Executive Director

Executive Director

Temple Israel, Omaha, Nebraska

The Moran Company is pleased to partner with Temple Israel to recruit the organization's next Executive Director.

Founded in January 1871 as Nebraska's first Jewish congregation, Temple Israel has served the Omaha community for more than 150 years. Today, the congregation is home to 600 member families and is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism.

Temple Israel's mission is to engage its community with a modern spiritual, educational, and social Jewish experience, guided by a vision of becoming an inclusive, connected, and expanding Reform Jewish community. Programming spans worship and lifecycle support, robust adult and youth education, teen engagement, social and racial justice initiatives, and a wide range of affinity and community groups.

The congregation holds a deep commitment to tikkun olam and has a long history of civic engagement, including partnerships with Omaha-area schools and participation in local and national social justice efforts. Temple Israel is also a founding partner of the Tri‑Faith Initiative, a nationally recognized interfaith effort that brings a Jewish synagogue, Christian church, and Muslim mosque together as neighbors on a shared campus in Omaha.

What sets Temple Israel apart is not just its programming or its place in Omaha's civic life, but its people. Many families are third and fourth generation members, with roots in the congregation that run deep. Members are genuinely committed to building a congregation that is both strong and welcoming.

Omaha, Nebraska, stands out culturally with landmarks such as the Joslyn Art Museum, the Omaha Symphony, the Omaha Community Playhouse, and other arts and cultural venues. The city also boasts a highly regarded culinary scene, historic Old Market district, and the Henry Doorly Zoo.  named it one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in 2026.

The Executive Director (ED) is the chief administrative and operational leader of Temple Israel, responsible for overseeing all secular, business, operational, and financial functions in alignment with the policies, strategic goals, and objectives set by the Board of Trustees. The ED builds and sustains the systems, structures, and culture necessary for a healthy, resilient, and mission‑driven synagogue.

Reporting directly to the Board of Trustees, the Executive Director serves as a co‑equal partner to the Senior Rabbi. Together, they provide unified leadership to ensure the spiritual, communal, and operational needs of the congregation are met. While the Senior Rabbi leads the spiritual life of the congregation, the ED leads the administrative staff, oversees operations, and acts as a central integrator for communication, alignment, and shared accountability.

This role is central to strengthening organizational culture, improving communication, aligning leadership, and establishing reliable infrastructure during times of cultural and structural change.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, emotionally intelligent leader who excels at building trust, clarity, and consistency. They are also:

• Culture builder who strengthens trust, belonging, and professionalism.
• Systems thinker who brings clarity to complexity.
• Strategic communicator skilled in listening, alignment, and transparency.
• Relationship‑centered leader who earns trust through empathy and integrity.
• Confident partner to clergy, staff, and board during times of change.
• Calm, steady leader who navigates uncertainty with confidence.
• Unifier who integrates the sacred and administrative dimensions of congregational life.
• Someone who takes ownership of outcomes and follows through with consistency.

• Implement Board‑approved policies, priorities, and programs.
• Design and reinforce systems that promote transparency, accountability, collaboration, and trust across clergy, staff, board, and congregants.
• Model and uphold a professional, inclusive, and values‑driven organizational culture.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, decision‑making pathways, and accountability structures.

• Work…