Part-Time Education Director - Columbia Jewish Congregation, Columbia, MD 20 hours/week
About the Congregation: Columbia Jewish Congregation (CJC), a Reconstructionist congregation with close to 250 households, sits between Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland, creating a special mix of suburban and city culture. Our members represent a plurality of Jewish observance, age, gender, sexual identity, race, and interfaith partnership. We are a hands-on, highly collaborative and active congregation with members leading many aspects of community life alongside our dynamo clergy and staff. Columbia Jewish Congregation lives within the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center in Columbia, MD. Sharing a home with many faith communities means that a part of our culture centers around learning about and building connections with folks of different religious identities. This is a source of great pride for our synagogue community.
CJC BELIEVES IN JEWISH EDUCATION THAT: Centers and celebrates Jewish diversity (gender, racial, cultural, language, observance, family background). The material we teach will reflect this diversity! Uses Torah, values and prayer to help students feel connected to one another, and to their ancestors, through a unique shared identity. Approaches Israel with complexity and nuance - teaching Israel as a valuable hub of Jewish life while also instilling pride in diasporic Jewish identity. Gets tushies out of chairs and into the community and nature, often. Engages all the senses through Jewish music, art, cooking, movement and more. Values Makhloket l’Shem Shamayim [Sacred Arguing] - encouraging kids to move through disagreement with respect - building the muscles of staying in relationship with those with whom we disagree.
About Our School, B’Yachad: B’Yachad is a supplementary K-7 Jewish Education Program providing a vibrant, values-based, and experience-based Jewish education to our students (approx 45 kids). B’Yachad meets on Sunday mornings.
B’Yachad gets its name because, while CJC is the primary stakeholder, our K-7 program is shared. Our neighboring synagogue, Kol Nefesh, has been a collaborator from the school’s conception. In addition, membership is not a barrier for enrollment and many unaffiliated families are valued members of the B’Yachad community. B’Yachad’s Vision: The cultivation of connected and engaged Jewish youth who feel empowered to use their Judaism as a compass for navigating life’s challenges and contributing to a just and compassionate world. B’Yachad’s Mission: To create a joyful, inclusive Jewish space where kids build identity and friendships, take risks, dig deep into Torah, ask big, audacious questions, and feel true belonging while developing a Jewish toolkit for living a meaningful and heart-full life.
About the Candidate: CJC seeks a joyful, inclusive, caring, dynamic, and visionary Jewish leader to fill the role of part-time Education Director. Our Education Director will demonstrate a passion for working with children of all ages and infusing Reconstructionist Jewish values into all aspects of education. The ideal candidate will have meaningful teaching or educational leadership experience and will be detail-oriented and strategic in planning and communicating. Core Competencies: Inspiring, Visionary, and Creative Educator: The Education Director (ED) infuses joy into Jewish educational programming, and brings imagination, a sense of humor, flexibility, and courage to their leadership. They have strong knowledge of educational practices, pedagogy, and Jewish experiential learning. Collaborative Leader and Supervisor: The ED brings excitement to working with people of all ages and is willing to learn from and teach the community. They can empower and develop staff, while giving and receiving constructive feedback with a growth mindset. The ED is a collaborative team player who is also decisive, they build strong relationships and are competent in problem-solving with all stakeholders. Embracing Diversity: The ED celebrates being part of a diverse congregation and implements anti-bias and anti-racist practices and curricula. The ED proactively creates an environment of respect that allows belonging for all ages, stages, and abilities. Strategic Multitasker: The ED is able to see and communicate the big picture, while managing multiple tasks simultaneously. They demonstrate time management and organization skills by meeting deadlines and managing all administrative, logistical and program details. Tech-Savvy: The ED 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 ED has strong verbal and written communication skills. The ED is visibly present and accessible as part of the fabric of the community. An Eye Toward Growth: We are looking to grow our school community! The ED will have ideas about outreach and will act as an ambassador for B’Yachad and for CJC.
Preferred Qualifications: Minimum of 5 years’ experience in education, preferably with experience in Jewish community education. Supervisory experience Administrative capability including logistics, scheduling, note-taking and basic budgeting Demonstrated ability to build relationships with youth, teens, families, colleagues, and community leaders Strong knowledge of Jewish history, tradition, text and practice and a motivation to continue learning Knowledge of Reconstructing Judaism or excitement to learn Available to lead programming on some Shabbat mornings (Saturdays), with occasional presence at Friday evening Shabbat services and Jewish holidays. Exemplifies and is able to champion the mission and values of CJC.
About the Position: The CJC Education Director will oversee weekly Reconstructionist Jewish educational programming for students from Kindergarten to grade 12, and their families. The position reports directly to Rabbi Michael Hess Webber, CJC’s rabbi. Essential Job Functions: Operations: Administers B’Yachad (K-7), Kulam (8th-grade), and Yalla! (Teens) Works with staff and lay leadership to create and manage school policies and procedures. Curriculum and Educational Design: Implements, assesses, and refines experiential, and values/project-based curriculum for grades K-12. Coordinates a one-on-one Hebrew tutoring program. Networks with Jewish and secular programs (NewCAJE, Moving Traditions, etc.) to incorporate relevant methodologies, tools, and technologies to enhance programming and pedagogy. Ensures programming is accessible for all brains and bodies, including neurodiverse students with varied learning needs. Administrative and Financial Oversight Works with CJC’s Executive Director to prepare B’Yachad’s budget, monitors income/expenses for educational programs, reports payroll to CJC’s Executive Director. Supervision: Hires and provides ongoing supervision to teachers and madrichim. Supervises and grows a robust madrichim program, developing a team of strong, savvy teen leaders, using a curriculum created by Moving Traditions. Plans and implements professional development and anti-bias training Lay-Leadership: Builds and sustains an active and supportive religious school committee of parent lay-leaders. Additional Programming: Designs and executes holiday programming for families and youth (grades K-7) at CJC services and events. Involves teens in synagogue leadership, in partnership with the clergy. Family, Youth, and Teen Programming: Menschkins (birth - age 6) Supports our Director of Youth and Family Programming in developing and executing programs designed to transition kids and families from CJC’s early childhood community into B’Yachad and Nesiyot. Nesiyot (grades K-7): Implements youth programming - educational and social - in connection with Jewish holidays. Kulam (grade 8): In coordination with the Rabbi, oversees a bi-weekly 8th grade group, using a curriculum created by Moving Traditions. Yalla! (grades 9-12): In coordination with the Rabbi, designs and oversees immersive teen learning opportunities. Communication Internal: Regular communication with teachers, madrichim, families (weekly newsletter), and congregational board updates External: Work with Social Media/Website Coordinator to increase registration; oversee outreach to prospective families; collaborate with Jewish educator networks
Salary and Benefits The expectation is that the Ed Director will work, on average, 20 hours a week. The salary range for this part-time position is $30-40k, commensurate with experience. Benefits include 5 days paid time off, Federal and State holidays, professional development allowance with related days off. As part of our benefit package, we are also pleased to subsidize our ED’s health insurance premiums under our plan. There is an expectation that the Ed Director will work several hours from home each week.