Director Of Jewish & Judaic Studies Teacher

Full-Time Founding Leadership Position
· Reports to the Principal
· Bachelor's degree required;
Master's or M.Div preferred in Jewish Education, Judaic Studies, Jewish Leadership, Education, Spirituality, Theology, Youth Leadership Development, or a related field
· 3+ years of successful teaching or school wide leadership experience required
· Some form of leadership experience is required;
Jewish student center, campus minister, experiential program director, Judaics department, administration, or instructional leadership preferred
· Jewish day, Jewish communal, or faith-based education experience is a plus
· Being Jewish is not a requirement for this role, however, a deep appreciation for and understanding of key Jewish traditions and rituals is critical
· Fewer years but exceptional craft? We hire for mastery, not seat time.

Are you a visionary youth development leader who believes that vibrant Jewish identity is cultivated through meaningful learning, authentic relationships, and inspiring communal experiences? Do you want the unique opportunity to help build and shape the Jewish character, culture, and educational vision of a new Jewish college-preparatory high school from the ground up? Are you passionate about helping students develop a deep sense of purpose, belonging, leadership, and connection to Jewish life?

If so, Davis School Chicago wants to hear from you.

Davis School Chicago is a proudly Jewish, college-preparatory high school opening in fall 2027 in downtown Chicago, in a state-of-the-art building at the heart of a great city for learning. Every adult at Davis Chicago is an educator and a culture-builder. We hold two expectations at the same time: deep human warmth and uncompromising intellectual excellence. High health and high results, never one at the cost of the other.

This is a summary of the characteristics that describe our dream team.

To thrive here you are:

• Warm and intellectually formidable. Genuinely kind and seriously bright. We hire for intellectual horsepower; only sharp minds grow students to their full potential.
• You bring the room to life. Passion people feel, loud or quiet, with the range to teach, support, and lead.
• A builder who owns it. Startup grit, a real growth mindset, open about mistakes, gives the gift of feedback, and the drive to create what doesn’t exist yet.
• Teach how to think, not what to think. Rigor, evidence, and a love of hard questions, including the controversial ones. Students reach their own conclusions.
• Rooted in tradition, built for what’s next. Ancient wisdom and modern tools, AI included, aimed at today's problems.
• Unapologetically Jewish. Israel has a right to exist; that is not up for debate. Everything else is fair game, including spirited debate about Israel’s actions. You’re excited to help build a proudly Jewish, pro-Israel school.

Davis Chicago is hiring a magnetic, learned Director of Jewish Life & Judaic Studies Teacher to author the Jewish soul of a new school: the learning, the ritual life, the service, and the connection to Israel that everything else is built around.

• Warm, Relational, and High-Performing – Kind, emotionally intelligent, intellectually rigorous, and committed to excellence.
• A Magnetic Jewish Educator – The kind of presence students seek out; deep Jewish learning worn lightly, head and heart together.
• A Builder of Ritual and Community – Designs gatherings, retreats, and traditions people remember, then trains students to run them.
• An Entrepreneurial Builder – Thrives in ambiguity, solves problems, and creates programs, systems, and traditions from the ground up.
• A Curious and Courageous Thinker – Embraces learning, evidence, critical thinking, and meaningful debate.
• Rooted and Forward-Looking – Honors tradition while embracing innovation, technology, and AI.
• Committed to Jewish Life and Community – Values Jewish identity, the diversity of Jewish thought, and meaningful engagement in Jewish life.
• A Collaborative Culture-Builder – Balances accountability, care, and results while elevating everyone around them.

The Director of Jewish Life & Judaic…