the music faculty as jazz ensemble director is Peter Roothaan. He is a performer as well as an educator. He has played at Symphony Center in Chicago and Ravinia among other places. He has taught at Glenbrook South and Gordon Tech High Schools. He was educated at Northeastern Illinois University.


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