Israel Education Coordinator

Role Overview

The Israel Education Coordinator (IEC) will be responsible for fostering meaningful engagement around Israel at every campus that San Francisco Hillel serves. The IEC will develop opportunities for students to engage with Jewish life and explore the complexities of Israel, encouraging student leadership, dialogue, and reflection. The IEC will also facilitate diverse programming and events that create space for thoughtful discussion, connecting students to broader communities both on and off-campus.

The Israel Education Coordinator will manage educational initiatives related to Israel, coordinate advocacy activities, recruit for Birthright Israel, follow up with participants after immersive experiences, collaborate with campus administrations across the nine campuses, and build relationships with a variety of organizations throughout the community.

SF Hillel is committed to providing students with opportunities to deepen their understanding of Israel within the broader context of Jewish identity and global Jewish peoplehood. We seek to create a space where students can critically examine Israel's role in Jewish life and the world, and engage in constructive conversations that bridge diverse perspectives. SF Hillel aspires to help students form thoughtful, informed connections to Israel that reflect the complexity and diversity of the region's issues.

What You’ll Own

Outreach and Engagement

• Identify and connect with students interested in Israel and build one-on-one relationships through engagement, fostering open dialogue and exploration of diverse perspectives on the region
• Collaborate with the Program Associate to design and implement creative marketing strategies to promote opportunities for students to engage with Israel and related topics, leveraging social media and on-campus advertising to reach a broad and diverse audience
• Manage recruitment processes for immersive Israel experiences, such as Birthright-Israel trips, ensuring opportunities for students to engage with Israel from multiple viewpoints and contexts

Israel Education and Programs

• Design and facilitate one Israel-focused cohort learning session per semester with the goal of educating students about the diverse issues surrounding Israel, the Middle East, and their broader implications
• Oversee Israel-related programs across campuses and at SF Hillel, including large-scale events, speakers, and on-campus discussions, ensuring programming encourages nuanced exploration and engagement with Israel and its complexities
• Support students in addressing and navigating campus discussions on Israel and antisemitism, providing resources and guidance for fostering constructive dialogue in challenging or polarized environments
• Host weekly drop-in gatherings to facilitate informal engagement with Israel-related topics

Mentorship and Student Leadership

• Mentor student leaders passionate about Israel (such as Israel on Campus Coalition interns and Stand With Us interns), providing guidance, professional development, and support in creating inclusive, pluralistic programs and engagement strategies that reflect diverse perspectives on Israel and the Middle East
• Recruit and support student leaders on our Jewish Student Leader Fellowship platform, particularly those focused on Israel engagement, helping them build coalitions, design thoughtful programs, and create opportunities for dialogue that engage the broader campus community
• Cultivate and manage partnerships with organizations focused on Israel-related topics, connecting students to a variety of perspectives and experiences

Student Life Team Responsibilities

• Actively contribute as a leader on SF Hillel’s Student Life Team, supporting the facilitation of major programming, Shabbat, and holiday events, and ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students.
• Maintain accurate records of student interactions, event participation, and attendance for tracking engagement and evaluating the effectiveness of programming.
• Monitor and adjust engagement efforts to promote growth and ensure that the team meets Hillel International’s criteria for excellence, striving for continuous improvement in programming and leadership.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• A Bachelor’s Degree and 2+ years of experience
• Hebrew language skills preferred
• Passionate about fostering thoughtful and open discussions on Israel, the Middle East, and Jewish identity, and welcoming a wide range of perspectives
• Skilled at navigating diverse opinions around Israel and facilitating respectful, productive dialogue on complex topics
• Strong background with Israel education, outreach, and building dynamic Jewish communities
• Familiarity engaging with college-aged students
• Excellent leadership, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills
• An ability to speak intentionally and foster interest about Israeli speakers, educational series, and associated programming
• Confidence initiating and facilitating programming, meetings, and one-on-one conversations
• Ownership of your unique Jewish journey and relationship with Israel, allowing you to connect with others who are at various places in their own relationships to Israel and Judaism
• Ability to manage multiple projects, working with your supervisor, the Assistant Director, on setting timetables and adhering to deadlines
• Awareness of the realities of university campus politics in San Francisco, where anti-Israeli and antisemitic rhetoric is found in a climate that can be hostile and/or apathetic to these topics, and a willingness to work with the team in addressing anti-Israel activity on campus
• Able to work nights and weekends as required for meetings, events, and deadlines 
• Must be able to engage in a range of physical activity, including standing or sitting at a desk or computer and walking (sometimes on uneven surfaces) for extended periods of time. Must be able to climb a flight of stairs and lift/carry up to 25 pounds

