Director of Youth and Family Programs
Congregation Beth Elohim (CBE) is a vibrant, cutting-edge Reform synagogue in Park Slope, Brooklyn. We are a welcoming and inclusive community, rooted in Jewish history and identity, and profoundly open to diversity in all its forms. We come together to learn, to pray, to celebrate the rhythm of Jewish time, and to support each other through the joys and sorrows of our lives. We are a spiritual, cultural and intellectual center for Jewish revitalization, fostering community and extending our values of justice, education, and inspiration throughout the neighborhoods where we live and beyond.
The Director of Youth and Family Programs will be empowered to manage our vibrant and growing educational and family programs and help write the next chapter of how CBE engages families from birth through the teen years. Our ideal candidate is either a rabbi or a proven education/program/camp director who has successfully managed large and complex youth and family programs. More than just a traditional administrator or educator, we are seeking an innovative, passionate, and entrepreneurial Jewish professional who shares our unwavering commitment to Torah and inclusive community. Our Youth and Family programs include our Early Childhood Center, Yachad (our religious school), and our Camps and After School programs. Through these programs we engage over 1,000 children and families each week.
The Director of Youth and Family Programs reports directly to the Senior Rabbi and Executive Director, and is part of the CBE Senior Staff which is a supportive and collaborative thought partnership comprising all of the synagogue’s department directors. Each of our three youth and family programs is led by a seasoned and capable director who will report directly to the Director of Youth and Family Programs.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership
– Serve as an inspirational leader whose passion for Judaism and learning is highly visible – Be a role model of menschlich behavior who cares about each child and family – Help imagine and implement a short and long-term vision for CBE’s Youth and Family Programs
– Partner with program directors to bring each program to its full potential, and to grow and expand the programs as needed to holistically serve families in our neighborhoods and meet their needs from birth through the teen years
– Serve as part of the integration team for CBE’s upcoming merge with Union Temple, another historic Brooklyn Reform congregation
Supervision & Administration
– Supervise the Director of Yachad, the Director of the Early Childhood Center, and the Director of After School and Camps
– Supervise the program directors to recruit, manage, review and mentor their teaching and support teams
– Provide the appropriate professional development opportunities for program directors and their staff
– In partnership with the program directors, create and manage program budgets – Help coordinate and implement marketing and registration among all of the programs – Cultivate an environment that promotes cooperative interaction, critical thinking, problem solving, and effective communication among and within the programs
Education & Program Curriculum
– Create an overarching, coherent Jewish experience for youth and families from birth through high school
– In partnership with the program directors, establish shared goals across the programs and collaborative approaches to achieving those goals
– Oversee curriculum development and the integration of curricula among all Youth and Family programs
– Develop and implement the strategy for continuity, connecting of the dots from one program to the next
Community Engagement
– Engage families in welcoming one another, building relationships with one another, and caring for one another
– Design and lead informal learning opportunities for children, youth, and families, including retreats, Shabbat dinners, havdalah gatherings, and parent programs, with an emphasis on building community and connection and complementing formal learning experiences
– Engage in active, ongoing communication with parents
– Look for opportunities to develop small groups among CBE families
– Serve as staff liaison to lay committees, task forces and groups
– Participate in professional and communal organizations
Communal Ritual and Holiday Observance
– With the clergy team, coordinate (and lead, where possible and appropriate) youth and family services on Shabbat and holidays, including High Holidays, and Yachad tefilah – Connect youth and families to the clergy team for lifecycle events and pastoral care – Help design and support family-focused programming and content around Jewish Holidays in coordination with the ECC, Yachad and Camp / After School directors and the clergy team.
QUALIFICATIONS
– Graduate level degree such as Rabbinic Ordination or Master’s Degree in Education or equivalent
– Excellent management and organizational skills, with experience in school management, youth programming or equivalent, including staff supervision
– Outstanding oral and written communications skills
– Knowledge of Reform Judaism
– Comfortable working with social media and different software tools for teaching, engaging and reaching out to families and children
– Experience working within the Reform Movement Camps is a plus
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required for this position, and may change at any time.
APPLY
Interested in learning more? Please send your cover letter and resume to resumes@cbebk.org.
Congregation Beth Elohim (CBE) is an equal opportunity employer. It is a violation of CBE’s policies to discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of his or her race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family status, sexual preference, status with regard to public assistance, mental or physical impairment, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.