Become a Lead Educator at Congregation Beth Elohim!
Thanks for considering becoming a lead educator at CBE, a growing, thriving synagogue in the heart of Brownstone Brooklyn. We are seeking talented, creative, dedicated, and menschlich individuals to form our ‘dream team’ of Jewish educators for our religious school, Yachad, for the 2020-21 school year. Yachad is a Shabbat-centered supplementary program of approximately 500 students, in grades K-12.
We are a small, dedicated staff, with enthusiasm for fostering meaningful and rich connection to Judaism in our students and families. We are seeking full-time lead teachers for upper elementary and middle school grades. We have very little turnover in our full-time teaching staff, and are proud that one previous lead teacher is going on to cantorial school, and another is moving to a different state where she will continue to provide teen Jewish education programming.
The structure of Yachad is designed so that students in grades 3-6 spend two days a week for two-to-three hours at a time in the program, and students in grades K-2, and 7-11 spend one day a week for two-to-three hours in the program. As a teacher, your mornings are structured with curriculum planning meetings, parent emails, preparation of class materials, and professional development workshops. Your afternoons are your active teaching time with the students. Additionally, our teachers play an important role in our community outside of program hours, through their leadership during some Friday night Shabbat celebrations, holidays, and weekend retreats.
Our program is designed so that each grade has a grade leader who works on curriculum. Each teacher, regardless of which grade they oversee, teaches classes in other grades for which they are provided well-developed lesson plans. The benefit of this is that teachers get to know many students and families, and are familiar with curriculum across the grades- how it changes and expands over time. This also allows us to have fewer moving parts as a small staff that communicates frequently in collaboration with each other. We pride ourselves on meeting the needs of all learners and value opportunities to work together to support all of our students.
We will provide training and professional development workshops before school starts. Topics will include our curriculum, communication skills, classroom management, program expectations, and policies. We will also offer resources all year on building community in your classroom, and supporting students’ learning needs through classroom techniques and curriculum modification. Whether you are a new or experienced teacher you will learn and grow in this position.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Taking the lead on one grade’s curriculum and program
• Planning, implementation and assessment of curriculum and programs for students in grades K-9;
• Teaching and engaging students in grades K-9, in both Jewish Studies and Hebrew decoding
• Regular communication with parents via email, phone, in-person meetings, and the Yachad blog;
• Family programming including holidays, Shabbat and other programs during the week and on occasional weekends; possibly staffing longer trips throughout the year
• Facilitating home and internet-based learning initiatives;
• And ongoing engagement with staff and congregants to foster a greater sense of Jewish community.
Hours/Calendar
Full-time; Not eligible for OT.
General hours during religious school weeks are Monday through Thursday 10:30-6:30pm, and Saturdays 9-1pm, plus additional Friday night and/or Sunday hours, High Holidays, and occasional overnight retreats. Formal obligations run August 20, 2019 through June 12, 2020.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree a plus)
• A minimum of 2 years of previous experience preferred (including teaching, camp staff, youth group advisor, etc.)
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Strong knowledge base of Jewish culture and traditions, and Hebrew language decoding and reading ability
• Dedication to teaching and experience working with children
• Passion for Judaism and Jewish community
• Strong work ethic
• Familiarity with Reform Judaism
• Two years + college-level Hebrew a plus
• Experience with song leading and tefila a plus
Salary Range
$45-50K/year
Benefits
You will be eligible for the group health, dental, life insurance, disability insurance and other benefit programs that are generally available to all full-time CBE employees. You are also eligible to participate in CBE’s 401(k) plan, and CBE will make an annual employer contribution of to the CBE pension plan once you have completed two full years of employment (subject to the vesting and other rules applicable to the plan).
Contact
Interested in learning more? Please contact Tehilah Eisenstadt, Director of Yachad and Family Engagement, teisenstadt@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.