Dear Benrard Zell Families,

There is a cadence, a rhythm to the school year. The end of each year is always uptempo, almost swing jazz—followed by an immediate caesura—a pause—on the day school ends. The hallways become strangely silent and the sound becomes bluesy with the energy of graduation and the promise of summer, tempered by sadness as we say goodbye to friends and colleagues. And then, a contemplative melody, as we reflect on a good year.

June is Pride Month! What's Jewish about Pride? How can you support LGBTQ Jewish people around you? Celebrate with joy and plenty of rainbows on Sunday, June 25, as the Bernard Zell community marches in Chicago's Pride Parade! 

On Thursday, May 25, over 500 students, faculty and community members gathered to welcome Survivor Torah #1089 from the small town of Rychnov in the Czech Republic. This powerful and moving program symbolically took place on Erev Shavuot, the holiday commemorating the Torah's receiving on Mount Sinai. 

We spent the morning welcoming, blessing, and celebrating this momentous addition to our community. It is customary when welcoming a Torah into a community to have neighbor Torah Scrolls greet it. We were honored to have community leaders from Anshe Emet Synagogue, Mishkan and Anshe Tikvah join us. Students shared their words of wisdom as they passed the Torah to the 7th graders, who will guard this sacred object next year.

With over 270 guests in attendance, the evening featured speeches from our incredible coaching staff, acknowledgment of each of our 136 student-athletes, a medal ceremony for the Athletics Class of 2023, and the shining moment of the evening—the presentation of the David Stiefel Spirit Awards—given annually to two 8th graders who have demonstrated stellar commitment, dedication, leadership, and spirit throughout their time in the program.

Join us in celebrating our outstanding Class of 2023 as they graduate and become the newest members of our alumni community on Thursday, June 6!

Every lesson, conversation and idea at Bernard Zell begins with our Jewish Values. These same values serve as the foundation of our annual day of giving back—the Bernard Zell Day of Service. Since 2016, in memory of Judd Horowitz, late husband of the former Head of School, Dr. Alyson Horowitz, students at every grade level engage in acts of service to support the broader community. Through kindness and compassion, our students embody the values of: