Seeking Youth Programs Director for Innovative Synagogue

Youth Programs Director, Temple Beth Sholom

You –
You are passionate about creating fun and meaningful Jewish experiences for children. You love Jewish summer camp, outdoor/environmental education, and/or informal education. You are a leader who cares about children and Jewish education. You value diversity and each child’s unique gifts. You thrive in a dynamic role in which every day brings a mix of leadership, teaching, hands-on fun, management, vision, and thoughtful communication and collaboration with children, parents, teachers, and colleagues. You communicate professionally and effectively. You have the ability to manage a myriad of moving pieces while remaining calm and attentive to various aspects of the programs. You will be joining a village community which means creating relationships with parents, teachers, colleagues, and most importantly the children.

Temple Beth Sholom –
Temple Beth Sholom (TBS) is a village community in the heart of the urban Bay Area. We are a small and growing congregation (currently 120+ member families), with a large preschool and an innovative after school program. We are the principal Jewish community and Jewish education hub serving the rich diversity of Jewish families in Central Alameda County, including many Jewish families of color and multiracial Jewish families, mixed-heritage (interfaith) families, and bilingual Jewish families (mostly English and Spanish). We are intentionally independent to allow for innovative programming alongside tradition to serve our diverse community, and our members come from the full spectrum of Jewish and other backgrounds. Climate resilience and justice are a central focus of our community, including our youth programs.
Following a complete “reboot” three years ago, TBS is emerging as a synagogue to watch, becoming known as early adopters of innovative approaches to trends in synagogue membership, education and youth programs, relevance, and community resiliency. Members recently built a vegetable garden and are planting a pollinator garden, and gardening is part of the youth programs.

The youth programs –
TBS currently has four youth programs:
TBS’s after school program is designed to be a Jewish summer camp and education program during the school year! The program is recognized as an innovative approach to delivering high quality Jewish educational experiences – both informal and formal – in the context of after school care, providing the Jewish enrichment that families dream of with the childcare they need. Like TBS, the program has a special focus on environmental and outdoor education. The program currently serves just over 50 children in grades TK through 7th, and is expanding. The program serves a diverse population of mostly Jewish students, with a significant number of students of other backgrounds. Staff transport students from three local schools by van.
TBS school break camps continue the Jewish summer camp fun vibe on school district staff development days, during some weeks when schools are on break, and several weeks during the summer (exact dates to be determined).
TBS’s B’ Mitzvah program is managed by the Jewish Educator / B’ Mitzvah Coordinator in close collaboration with the Rabbi, Cantor, and Youth Programs Director. It is integrated into the after school.
TBS is currently forming a teen program for our small but growing post-B’ Mitzvah cohort. This program will meet less often than the other programs.

Job description:
Direction
Direct and manage the youth programs of Temple Beth Sholom (see above).
Coordinate with B’ Mitzvah Coordinator to support the B’ Mitzvah program.
Spearhead formation of the teen program for a small but growing group, including leading programming (in whole or in part depending on size of cohort).
Work closely with Rabbi and Executive Director to continually develop and refine program vision, strategy, policies, and culture in furtherance of the vision, mission, and values of Temple Beth Sholom.
Content and curriculum
Determine and implement the informal Jewish education curriculum and activities of the programs, with an emphasis on fun experiential education, including outdoor and environmental education, gardening, games, tzedek, Hebrew language, music, art, and movement. Plan and lead occasional field trips and overnights/evening programs for older children.
Work with Rabbi and Jewish Educator to align the curriculum and content with TBS’s educational goals.
Educate and lead children with care, enthusiasm, and respect, guiding their social-emotional and moral-spiritual development.
Teach some formal classes as needed (currently only one 30-minute session per week).
Research current trends in education to stay up to date with content delivery and changing pedagogy.
Stay up to date with current best practices in child development, social-emotional learning, and behavior management, especially strengths-based approaches and restorative justice.
Administration and logistics
Support the overall strategic goals of TBS, including membership growth and retention, actively recruiting families to enroll in the program.
Actively recruit, screen, hire, train, supervise, and develop the youth programs teachers.
Collaborate with the Executive Director on budgeting, enrollment, advertising, and communications.
Manage the program calendar, including school break camps, summer camps, and field trips.
Collaborate with youth program teachers to create daily schedules.
Manage all aspects of transportation from local elementary schools, which include driving vans to assist with pick up and keeping track of early release schedules implemented by the local school district.
Manage the maintenance of the fleet of vans.
Maintain a safety plan in coordination with other areas of the organization.
Maintain state licensing with proper documentation.
Coordinate with outside agencies when necessary to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
Culture and Community
Create a supportive school culture in accordance with the mission of TBS and youth programs.
Work successfully with students with a variety of learning styles and needs, including neurodivergence, and support teachers to do the same. Provide for special education and special needs accommodations with care and respect.
Build warm, respectful, and open relationships with all families to raise menschy children in the context of a Jewish village community.
Integrate programs with life and activities of broader TBS community through proactive coordination, team work, and communications.
Enthusiastically represent, model, communicate, and promote the vision and values of TBS and the youth programs to multiple stakeholders, including families, congregants, prospective congregants, donors, Board, and community partners.
Attend, assist in, and sometimes lead portions of occasional synagogue events that are relevant to the youth programs, which may be on evenings and weekends.

Required qualifications:
Total of four or more years (at least two years full-time) of professional experience with children in TK-7th grades, including two or more years of experience in Jewish formal and/or informal education (e.g. summer camp, outdoor education, after school, religious school, etc).
Two or more years of youth program management, and some staff management experience.
Enthusiastic, fun, and warm leadership and educational style.
Professionalism, strong work ethic, and the utmost reliability.
Knowledge of and ability to impart Jewish content to children, including reading and writing the Hebrew Alef-Bet.
Knowledge of child development and social-emotional learning.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Experience successfully working in ethnically diverse populations.
Experience successfully working with children of varying learning styles and needs, including neurodivergence.
Bachelor’s degree or higher.
Preferred qualifications:
Professional experience in the Jewish Outdoor Farming Food and Environmental Education field, possibly including gardening.
Musical ability, ideally including song leading.
Experience leading or teaching teen programs.
Experience with climate justice and Jewish justice education and/or action.
Experience with restorative justice and strengths-based approaches to behavior management and conflict resolution.
Proficiency in Hebrew language is a plus.
Degree in Jewish studies or Jewish education is a plus.

Physical requirements
Ability to carry 25 lbs.
Ability to walk, sit, run, kneel. Standing, sitting, or walking for significant periods of time. Normal range of hearing and vision to perform work and communicate Stooping or kneeling (e.g. to access lower shelves, attend to children, pick items up off the floor, etc.) Lifting and carrying light loads up to 40 lbs. Reaching (e.g. reaching to upper shelves, etc.).
Ability to pass a fingerprint and DMV background check.
All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability, to the extent required by law.

Compensation
Salary range: $68,000-$72,000, depending on experience.

Benefits:
Paid time off and holidays
403(b) retirement plan
Healthcare QSEHRA plan
Cell Phone Reimbursement plan

Start date:
Flexible start date, no later than May 1, 2024.