Education Specialist

Organization: Temple Judea
Status: Part-Time (~20 hrs/week) with potential pathway to Full-Time
Compensation: $29–$32/hour DOE
Location: In Person — Tarzana, CA

About Temple Judea

Temple Judea of Tarzana is a warm, welcoming, and thriving Reform Jewish synagogue. Our tradition teaches that synagogues fulfill three core functions: worship, learning, and community, and Temple Judea strives to be a place for all three. We are an inclusive and welcoming community that values meaningful relationships, innovative Jewish experiences, lifelong learning, and vibrant communal life.

Through our schools, camps, worship experiences, and family programming, we strive to create spaces where children, teens, and families feel connected, supported, and inspired in their Jewish journeys. Temple Judea also prides itself on being a learning laboratory for Jewish education and clergy professionals in various stages of their careers.

Position Summary

Temple Judea of Tarzana is seeking an energetic, warm, creative, and highly organized Education Specialist to serve as a key educational leader in our growing Youth & Family department.

This role blends formal and informal Jewish education, relationship building, mentorship, and project coordination. The Education Specialist plays an important role in sustaining and strengthening Temple Judea’s relationship-driven approach to Jewish education and community engagement during an exciting period of growth within our schools and congregation.

Our Youth & Family program is built around the idea of a “large tent” — a broad, inclusive community where children, teens, and families can find their unique connection with Jewish life. We strive to create deeply relational experiences where every family feels seen, supported, and connected through multiple points of contact.

Between our two religious school learning models, teen programming, and informal youth and family programming, our team serves over 475 students and more than 300 families each year. We are looking for someone excited to help create a “second Jewish home” where children and families can play in their Jewish identity and build lasting community.

Core Responsibilities

Religious School

• Partner with the Director of Education to develop, refine, and implement curriculum for TK–6th grade programs.
• Coordinate and support a cohort of classroom teachers across grade levels, including lesson plan design, logistics, student support, and parent communication.
• Teach in the classroom, including Judaica and Hebrew, during our two weekly sessions.
• Coach newer teachers in areas including lesson planning and execution, classroom culture, and effective utilization of teen volunteer teaching assistants (madrichim).
• Support the Hebrew Coordinator and Temple Judea’s dynamic Hebrew grouping model, including serving as a backup when needed.

Teen Programming

• Lead the seventh grade social justice-based program and teaching team, including adapting a pre-set curriculum, teacher coordination and planning, scheduling and payment of outside partners, and parent communication.
• Help cultivate meaningful connections with middle and high school students.
• Potential opportunity for growth into youth group advising and teen leadership development through JSTY.

Camp Sababa (Informal Jewish Education Meets Day Camp)

• Serve as Assistant Director for Camp Sababa during summer and winter camp sessions.
• Provide educational, curriculum, logistical, and programmatic support throughout the year and during camp sessions.
• Help train and mentor CIT and Jr. CITs, supporting strong camp culture and leadership development.
• Assist with planning and executing all-camp programs and activities and support unit heads/counselors in navigating interpersonal dynamics and camper care.

Youth & Family Programming

(Wrap-around programming including holiday and Shabbat-based experiences such as our flagship “Rosh Hashanah @ Camp” and “Yom Kippur Experience”)

• Collaborate under the supervision of the Assistant Director of Youth & Family to lead the planning and execution of holiday, Shabbat, and family engagement programming, including Rosh Hashanah @ Camp and Yom Kippur Experience.
• Help coordinate kid-only social programming across ages 6–13, including on- and off-campus events.
• Assist with event logistics, communications, scheduling, materials preparation, and day-of program support.
• Contribute creative ideas for engaging, relationship-driven educational and community experiences.

Communication

• Support Youth & Family communications in partnership with Temple Judea’s Engagement team.
• If the role expands into a full-time position over time, there may be opportunities to develop broader communications and social media strategies.

Skills & Attributes

• Demonstrated passion for creating Jewish community and education, youth engagement, and community-building, particularly within informal, “camp-style” settings.
• Warm, relational, and engaging presence with the ability to connect with students, parents, teachers, clergy, and staff.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including attuned listening, written communication, and speaking with diverse audiences.
• Interest in teaching, learning, mentorship, coaching, and supporting learners with diverse needs.
• Reflective, collaborative, curious, and growth-oriented mindset; someone who thinks deeply about their work, seeks feedback and collaboration, and is interested in how their contributions support larger goals.
• Strong organizational, project management, and follow-through skills, including attention to detail, the ability to think backward from an end goal, and proactively anticipate and troubleshoot challenges before they become problems.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities, projects, and deadlines, as well as flexibility for shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfort working both independently and collaboratively within a team setting.

Experience & Technical Qualifications

• Leadership experience in Jewish education settings, particularly religious school or informal learning experiences (camps and youth programs), or synagogue environments preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred (high school diploma/GED required).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 platforms, including Teams, SharePoint, Word, and Excel, as well as Google Workspace.
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn CRM/database systems (e.g., ShulCloud) and social media platforms (e.g., Instagram).
• Familiarity with standard office equipment, including computers, multi-feature telephones, and photocopiers.
• Availability to work weekends on a regular basis.

Schedule & Program Expectations

This position averages approximately 20 hours per week during the school year and is intentionally structured around afterschool, evening, weekend, holiday, camp, and family programming needs.

Typical School-Year Schedule

• Sundays: 8:00 AM–1:00 PM
• Tuesdays: 2:00 PM–7:00 PM
• Wednesdays: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM or 1:00 PM–8:00 PM when high school programming is in session
• Thursdays or Fridays: 12:00 PM–4:00 PM

Camp & Summer Schedule

During Camp Sababa sessions (three weeks annually — currently scheduled for July 20–24, July 27–31, and December 20–24), this role will transition to a full-time camp schedule, generally Monday–Friday from 8:00 AM–4:30 PM.

When Religious School and Camp Sababa are not in session during portions of the summer, the schedule will transition to a modified Tuesday–Friday schedule for several hours each day to support planning, curriculum development, communications, and program preparation.

Additional Schedule Expectations

Attendance and active participation will be expected for:

• Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Sunday afternoon Youth & Family programming
• Major holiday and family engagement programming, including First Day Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Day family programming

Work schedules will be adjusted where appropriate to help accommodate extended evening/weekend responsibilities and major programmatic periods.

Additional Information

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. Responsibilities and duties may change as organizational needs evolve.

Temple Judea is interested in finding the best candidate for the role and recognizes that strong candidates may come from varied professional backgrounds and experiences. We encourage applicants to apply even if they do not meet every qualification listed.

Candidates should be comfortable working within and supporting Jewish communal life, synagogue programs, and religious/cultural events in a respectful, professional, and inclusive manner.

This is a fully in-person part-time role based in Tarzana, California. It is a non-exempt position with a wage range of $29–$32 per hour. There are potential opportunities for expanded responsibilities and transition into a full-time role.

Contingencies

Employment is contingent upon successful background check, verification of work authorization, and successful completion of a probationary period.

Physical Requirements

This position requires working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions with moderate noise levels. The role also requires prolonged periods of sitting, standing, and computer work. A more complete list of physical requirements and job duties will be provided prior to hire.

Temple Judea will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, consistent with applicable law.