Where will you find your next job?

On a Google group, called "הזדמנויות."

Since May of 2009, Martin Kaminer has been posting job opportunities on Hizdamnuyot (Hebrew for "opportunities") on an almost daily basis.  Many, but by no means all, are in Jewish organizations and/or non-profits in the United States; listings range from senior management to administrative assistants and teachers.  It costs nothing to join the group and, even more incredibly, if you are an employer, and Martin thinks your job opening will be of interest to his subscribers, he'll post your listing free of charge.

No one is really sure how Martin finds the time to do this, but then again, no one is really sure about lots of things about this "unsung hero of Jewish start-ups."

Join the group by registering at hizdamnuyot.com.  Publicize a job opportunity by sending Martin an email at martin.kaminer@gmail.com.  It is that easy.

Job Posting: Director, Jewish Journey Project

Well, here's a job description you've never seen before: To direct a new initiative that will attempt to replace individual synagogue schools (in Manhattan) with an elective-driven communal coalition:

"Applications are now being accepted for a Jewish educator with an ability to think outside the box to lead a cutting-edge complementary Jewish education program based in Manhattan for children in grades 3-7.

"The Jewish Journey Project (JJP) seeks to revolutionize supplementary Jewish education for children. JJP catalyzes collaborations between congregations and JCC’s to create customized learning journeys for every student based on their interests and passions. JJP’s educational design is experiential and oriented to address the whole child, applying the wisdom of the Jewish heritage to the social, emotional and intellectual growth of each and every student. Families are deeply involved in the JJP process as they help to customize their children’s learning journey in consultation with advisors who serve as the liaison between families and member institutions. Most importantly, in JJP the entire community becomes a living classroom and, as a result, a breeding ground for lifelong Jewish engagement.

"The Jewish Journey Project was launched in the winter of 2010 based a concept paper written by Rabbi Joy Levitt, the executive director of the JCC in Manhattan. Currently, six synagogues spanning the denominational spectrum and two JCCs are participating in a year-long planning process to develop this new model for elementary Jewish education. The program will launch as a consortium in the fall of 2012. The position is available commencing March 2012 with the immediate tasks being the hiring of a faculty, the marketing of a new program and working closely with our partner institutions to meet their respective needs.

"Candidates should have at least an MA in the field of Jewish education or the equivalent. They should have experience in both formal and informal Jewish educational settings. The position will require strong management skills (e.g., budgeting, putting new systems in place, communications strategy, hiring and supervising personnel, scheduling,) as well as leadership savvy (e.g. inspiring faculty, raising the bar of what is currently acceptable in the realm of Jewish education, working with funders, Jewish communal professionals, parents and their children). Previous experience in running a school would be most valued though we will consider candidates with a less conventional background.

"Interested candidates should send in a resume, a letter explaining their interest in and suitability for the position and their salary expectations to Rabbi Sid Schwarz, project director for the Jewish Journey Project at dokrent@jccmanhattan.org."

If this is the first time you're hearing of the Jewish Journey Project, you might want to read Joy Levitt's editorial or Julie Weiner's article in Jewish Week.

We at Emanu-El have been involved in the planning process for over a year, so feel free to be in touch with me directly if you are curious about this initiative or my thoughts on the position.

Good Teachers Make a Difference. No, Really?

The NY Times finally tells us what we've all known all along - and does it really, really well. I can even (almost) forgive the writer, Elizabeth Green, for ending a sentence with a preposition:

"When researchers ran the numbers in dozens of different studies, every factor under a school’s control produced just a tiny impact, except for one: which teacher the student had been assigned to."

[The photo to the right is copyright Benjamin Norman for The New York Times.] The article begins by noting that paying higher salaries does help to attract and retain the best and most qualified teachers.  However, it also notes that we need to simultaneously be focused on improving pedagogy and content knowledge through professional development,  because of the vast number of teachers that the education system requires to operate (and especially at a time when the baby-boomer teachers are retiring).

The main focus of the article is Doug Lemov, author of an as-yet-unpublished, 375-page long taxonomy of 49 essential teaching techniques (apparently, he distributes it at training seminars, and it will be available from this spring).  Much of the piece describes effective classroom management techniques that the Times illustrates with videos narrated by Lemov. I suspect that every one of our Religious School teachers would benefit from watching these brief videos - and especially the Hebrew teachers.

The article is on-line as of this morning, and already is getting much buzz around the blogosphere (a term I use derisively, btw.  Nothing better than reading a piece in which the author writes "I haven't finished reading this article yet, but I had to post...").

You'll want to read the whole article so that you can read in context little gems like these:

"All Lemov’s techniques depend on his close reading of the students’ point of view, which he is constantly imagining. In Boston, he declared himself on a personal quest to eliminate the saying of “shh” in classrooms, citing what he called “the fundamental ambiguity of ‘shh.’ Are you asking the kids not to talk, or are you asking kids to talk more quietly?” A teacher’s control, he said repeatedly, should be “an exercise in purpose, not in power.”"

