Director of Youth Engagement

WE ARE: Community Synagogue of Rye (CSR) is a vibrant and inclusive 460-household Reform congregation in Rye, NY (about 45 minutes north of NY City), dedicated to being a caring Jewish community that adds meaning and purpose to people’s lives.  We are searching for an exceptional full-time Director of Youth Engagement to build personal relationships with our youth and to continue to develop our innovative teen program.    

YOU ARE: A passionate Jewish educator who is able to connect with and engage youth of all ages.  You have experience inspiring children and teens through experiential learning inside the classroom and beyond.  You are creative, confident, and compassionate.  You are open-minded, a team player, and want to further develop your professional skills as part of a dynamic synagogue staff.  You see the interconnections between synagogue based experiential learning and what happens at Jewish summer camp

As Director of Youth Engagement your responsibilities will include:

• Building personal relationships with synagogue children and teens.  This will take place both inside the synagogue and beyond its walls, and at times will include being available to teens via text and the CSR Teens Instagram account.
• Serving as a positive role model, educator, and guide in the lives of our youth.
• Planning, coordinating, and leading our teen-related activities, including our Monday night Limmud (learning), COSY (teen leadership board), and our madrichim (teen aide) program.

• Teaching on Monday evenings (in our CSR Teens program) and Wednesday afternoons (in the CJL, our K-6 program) and teaching Hebrew remotely for two hours per week..
• Planning, managing logistics for, and chaperoning teen trips, such as a weekend in Philadelphia or Boston, and the advocacy weekend for 10th-12th graders (L’Taken) at the Religious Action Center in Washington, DC.
• Helping to coordinate and support special programs such as holiday programs, social action opportunities, and other synagogue programs and initiatives for our teen community.
• Partnering with our rabbi, cantor and rabbinic intern to create and lead holiday and other special worship opportunities for children and teens
• Participating in ongoing professional development and networking opportunities such as youth professional roundtables and cohorts 
• Creating and maintaining a social media presence for our teen community and their parents.
• Using your interests and abilities to expand the position in ways that fulfill the goals of the teen program and align with the mission of CSR.
• Encouraging individual teens to participate in Jewish opportunities outside the synagogue that align with their interests (examples include the RAC Teen Justice Fellowship, Keshet, NFTY, and BBYO).
• Be an ambassador of the CSR Teens program to the larger CSR community. 

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, and ABILITIES: 

• BA required, preferably with a major or minor in education and/or Jewish Studies.  MA is a plus.  
• Experience in Jewish camping and/or other youth programs, religious school teaching, or other relevant settings such as Hillel or college Jewish Student Organization leadership.
• Self-starter, strong organizational and communication skills, ability to connect with and mentor teens.

The Director of Youth Engagement reports to the Director of Education and will work closely with the professional staff team.  This is a full-time position including health benefits and ideally suited to someone who is interested in spending their summer working at a Jewish camp. 

SALARY: $52,000-56,000, commensurate with experience

TO APPLY: Email your resume to Amy Rosenbaum, Director of Education at [email protected] to share with us what you have to offer and to learn more about what we’re doing to engage youth at CSR.