Director of Education & Family Engagement

Overview of Shaare Torah
Shaare Torah is a vibrant, down-to-earth, inclusive, multigenerational, & passionate Conservative synagogue community in Montgomery County, Maryland. At Shaare Torah, meaningful, sacred relationships come first and everyone is welcome as you are. Our vision is to be a transformative Jewish community that connects every participant to each other, the Jewish people, Jewish tradition, humanity, and God. We are located in Gaithersburg, at the heart of the Lakelands/Kentlands neighborhood and we draw seekers from throughout the county. Our multicultural community includes 300 households, a thriving Early Childhood Center and families with children of all ages seeking doorways to Jewish life.

Position Purpose
We are seeking a new Director of Education and Family Engagement to lead us in integrating formal and informal religious education with an engagement strategy that fosters meaningful relationships and spiritual connection through the rhythms of Jewish communal life.

As our new Director of Education and Family Engagement, you will have an opportunity to envision and implement the future direction of our religious school, which currently serves 73 students (grades K-7). You will create pathways for engaging families with children in Kindergarten through their teenage years in partnership with our rabbis, parents and lay leaders.

As we emerge from the pandemic, and begin the second year of leadership with our co-rabbis, the leadership of Shaare Torah is eager to partner with the Director of Education and Family Engagement to harness the potential of the moment to deepen relationships within our community and beyond. We are excited to support those who are hungry for connection to life-giving, meaningful and joyful Jewish experiences.

Job Responsibilities

The responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Religious School Leadership & Administration:
Hire, supervise, support, and provide for professional development for religious school teachers, staff and teen madrichim.
Help establish, maintain, and update a curriculum that is comprehensive for Hebrew and Judaic studies through B’nai Mitzvah, and takes into account different modalities of learning and the needs of neuro-diverse learners.
Select and purchase appropriate educational resources and materials.
Send regular communications to the school community as well as communications with the larger community such as occasional short messages for congregational emails or newsletters.
Work with staff and lay leaders, including the Vice President for Education and Shaare Torah school committee, to set and implement goals for the school, as well as to help increase engagement and enrollment.
Budget management, including reporting of payroll.
The religious school at Shaare Torah is open to enrollment of students from other synagogues and we are committed to supporting their engagement in communal life in their respective synagogues. In the event that members of other synagogues enroll, the Director of Education and Family Engagement will establish connections with relevant staff members of the other synagogues.

Family Engagement:
Build and maintain relationships with and among families with elementary, middle and high school-age children, including those in the religious school and those who attend Jewish day school, and lead outreach efforts with prospective member families.
Assess and address individual needs and values of students and their families to help them make connections to what is important to them.
Create family educational programming, including learning opportunities in the classroom, in religious services, and through outside-of-class immersive experiences.
Encourage student and family engagement and participation in congregational activities.
Oversee and coordinate High Holiday programming for youth, teens and families.
Collaborate with parents, rabbis and area colleagues to launch teen engagement initiatives.
Build a relationship with the Early Childhood Center and its Director to help facilitate enrollment of ECC children into the religious school and engagement of ECC families as part of the larger Shaare Torah Community.
Partner with Shaare Torah staff to create multi-generational engagement opportunities within the congregation to connect families with young children with members in other stages of life.
Work with Shaare Torah committees as appropriate.

B’nei Mitzvah Program:
Schedule, coordinate and facilitate B'nai Mitzvah parent and family orientations.
Schedule, coordinate and facilitate cohort-building activities for B’nai Mitzvah families and student cohorts, including a 5th/6th grade retreat for students and parents preparing for B’nai Mitzvah.
Communicate with the rabbis regarding student progress, learning needs, and any accommodations that may be necessary on a case-by-case basis.
Spearhead programs designed to engage our pre-teen and teen members, including follow-up to the B’nai Mitzvah experience.

Relevant Skills and Experiences

A qualified candidate:
Has a vision for implementing innovative ideas to inspire curiosity and make Jewish traditions, texts, and values come alive for young people and families in a contemporary world.
Builds and nurtures relationships with students, parents, and teachers with caring, warmth and respect.
Is organized, detail-oriented and is a skillful and clear communicator.
Thrives in a collaborative work environment with multiple stakeholder groups, such as students, parents, clergy, staff, and lay leaders.
Has a proven track record of developing and implementing curriculum.
Has experience in a leadership role, preferably within a nonprofit organization or educational program.
Has experience in informal, and/or experiential education and is familiar with project-based learning and service-learning models.
Is passionate about creating and modeling an inclusive learning environment and safe space for diverse student populations, including gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, physical ability, religious background, and learning differences.

Requirements
Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in Jewish education (classroom teaching experience or camp leadership experience included) or Jewish community work.

Proficiency with communication technologies including: video conferences, spreadsheets, email, and comfort in learning our synagogue management software (ShulCloud).

Location
Expectation to be on-site for religious school and family engagement programming and in-person meetings, including programming around holidays and occasion Shabbat programs.
Option to work remotely/flexibly on other days.

Start Date
No later than July 1, 2022

Applications
Please email a resume and cover letter, no phone calls.