"...One [student] is playing with a pair of headphones; another is slowly paging through a giant three-ring binder. Zimmerli stands at the front of the class in a neat tie. “O.K., guys, before I get started today, here’s what I need from you,” he says. “I need that piece of paper turned over and a pencil out.” Almost no one is following his directions, but he is undeterred. “So if there’s anything else on your desk right now, please put that inside your desk.” He mimics what he wants the students to do with a neat underhand pitch. A few students in the front put papers away. “Just like you’re doing, thank you very much,” Zimmerli says, pointing to one of them. Another desk emerges neat; Zimmerli targets it. “Thank you, sir.” “I appreciate it,” he says, pointing to another. By the time he points to one last student — “Nice . . . nice” — the headphones are gone, the binder has clicked shut and everyone is paying attention.

"Lemov [explains] “Imagine if his first direction had been, ‘Please get your things out for class,’ ” he said. Zimmerli got the students to pay attention not because of some inborn charisma, Lemov explained, but simply by being direct and specific. Children often fail to follow directions because they really don’t know what they are supposed to do."

The article also notes that "content can’t be completely divorced from mechanics" and that different types of knowledge - mathematics, reading, science - require not only general skills but also ones unique to the subject. The implications for Jewish education are clear: There are skill sets that make for effective teaching of, say, Hebrew, that aren't necessarily the same as teaching about holidays or transferable if you can effectively teach French. Teachers need to be able to deeply understand the material and then be able to effectively share that knowledge with a room full of students who have diverse ways of thinking and learning.

"“If I’m asking my students a question, and I call on somebody, and they get it wrong, I need to work on how to address that,” [fifth-grade math teacher Katie] Bellucci explained in February. “It’s easy to be like, ‘No,’ and move on to the next person. But the hard part is to be like: ‘O.K., well, that’s your thought. Does anybody disagree? . . . I have to work on going from the student who gets it wrong to students who get it right, then back to the student who gets it wrong and ask a follow-up question to make sure they understand why they got it wrong and understood why the right answer is right.”"

Interestingly, although Lemov's taxonomy, or a similar mathematics-content-driven approach developed by Deborah Loewenberg Ball at the University of Michigan, can be used as a metric to observe what makes for effective education, there isn't clear evidence that these skill sets can actually be taught.

"Jonah Rockoff, an economist at Columbia University ... favors policies like rewarding teachers whose students perform well and removing those who don’t but looks skeptically upon teacher training. He has an understandable reason: While study after study shows that teachers who once boosted student test scores are very likely to do so in the future, no research he can think of has shown a teacher-training program to boost student achievement. So why invest in training when, as he told me recently, “you could be throwing your money away”?"

Which brings us back to the original point: Now that we may be able to assess what skills are evidence of effective teaching, we need to offer salaries that will attract and keep the most qualified people in the classroom.

I'm encouraging all of my school faculty to read the article, and especially to watch the videos that the Times has posted. This is some good stuff.

Job Posting: Executive Director of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center

Adam Berman writes:

...in the coming months, I will be leaving my position as Executive Director of Isabella Freedman. The past six years have been the most meaningful years of my life. Together with an exceptional board of directors and an amazing staff, we have recreated an institution that is bringing extraordinary gifts to the world. We have welcomed, nourished, taught, inspired and loved more than 30,000 visitors. We have provided -- and continue to provide -- Jewish programming that is cutting-edge and unique. By integrating environmental stewardship and spirituality with Judaism, we have connected thousands of young adults and children with Jewish tradition and community. And we are inspiring the New York metropolitan Jewish community to engage in environmental issues in ways that were not possible just a few years ago.

Being part of Isabella Freedman has enabled me to express who I am and my highest vision for the Jewish community in ways that I do not believe would have been possible at any other organization. My gratitude is infinite.

As a proud member of the board of IFJRC, I want to publicly offer my deepest gratitude for the phenomenal work Adam has done over the past six years. A full description of the position for Executive Director is posted on the Isabella Freedman website at: http://isabellafreedman.org/job-opportunities. Please share this link with anyone whom you think may be appropriate for the position, or anyone who may be interested.

Get trained to save the world

Two of our favorite organizations, Abraham's Vision and Jewish FundS for Social Justice (JFSJ) have launched innovative training programs this past month.

Through their Center for Transformative Education, Abraham's Vision is

"training students to work as facilitators of groups in conflict, utilizing methods created and designed by a foremost expert in the field, Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom’s School for Peace. Co-taught by an Israeli and Palestinian co-facilitator/co-educator team . . . this course will be offered in partnership with Columbia University’s Center for International Conflict Resolution (CICR) from January 2-10, 2009 and the University of San Francisco from Monday through Friday from January 12-23, 2009."

