Makom Community
2401 Washington Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19146
Jewish Placemaking Resident
(Full-Time)
www.makomcommunity.org
Makom Community is looking for a leader who is passionate about the profession of Jewish Education, believes in relational engagement, and is looking to invest in their own growth as a Jewish Educator on the way to change the face of Jewish Education.
This is a two-year, paid residency in our Lab School in Philadelphia for Jewish Educators looking to move into leadership roles in the field of Jewish Education. This teaching and learning is grounded in Makom’s unique pedagogy of Jewish Placemaking and your growth within our Lab School. Following two years of immersive residency at Makom Community, you will continue to receive a stipend to facilitate professional learning for Makom Community for 25 hours a year for the next 5 years in addition to your leadership role in another community. Makom Community is prepared to support you through that job placement and transition.
Experience & Skills Required
- 3-5 Years formal or informal Jewish Education experience, ideally including leadership as a unit-head, head teacher, or teacher-leader
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Experience and Appreciation for studying Jewish text
- Ability to decode Hebrew phonetically
- Being able to study text in Hebrew or Aramaic is appreciated but not required
Primary Responsibilities
- Become an Certified Jewish Placemaking Educator 45%
- Participate in a paid two-year residency at Makom Community
- Year 1: Embed in our dynamic educator team, learning to teach Jewish text through our pedagogy, Jewish Placemaking, and begin learning how to facilitate professional development sessions on Jewish Placemaking
- Year 2: Join in onboarding new educators to our team, teach in our Lab School, and teach and coach in our national Jewish Placemaking cohort
- Immerse yourself in studying, implementing, and iterating Jewish Placemaking daily in our Lab School
- Engage in deep and regular professional development for yourself as a leader in the field of Jewish Education
- Receive a stipend for 5 years following this two-year fellowship to teach and coach on Jewish Placemaking 25 hours a year from anywhere in North America
- Learn program evaluation and relational administration to set you apart as you take next steps in your career
- Prepare and Teach Daily in Makom Community’s Lab School 55%
- Engage in regular text study and goal setting with Makom’s incredible team of educators
- Write clear, detailed lesson plans for your class
- Coordinate with your part-time educator before each teaching day.
- Teach daily in Jewish Enrichment, which runs Monday through Friday from 3-6pm
- Participate in a rotation of staff who are on for School’s Out Camp (8am-4pm) and Extended Enrichment (12pm-6pm) days
- Pick students up by walking or public transit daily from an area elementary school; walk up to two miles round trip in temperatures between 15F and 105F
- Build strong relationships with students and families
- Grow Makom Community’s culture of intentionality, empathy, and listening deeply to children and their adults.
- Help facilitate Family Programming throughout the year:
- Staff 5-6 Friday evening dinners or weekday evening learning showcases until 8:00pm
- Staff 1-2 Saturday morning or evening commitments
- Staff a prayer service and celebration the morning of the first day of Rosh Hashanah
- Required within 30 days of hire: Maintain all appropriate background checks: PA State Police, PA Child Abuse History, and FBI fingerprinting
Supporters & Collaborators
- You will have regular supervision with Director of Teaching and Learning where you will set goals for your own learning and growth and check in with them regularly
- You will collaborate with:
- Executive Director and Founder
- Director of Strategy
- Makom Community Educator Team
- Makom Making Project Manager
- Educator and Researcher
Makom Community: A Lab School and Leader in the field of Jewish Education
Makom Community is a Jewish Lab School that creates family-centered Jewish experiences. At Makom we take the practice of self-reflection and iteration in the classroom seriously, and this is the foundation on which we collect research data in our Lab School. This research is then used to strengthen our unique pedagogy of Jewish Placemaking. We then train and support Jewish educators across North America in bringing Jewish Placemaking to their home communities.
At Makom, we offer Monday-Friday, high-quality Jewish education as after school enrichment for children in K-12th grade. Jewish holidays, text, Hebrew, and Jewish prayer are integrated into our daily time together. We welcome the excitement of children. We strive to create an environment where it is safe for parents to learn alongside their children. We cultivate fluency and comfort in Jewish tradition through our joyful youth and family experiences. Makom is committed to building a Jewish community that is open to anyone who wants to engage with Jewish traditions alongside their family, and then use the foundation of community to create a more just world.
Salary & Start Date
$70,000 per year, starting July 14, 2025
Benefits
- Health Insurance (50% covered by Makom Community) and Dental Insurance (100% covered)
- 403(b) retirement account
- Up to 2 mornings (Thursday and Friday) per week available to work from home per our work from home policy
- 3 weeks paid time off and 1 week sick leave
- 10 days paid time off and 5 days sick leave available during the school year by approval, with at least 2 weeks advance notice, available beginning 60 days from start date.
- 5 days paid when our office is closed at the end of June
- Office closed for Jewish holidays, except the first day of Rosh Hashanah
- Funding available for professional development
- Supportive team environment
- Room to grow in this role and and on our team
Makom Community is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome employees and prospective employees without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or veteran status.
How to Apply:
Submit a resume and answers to the following questions (maximum 500 words each) in an attached document to [email protected] by March 28.
- What about Jewish Placemaking connects with your current thinking or practice as an educator?
- How might Jewish Placemaking be a stretch or a challenge for your practice as an educator?
- Describe a teaching moment you were especially proud of. How did you know it was successful?
- Describe a strong experience of professional development you’ve had. What made it a strong professional learning experience?
- What about a two-year practicum speaks to where you are in your professional journey?
- Describe a team you’ve enjoyed being a part of. Please highlight what made it a great team to be a part of. (Feel free to use examples from your personal or professional life.)
Timeline
March 10, 2025 Priority Application Deadline
March 28, 2025 Applications Due
April 1-9, 2025 Zoom Interviews
April 11, 2025 Finalists Invited for In-Person Interviews
*Makom Community will book your travel and lodging for this interview.
April 29-30 OR May 8-9, 2025 In-Person Residency Interviews
May 15, 2025 Residency Announcement to the field of Jewish Education
July 14, 2025 Residency Begins