Senior Jewish Educator at University of Maryland Hillel

Senior Jewish Educator at University of Maryland Hillel

College Park, Maryland, United States

Maryland Hillel serves one of the largest and most dynamic Jewish campus communities in the country. Actively seeking to engage Jewish students on their own terms, Maryland Hillel provides students with Jewish opportunities that are meaningful, empowering and engaging. Through a creative mix of leadership training, education, volunteerism, social, spiritual, and cultural opportunities, students are inspired to realize their potential and become the best versions of themselves.

Maryland Hillel seeks a Senior Jewish Educator (SJE) who will bring contagious energy and passion for Judaism. They believe strongly in the value of pluralism, have a desire to nurture a community with diverse and varied expressions of Jewish life, possess the ability to connect deeply with students from a wide range of Jewish backgrounds, be enthusiastic about building micro-communities and enjoy creating new opportunities for students.

They will work to develop and foster relationships with our Reform, Conservative, and underinvolved Jewish population on campus. The Senior Jewish Educator will serve as part of a multi-dimensional educational and programmatic leadership team working to advance Maryland Hillel’s educational vision and engagement strategy. They will engage directly with students, help lead the student life team, serve as a mentor and a resource to students and staff, and work to bolster opportunities for Jewish education and experience.

The Senior Jewish Educator reports to the Assistant Director for Student Life.

• Engage students in conversations, experiences, and opportunities to further Hillel’s vision of Jewish diversity and pluralism.
• Build relationships with students through meaningful conversations and by creating connections to opportunities to participate in Jewish life on campus.
• Innovate and experiment with different engagement methodologies designed to reach students who are currently uninvolved.
• Serve as the lead educator and administrator for multiple cohort based Jewish learning opportunities.
• Develop and facilitate creative educational approaches and innovative curricula targeted towards specific micro-communities.
• Be a part of a collaborative process to create a diverse set of student programs and initiatives.
• Serve as a liaison with on-campus partners for interfaith and religious life projects.
• Be a regular staff presence at Shabbat and holidays at Hillel as well other Shabbat experiences across campus.
• Serve as a staff member on immersive experiences such as Birthright Israel and alternative breaks.

• Have coffee in the student union with a student you met during the welcome BBQ.
• Join a sorority for dinner at their chapter house and lead a conversation about an issue connecting Judaism to a relevant topic in their lives.
• Teach a session as part of an ongoing cohort-based learning experience.
• Stop as you walk across campus to chat with multiple students about their interests and what Jewish life on campus has to offer.
• Brainstorm with a staff member on how to bring Jewish ideas and values into an upcoming program.
• Meet with other religious community leaders on campus to plan an interfaith service project.
• Engage in a design thinking process with students to reimagine the Shabbat experience.

• Rabbinic ordination or an advanced degree in Jewish studies, Jewish education, or a related field.
• 4+ years of relevant work experience. Experience in community organizing, Hillel, youth movements, camping, or experiential Jewish education is a plus.
• Proven success in community building and outreach, previous experience in program visioning and implementation as well as success in developing curricula and informal educational experiences.
• Ability to prioritize and balance multiple projects simultaneously.

• A strong knowledge base of Jewish content, ranging from traditional Jewish texts to contemporary Jewish wisdom, culture and unconventional Jewish sources.
• Expertise in leading complex…