Visit their website for detailed course information and an online application for one of the 18 spots available in each of the two trainings.

While the Abraham's Vision training doesn't directly incorporate any specific opportunities to make use of your new facilitation skills, the main purpose of the JFSJ training is to recruit new staff for their travel and service learning programs

"which provide opportunities for teams of college students, young adults, teens and families to participate in on-the-ground service in partnership with communities throughout the United States; to learn about relevant historical, social, and political issues through the lens of Jewish ethics and values; and to reflect on their own engagement in the world. Each program lasts between four and seven days, and is staffed by two or more Program Leaders.

". . . The training seminar to be held in the Gulf Coast, from Wednesday January 28-Sunday February 2, 2009. The seminar will comprise a hands-on service project, engagement with local community organizations, political education, social change education, textual engagement and personal leadership development. Program Leaders will staff at least two trips during the program leading year."

Detailed information , including instructions for how to apply, is available on their website (along with a number of other available positions and internships).

Immediate Opening-- Full-Time Jewish Studies Teacher

For those who have not yet heard, the concept of "full-time teachers" has begun to expand beyond the walls of Central Synagogue in Manhattan. Here is a listing for such a position from Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn , New York.

Our growing and evolving Jewish education program needs a core teacher!

Congregation Beth Elohim, a dynamic Reform congregation in Park Slope, Brooklyn, seeks a full-time (Mon-Thurs and Shabbat morning) or 4-day a week (Mon, Tu, Thu, Shabbat morning) Jewish Studies teacher to join our supplementary and family Jewish Education program, called Yachad.

The core teacher is part of a creative team of Jewish educators who develop curriculum, teach elementary aged students Jewish studies, communicate with parents and families, and lead innovative Jewish holiday and Shabbat programs for our families, and have ample opportunities for professional development. To learn more about our program, go to http://yachad.congregationbethelohim.org.

Qualified applicants have an interest in being involved in a vibrant, progressive Jewish community and educational program, a BA and experience working with children and families in formal or informal (camp, youth group) Jewish settings.

Please submit cover letter and resume to cbeyachad@gmail.com.

Who will teach Religious School?

Last Spring, I participated in a panel convened by JESNA to discuss its recently released study of Educators in Jewish Schools.

The report confirmed what we had all already suspected - that just as Religious Schools are finally being taken seriously by the Jewish world, and as we are starting to see increased investment in their success, we are facing a teacher shortage. This may not sound like new news: After all, since at least as far back as the 60s we have heard that there are not enough qualified teachers to go around. What has changed is that now its becoming harder to find people who even WANT to teach in a Religious School (or a Day School), qualified or otherwise. JESNA cited all the reasons you would expect - low salaries, a general lack of respect for the position, and so on. Another segment of the panel presentation is posted here, in which I express my concerns about competition between institutions for a shrinking number of qualified professionals and note the trend towards individuals working as "home tutors" rather than school teachers.

Here is my favorite section of the JESNA report:

Teen Labor. These are the 32% of Jews in Jewish work who first entered the sector through part time or summer jobs held during their high school and college years, and who have continued in Jewish sector work ever since. If we include those who left Jewish work for some period of time before returning, the majority (52%) of Jews working in our six Jewish communities started when they were in high school or college. Most of those who held jobs as teens were camp counselors (35% of all Jewish workers) and/or religious school teachers (27%) and/or youth group advisors (14%). Not many held internships (5%).

We regard this finding as especially significant. Camps, religious schools and youth groups are American Jewry’s primary gateway into Jewish sector work, providing Jewish communities with about half of their Jewish personnel. Although designed as educational venues to socialize children, these organizations have a substantial, perhaps unintended, consequence for American Jewish life through their role as employers of teenagers and young adults.

One idea that I'm increasingly hearing being floated is the creation of a Jewish "Teach For America," that would attract students just out of college to spend a year or two teaching in a Jewish school (Chabad, as usual, is ahead of the curve with their "roving rabbis" shlichut program, which places rabbinical students in various under served Jewish communities). While this idea is quite attractive, it would face a number of significant challenges (besides funding and organization) - most importantly, perhaps: Ensuring that the participants have not only a support network but also a peer network (teaching can be a lonely business, after all).

There is No "X" in Thanks

Well, it's the beginning of hiring season for the 2008-09 academic year. Last year, based upon my own experiences in conducting a job search, I posted a "few words of advice for those applying for an entry level position."

Rachel Brumberg, in her former capacity as Associate Director of Professional Development and Advancement at JESNA, developed this list of helpful hints for those who are ready to take on the challenge of applying for a, shall we say, "real job."

