Until 2004, very little was known about the field of community Hebrew high schools. Grassroots efforts had led to a few gatherings, but each school operated in isolation, and there were very few shared resources or communication between directors. In the fall of 2004, the Institute for Informal Jewish Education (IJE) at Brandeis University received a grant from the Legacy Heritage Fund Limited to bring about improvement in this neglected field of Jewish education for teens.

 

By the summer of 2006, a committee of directors worked with IJE staff to plan a permanent network. As such, North American Association of Community & Congregational Hebrew High Schools (NAACCHHS) was born. This professional network was managed by Devorah Silverman at JESNA and provided schools with essential means of learning, communication and growth on an ongoing basis. With the dissolve of JESNA in 2010, NAACCHHS began running as an independent group under the umbrella of partner nonprofits, with Shari Weinberger, former director of NAACCHHS schools in both Stamford, CT and Providence, RI at the helm. No longer receiving funding or support, NAACCHHS continued to be a national group of Jewish teen educators leading the way in their field.

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In February 2019, Jewish Teen Education & Engagement Network (JTEEN) became the next phase of NAACCHHS, operating as a professional network representing a broader and more diverse audience of Jewish teen professionals serving in both education and engagement roles.