Director of Education

Director of Education

Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) is a growing and vibrant Conservative synagogue, with a warm, welcoming, family environment. Our Director of Education will continue to bring energy and creativity to our 300‑student Religious School, will implement creative, quality programming outside of the classroom, and will ensure that all ages are engaged as learners and participants in meaningful Jewish living. Scotch Plains and surrounding towns have become very popular with families from across the NY/NJ‑area who are seeking more space, strong schools, and a thriving Jewish community.

Many of those families have sought out CBI for our welcoming atmosphere, growing religious school, and active community. Religious school enrollment and overall membership have grown every year since 2021 and we continue to engage our growing population with personal connections and opportunities for ongoing education.

The Director of Education will be supervised by the Rabbi and will join the Cantor, and Executive Director as members of CBI’s senior staff, working together to craft and implement a vision of lifelong congregational engagement. The Director of Education will serve as a community builder, fostering a welcoming atmosphere and inviting our youth to participate meaningfully in congregational learning and living.

We are committed to supporting the professional growth of the Director of Education and we seek someone who wishes to grow and thrive along with CBI.

To help support our growing community, we are eager to consider rabbis and other clergy for this position who are interested in devoting a portion of their time to support life‑cycle events, the B’nai Mitzvah process, and pulpit leadership and responsibilities.

CBI is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive environment for all its members, and we are proud to have been recognized as an ABLE Awarded Synagogue by the Jewish Federation of Greater Metro West.

Develop, implement, and evaluate curriculum as needed with emphasis on synagogue and Hebrew language skills, in addition to holidays, life cycles, history, fostering a sense of Ahavat Yisrael, an appreciation for Israel, and ensuring that the needs of all students and all types of learners are addressed.

Oversee all Religious School procedures and records including calendar management, facility needs, class registration, and student files.

Manage logistical needs for multi‑day Religious School programs with classes at two locations as well as occasional field trips.

Recruit, train, observe, support, and evaluate faculty, ensuring that school goals and expectations are met.

Supervise and encourage the involvement of teenagers as classroom assistants in the Religious School.

Communicate regularly with parents regarding school programs and individual student progress.

Develop, implement, and oversee High Holiday educational programs for all school‑aged students.

Collaborate with clergy to coordinate and expand congregational holiday celebrations and learning opportunities.

In conjunction with Clergy and lay leaders. Build connections between 'school' and 'shul' — integrating Religious School students and their families into the larger synagogue community with innovative classroom and experiential learning, creative family services, intergenerational community building activities, special holiday programs, parent education opportunities, congregational Shabbat dinners, and social action projects.

Enhance opportunities for teenagers to engage with the synagogue by building upon the existing Hebrew high school program, and continuing to engage teens as leaders and participants in Shabbat, holiday, and religious school programming.

Develop and manage the CBI education budget under Finance Committee guidance.

Partner with lay leadership on the Education Committee to shape school policy, elicit parental support, develop new ideas, and implement programs, ensuring that the goals of the school are consistent with the goals of…