Source: Torah High Canada
Torah High is a private afterschool program where students get not only high school credit but also Jewish knowledge, Jewish friendships and kosher pizza. The brainchild of Rabbi Glenn Black, director of NCSY strategic planning and CEO of NCSY Canada, Torah High offers classes once a week for a forty-week semester, exposing students to Torah-true Judaism in a fun, non-threatening setting.
Reaching about 700 students each year, the Torah Highs in Canada, in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton and Vancouver, have, thus far, touched the lives of 2,700 eighth through twelfth graders during its seven years of existence. Torah High classes—in topics such as Jewish ethics and philosophy, Jewish leadership, history and advocacy, music and visual arts and Hebrew language—are accredited by the local ministries of education. Students must complete 110 hours of instruction per course to earn credit and can also gain hours by attending NCSY Shabbatonim. Additionally, Torah High offers many of its courses over the summer through its programs in Israel.
Torah High provides an alternative for teenagers who don’t have access to Jewish education, giving them an opportunity that they haven't had before.
In light of the success of Torah High in Canada, a number of branches have been opened in the US in Seattle, Chicago and Cleveland.