The Israeli wing of the program, organized within the umbrella of the Teach for All network (www.teachforallnetwork.org), began training its first cohort of teachers in July 2010. The pioneering class of teachers was part of the training process named after Naomi Prawer Kadar, as “Chotam Naomi,” “Naomi’s Stamp/Impression”. Chotam Naomi, the teachers’ training institute, spans the summer and the entire school year.

The Chotam Naomi Institute is devoted to those who want to have an impact on the students of Israel. It is the Foundation’s hope that this program will pass on the excellence of Naomi’s full-hearted teaching style to a new generation of quality educators.

Chotam is part of the larger network of Teach For All, which includes programs such as Teach for America, Teach First UK, and other countries’ teaching programs across the globe. Teach First Israel is making its mark as one first 15 countries involved in changing the education system by emphasizing the creation of educational opportunities for all.

Click here to read an article in Hebrew about the inspiring story behind “Chotam Naomi,” published in Yedioth Achronot on August 27, 2010.

The language-learning is complemented by a diverse range of programming including lectures by leading scholars in fields of Yiddish language, literature, and culture, tours, cultural events, and group trips around the country to Jerusalem, the Negev desert, and the Galilee. In small classes with highly qualified and distinguished educators, students receive a deeply meaningful summer experience studying Yiddish in Israel.

The Naomi Foundation™ is proud to fund many scholarships and grants for students from across the world in order to make this exceptional program accessible to all interested.

World ORT’s mission is to work for the advancement of the Jewish people and all people through training and education; to provide communities with the skills and knowledge necessary to cope with the complexities and uncertainties of their environment; to foster economic self-sufficiency, mobility and a sense of identity through use of state-of-the-art technology.

ORT was founded in Tsarist Russia in 1880. The name “ORT” was coined from the acronym of the Russian words “Obshestvo Remeslenofo zemledelcheskofo Truda,” meaning “The Society for Trades and Agricultural Labor.” This acronym has stuck for over 130 years of education and training, even as the organization has grown from its roots in Russia to become a global organization, hence the name “World ORT.”

As one of the largest non-governmental, education and training organizations on earth, World ORT currently operates in Israel, the CIS and Baltic States, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
World ORT’s programs give students the best possible preparation for their future. World ORT strives to provide high quality vocational training and enable its students to become global citizens who will make positive contributions to their society.

World ORT believes the purpose of Jewish education is to teach and inspire. Jewish education should not only aim to transmit knowledge but also help build a sense of identity and belonging. Teachers striving to create and deliver Jewish education programs have a great responsibility and deserve to have access to the best tools available.

In 2011, the Naomi Foundation™ and World ORT partnered to create the “Naomi Prawer Kadar International Seminars for Digital Technology in Jewish Education.” These training seminars offer professional development programming for Jewish studies teachers. The seminars enable teachers to integrate the latest digital technology into their classrooms and schools, thereby profoundly expanding the horizons of Jewish learning and teaching.

With an innovative approach to education, its commitment to Yiddish as a living and vibrant language, The Naomi Foundation™ and Yiddish Farm share fundamental values.

The Yiddish Farm Summer Program with the support of The Naomi Prawer Kadar Foundation™, Inc. provides a forum for a group of Yiddish speakers to spend part of their summer living communally in an immersive Yiddish-speaking environment. The participants spend part of the day working the land, and part of the day involved in cultural programming. Through the program, participants will learn about Jewish history, Yiddish culture, literature, music, and theater the basics of organic farming, and farm-related skills such as cooking and spinning wool.