How You'll Grow and What You'll Get Out of It

Professional Development 

• Participate in weekly supervision sessions with the Assistant Director, in addition to weekly staff meetings
• Participate in professional trainings, such as (but not limited to)
• Hillel International’s New Professionals Institute (NPI) in July
• Western Hillels Organization (WHO) in July
• Hillel International Global Assembly (HIGA) in December
• Additional Israel and engagement trainings throughout the year
• Collaborate with colleagues in areas other than your own expertise, to learn and develop new skills, building your network within San Francisco and globally
• Participate in semi-annual reviews to recognize successes, challenges, and opportunities for growth, and to ensure the cultivation of skills and resources necessary to succeed

Travel

• Opportunities to travel both domestically and globally include, but are not limited to:
• Professional trainings in Los Angeles, St. Louis, Boston
• SF Hillel Birthright-Israel trips in winter and/or summer seasons

Compensation and Benefits 

• Hillel offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, Group Supplemental Retirement Annuity (GSRA), pension plan, life insurance, Long Term Disability (LTD), Flexible Spending Plan, cell phone stipend, transit pass, a flexible vacation policy, generous PTO for sick/medical purposes, and parental leave.
  • 90% employer contribution for medical, dental, and vision of base Kaiser plan (premium plans for Kaiser and Blue Shield also available)
  • 403b retirement plan through TIAA, 5% employer contribution after 2 years of employment
  • Flexible vacation plan and around 12-13 holidays per year
  • 10 days paid medical time
  • The salary range for this position is $60,000 to $65,000

Who We Are

San Francisco Hillel (SF Hillel) provides inclusive, innovative, and fun Jewish experiences and programs for college and graduate students across San Francisco. With vibrant student communities at SF State University, University of San Francisco, UC Law SF, UCSF Medical School, and San Francisco Conservatory of Music, our professionals mentor students of all Jewish backgrounds as they author their adult identities and launch their careers. We envision a world where every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, values and learning, and to develop a thoughtful, meaningful connection to Israel. To deliver on this vision, SF Hillel focuses on four pillars: Jewish Identity Exploration, Jewish Community Building, Jewish Future Leadership Development, and Jewish Student Support.

• Our Mission: We’re here to support all Jewish college students in San Francisco and fortify the future of the Jewish people. We learn about each student’s relationship with Judaism and then help them explore their Jewish identity, build Jewish community and develop them into our future Jewish leaders.
• Our Vision: San Francisco Hillel will create thoughtful and meaningful connections for Jewish students with each other, the broader Bay Area Jewish Community, and with Israel, so that each student can develop and strengthen their Jewish identity. In doing so, SF Hillel will be recognized as an integral part of the Bay Area Jewish Community, which will help make San Francisco an attractive destination for Jewish students. We will be financially resilient, ensuring that we can meet the needs of our students for generations to come.
• Our Values: We believe in the inherent worth, value, humanity, and dignity of each person. As Jewish tradition teaches, each of us is created b'tzelem Elohim, in the Divine image. To that end, we are committed to pluralistic Jewish life on campus, a diverse workforce, and the values of inclusivity. We embrace all the identities, experiences, and backgrounds each person brings. We respectfully welcome students, professionals, and community members of all abilities, races, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, observances, and interfaith backgrounds, so that we can work together to contribute to, and experience the full richness of, Jewish life and community.

SF Hillel is affiliated with Hillel International. Hillel International enriches the lives of Jewish students so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world, and envisions a world where every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel.