JRC seeks a joyful, inclusive, dynamic, and visionary Jewish leader. We hope it's you!
The Congregation
Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (JRC), one of the Reconstructionist movement’s largest congregations with 425 households, sits on the border of Evanston and Chicago, creating a special mix of suburban and city culture. Our members represent a beautiful diversity of Jewish observance, gender and sexual identity, race, and interfaith families. We are a hands-on, highly collaborative congregation with members leading many aspects of community life with our dynamic staff and clergy.
Kehillah, JRC’s boldly reimagined weekly religious school, provides Shabbat-based programming infused with joy and allows us to experience Shabbat at JRC together as a multi-generational community. Our Kehillah learners engage in a project-based curriculum and monthly family learning while Minyan, Meditation, Brit Mitzvah services, and other learning and social opportunities happen throughout the building. Additionally, our 4th through 6th graders participate in one-on-one Hebrew tutoring culminating in Brit Mitzvah preparation that fits the individual needs of each student and family.
JRC continues to reimagine and reconstruct experiential education for all ages. We partner with our families to create Shabbat, holiday, and other programming for families with infants through preschoolers. Our smart, savvy, and socially engaged teens participate in an annual social justice immersive trip, and we continue to design opportunities for them to engage throughout the year.
Position
The JRC Director of Education will develop and lead Reconstructionist Jewish educational programming for children from birth to grade 12 and their families. The position reports directly to Rabbi Rachel Weiss, JRC’s senior rabbi. JRC seeks an experienced educator who approaches educational programming with excitement, energy, innovation, and respect for all ages, stages, and abilities. Our Director of Education will demonstrate a passion for working with children and infusing Reconstructionist Jewish values in all aspects of education. The ideal candidate will have significant educational and organizational leadership experience and will be detail-oriented and strategic in planning and communicating. We are seeking a joyful, inclusive, dynamic, and visionary Jewish leader.
Essential Job Functions
Religious School (Kehillah)
- Operations: Administers JRC’s Shabbat-based religious school and family education program (Kehillah, which meets Saturday mornings), one-to-one Hebrew program, the Tuesday night 7th-grade program, and the 8th-grade through high school programming. Works with staff and lay leaders to create and manage school policies and procedures.
- Curriculum and Educational Design:
- Creates, implements, assesses, and refines a multi-dimensional, engaging, experiential, and curriculum for grades PreK-7.
- Designs and runs monthly dynamic family education programs for children and adults to learn together and in their own cohorts.
- Guides and supervises one-on-one Hebrew tutoring curriculum.
- Networks with Jewish and secular programs to bring in current and relevant methodologies, tools, and technologies to enhance programming and pedagogy.
- Disability Inclusion: Collaborates with inclusion specialists to ensure programming is accessible for all brains and bodies, including neurodiverse students with varied learning needs.
- Supervision: Hires and provides ongoing supervision to all teachers, madrichim, and inclusion staff. Plans and implements professional development; creates and promotes a positive work culture.
- Lay Leadership: Creates and maintains an active and supportive body of parents and lay leaders in collaboration with JRC’s VP of Education.
- Additional Programming: Designs and executes holiday programming for families and youth at JRC services and events, such as High Holiday programming, PurimFest, and the annual JRC retreat, involving teens in leadership.
Youth and Teen Programming
- Youth Group: Redesigns and implements youth programming including youth group, social programming for teens, leadership development and youth leadership council.
- Madrichim: Supervises and grows robust madrichim programming.
- Immersive Teen Programming: Designs and leads immersive teen learning opportunities, including annual teen trips and social justice learning experiences.
- Collaboration: Seeks opportunities to collaborate with other synagogues’ youth.
- Lay Leadership: Creates and supports an adult advisory committee to support youth programming.
Early Childhood
- Family Programming: Designs and implements family programming for families with children 5 and under, including holiday and Shabbat based events and adult-tot class.
- Program Development: Creatively seeks opportunities to use JRC’s Early Childhood space. Develops and executes program ideas designed to bring families with young children to JRC that bridges programming between the early childhood community and Kehillah.
- Outside Collaboration: Identifies, contracts with, and oversees external partners and vendors to deliver programs.
Administrative and Financial Oversight for all Education Programs
- Financial: Prepares and manages budget, reviews financial reports, monitors income and expenses for all educational programs within the context of JRC’s overall budget; reports payroll to executive director; applies for and manages grant revenue.
- Administrative: Prepares weekly setups, materials, and other resources necessary for weekly religious school, monthly family programs, and other programming.
Communication
- Internal
- Teachers: Maintains regular and clear communication with teachers, providing an open door to collaborate and reflect.
- Families: Writes and produces weekly newsletter for school families. Builds relationships with parents and regularly communicates regarding children’s experience.
- Congregation: Prepares occasional updates for congregation and board.
- External:
- Collaborates with lay-led marketing team to generate excitement for and increased enrollment in programs; communicates with prospective families.
- Collaborates with networks of Jewish educators.
Core Competencies
Inspiring, Visionary, and Creative Educator: The Director of Education infuses excitement and joy into educational programming, and brings imagination, creativity, flexibility, and vision. They have strong knowledge of educational practices and experiential learning.
Collaborative Leader and Supervisor: The Director of Education brings excitement to working with people of all ages and is willing to learn from and teach the community. They are an experienced supervisor who can empower and develop staff, while giving and receiving constructive feedback with a growth mindset. A collaborative team player who is also decisive, they build strong relationships and are confident in problem-solving with all stakeholders.
Embracing of Diversity: The Director of Education celebrates being part of a diverse congregation and implements anti-bias and anti-racist practices and curricula. The Director of Education proactively creates an environment of respect that welcomes all.
Strategic Multitasker: The Director of Education is able to see and communicate the big picture, while managing multiple tasks simultaneously. They demonstrate excellent time management and organization skills by meeting deadlines and managing all administrative, logistical and program details.
Tech-Savvy: The Director of Education feels confident in using a wide variety of office technology, is familiar with education technology, and has ideas about implementing tech to create a more connected home and school community.
Excellent Communicator: The Director of Education has strong verbal and written communication skills. The Director of Education is visibly present and accessible as part of the fabric of the community.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Minimum of 5-10 years’ experience in education, preferably with experience in Jewish community education
- Masters in Jewish Education or related field preferred
- Supervisory management experience
- Administrative capability including logistics and budgeting
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships with youth, teens, families, colleagues, and community leaders
- Strong knowledge of Hebrew and Judaism, knowledge of Reconstructionism or excitement to learn about Reconstructionism
- Available to lead programming on Shabbat mornings (Saturdays), with occasional presence at Friday evening Shabbat services and other Jewish holidays. Exemplifies and is able to champion the mission and values of JRC
Salary and Benefits
The salary range for this full-time, exempt position is $70,000-80,000, commensurate with experience. Benefits include three weeks paid time off, most Federal and State holidays, Jewish holidays when not part of direct responsibilities, paid Family and Medical Leave, professional development allowance with related days off, option to participate in medical, dental, and pension plans. To maintain a work-life balance, the ED will mutually agree with supervisors on regular days off and flexible scheduling.
To apply
Please send your resume and letter of intent to [email protected].
We strongly encourage applications from candidates reflective of the communities JRC serves, including BIPOC/People of Color, those in interfaith relationships, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, and individuals with varied identities and backgrounds, including Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to [email protected]. or 847-328-7678.
Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation is an Equal Opportunity employer.
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws. Job functions may be subject to modification at JRC’s discretion.
Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis through March 14.