At JCHS, we strive to connect each student to their unique Jewish identity in ways that are authentic, experiential, and deliberate. We recognize and celebrate the richness and variety of our shared Jewish heritage and also the commonalities that bring together the Jewish people. 

High school is a time of exploration and deepening of identity for any teenager. Whether it's in the arena of world cultures, social justice, politics, or religious practice, we believe that it is vital to introduce our students to a broad spectrum of principles and ways of thinking as a path to understanding their own beliefs. Our goal is to educate engaged citizens fully equipped to participate in answering the key questions of how we live together in a modern pluralistic society. 

Pluralism at JCHS pushes further than just acknowledging and respecting the tenets of streams of Judaism beyond one’s  own. It is also a practical blueprint for engagement with anyone whose views differ from your own, an opportunity to define your own understanding of your values and work to reconcile that with those of your fellow community members. 

Does this mean challenges for the individuals who make up our community? Of course. But it also means that the JCHS community is an exciting and vibrant one, in which we expect to learn from each other and learn from our differences. 

The skills we want to develop in our students include a sense of empathy, the ability to build consensus out of confrontation, and a renewed confidence in the depth of the values they will carry with them throughout their lives. We teach students to seek out many perspectives, engage respectfully in meaningful conversations, and appreciate nuance. These are essentials for anyone facing the complexity of a 21st century globalized world. We hope that every student graduates after four years at JCHS knowing that as individual as their beliefs may be, they are joined together by a community that sees them for who they are and cherishes them for who they will become. 

At JCHS, students come from a remarkably wide range of backgrounds including a variety of ethnic backgrounds and Jewish denominations. Our students also reflect the evolving nature of contemporary expressions of Judaism. For that reason, JCHS does not judge or prescribe the practices of any student or family.