About NoVaChai
NoVaChai is a grass roots, ground up effort to build and foster a more positive, supportive learning environment for Jewish students.
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The name NoVaChai is derived from Northern Virginia and Chai, the Hebrew word for life. The foundation was established in 2024 to grow appreciation for the Jewish experience, current and historical, for all high school students in the Washington DC region.
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NoVaChai achieves this through three primary goals:
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Improving student access to content that better represents Jews and Jewish experience for in class learning
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Aiding high school students that seek to establish and maintain clubs that celebrate Jewish life and explore Jewish experience
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Rewarding schoolwork that explores Jewish identity, history, politics and achievement
How NoVaChai Helps
Student Groups
Many schools lack activities for Jewish students. In some situations Jewish students feel the need to suppress their Jewishness. This not only deprives Jewish students the opportunity to truly express themselves but deprives the entire student body of positive cultural and educational opportunities.
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Learn how NoVaChai supports student groups to thrive.
Student Scholars
The classroom experience for DC metro high school students is limited when it comes to describing the Jewish experience. Few opportunities occur in curriculum to learn about the birth of democratic Israel or the contributions of Jews to the growth and success of world nations.
Learn how NoVaChai helps students to create opportunities for learning and growth.
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Teachers
Public high school curricula lack content and meaning pertaining to Judaism and Israeli history. Classroom experience for high school students should expand to include the significant achievements and roles that Jews, Judaism, and Israel have played throughout world history. It is within the power of educators to see that this happens.
Learn how NoVaChai supports teachers who wish to expand the understanding of the Jewish experience in their classrooms.