Director of Youth Engagement
Location: Caldwell, NJ 07006
About Us:
Our mission: Discovering the joy, purpose, and power of Jewish life together.
A vibrant, active, Conservative synagogue with approximately 800 member families, CAI has been an important pillar of the Caldwell community for over 100 years. With our rich history and focus on tradition, we are also looking to the future with creativity and innovation, while fostering meaningful connections and strong communal bonds.
About You:
We are seeking a dynamic and knowledgeable professional to spearhead, direct, and organize all programs, activities, and education for 6-12th graders at Congregation Agudath Israel. This is a full-time position supervised by the Education Director and Cantor.
About The Role:
There are two main parts to this role that work in concert to engage our teen population in Jewish life: teen programming and B’nai Mitzvah training. Evening and weekend hours will be necessary with a flexible schedule available to accommodate for unconventional hours.
Teen Programming
Lead all teen programming at the synagogue for both middle school and high school students.
Twice a month, plan and lead a middle school teen night. Activities at teen night can vary from social events, games, educational discussions, holiday activities, mitzvah work, and more.
Once a month, plan and lead an event for high schoolers. This will also vary between games, activities, Mitzvah projects, and educational programs.
Twice a month, lead an educational Shabbat morning service (“Jr Congregation”) for 3rd-6th graders on Saturday mornings at the synagogue.
Once a year, lead 1-hour long Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services for the teens in the community.
Teach sixth grade religious school classes two days a week. Classes will cover Hebrew prayers, Hebrew reading, Jewish history, Israel, the Jewish calendar, and the Jewish life cycle.
B’nai Mitzvah Training
Work on a team with the synagogue Cantor and other staff members to teach prayers, Torah reading, Haftarah reading, and other necessary skills to all B'nai Mitzvah students at the synagogue.
Generally, a different staff member will work with a student for one month before the director of youth engagement will work with each student for about six months - the bulk of their learning.
Be intimately familiar with Shabbat morning, afternoon, and evening services and must be able to effectively teach nusach, trope, and most importantly, Hebrew reading skills.
Assist B'nai Mitzvah students in researching and writing their d’var Torah speeches for their services. Generally, the director will meet with each student 1-3 times to discuss and edit their speech.
Compensation: Appropriate for early/early-mid career professional, commensurate with experience, plus benefits.
To Apply: Please submit a cover letter and resume. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Join us in shaping the future of our synagogue community and making a meaningful impact on Jewish life in NJ.