1. When e-mailing a prospective employer, capitalize and use punctuation, at least to indicate that you know what proper grammar is.
2. If you're thinking of using a word that can be substituted for tushie or is tushie-related, DON'T.
3. Clearly identify the job for which you're applying, and be sure to read the job description fully.
4. Use an e-mail name that makes sense to other people (firstnamelastname@hotmail.com) rather than using your nickname, a pet's name, or any kind of indication of your hobbies or sex life.
5. Don't submit a multiple page resume if you're just graduating from college.
6. Remember to spell check and grammar check.
7. Please don't tell me you're a Friend of Jonny's (or Avraham's or Joy's or Howard's, or any Exec) if you're not.
8. If you're going to contact an employer for a second time, please don't chastise them for not getting back to you; no one likes a whiner or someone who yells at them.
9. Even if you're interviewing with a "casual" organization or company, maintain your own formality.
10. Spell out abbreviations.
11. Send only what the employer asks for - if they only want three references, please send only three. "The fatter your file, the slimmer your chance."
12. Visit your Career Center and get their help - they're there for a reason!
13. Research the organization and the position (if possible) before you interview.
14. If you’re given a choice of text color in your e-mail program, use black.

Job Posting: Director of Jewish Identity Development

This just in from Congregation B’nai Yisrael of Armonk, New York:

"Nurturing Reform congregation in Armonk, New York seeks a Director of Jewish Identity Development to help us develop more collaborative, multi-generational and experientially based programs.

"In order to help our children and parents “see the world through Jewish eyes,” our Director will work with the rabbis, cantor and community to design and implement ongoing identity-building experiences. Our director should be an individual with vision, a sense of community, someone who is comfortable playing a leadership role, who has excellent organizational and communication skills. Our director will be responsible for developing and implementing our identity programs and Hebrew programs, planning and teaching our family shabbat experience, the hiring and supervising of faculty, as well as the planning and monitoring of the program budget.

"Summer camp experience is helpful, but not required. Knowledge of Judaism and a love of Jews is a must."

For more information, contact Rabbi Seth Limmer.

Why would a nice kid like yourself want to be a Jewish Educator?

I'm not exactly breaking a news story when I share my concerns about the dearth of qualified Jewish educators, from heads of day schools to religious school teachers. Back in 2003, in a report on recruitment and retention for JESNA, Paul Flexner and Sandra Gold wrote:

"...There is a chronic shortage of Jewish educators at every level and in every setting. Schools, camps, and youth programs are constantly seeking staff, ranging from entry-level teachers, counselors, and advisors to the senior personnel necessary to administer institutions and programs. In an open society with few barriers for Jews, not enough young people are choosing to become Jewish educators, and not enough of those who make this choice stay with Jewish education as a lifelong career."

A positive spin on this situation could look as follows: Since there aren't enough qualified Jewish educators to go around, those who ARE qualified are going to be in greater demand. This will result in greater competition among institutions to hire those individuals. Increased competition will drive up salaries and benefit packages for Jewish educators, and those individuals will command greater respect from their colleagues in the clergy and from their lay leaders. As Jewish education becomes a more viable career path, some number of years from now we could expect to see people who otherwise would have gone into other careers instead becoming the new generation of Jewish educational leadership.

In their article in the Fall 2007 issue of Jewish Education News, Richard D. Solomon, Elaine C. Solomon, and Hana Bor observe that there are "many excellent programs designed to train candidates to become skilled Jewish teachers, administrators and leaders," and they list a dozen different academic programs around the country for this purpose. In their analysis, the challenge is to build a career ladder that will attract people into the field in the first place and provide them with step-by-step opportunities to advance in their careers (if you are a teen reading this, this is the real-world version of "leveling up"). They offer the following graphic organizer depicting "a seven stage ladder of career development for Jewish supplementary and day school teachers:"

As part of the Lookstein Center's ongoing series on "creative solutions to educational challenges," the Lookjed list recently posted Richard D. Solomon's expansion of this idea, in which he provides detailed suggestions for how each of the stages in the ladder might be organized. For example, Solomon distinguishes between the madrich/a "student aide" of stage 1, the "student teacher" of stage 2, and the "co-teacher" of stage 3 as follows:

"...The madrich or madricha is an 8th, 9th or 10th grader who is trained to serve as a paid teaching assistant and role model . . . During the 11th grade selected madrichim take course work in Judaics [and] pedagogy . . . These madrichim will be paid additionally to receive this instruction and can earn college credit for successfully completing the course requirements.

". . . At the end of the 11th grade, a select group of madrichim will be invited to become paid student teachers . . . [they] now be observing, reflecting and doing some small group teaching in the classroom of a trained mentor teacher [with the goal of acquiring such skills as lesson planning, managing student behavior, and communicating with parents].

". . . During the second semester of the 12th grade, if deemed successful, the student teacher will be invited to take on the role of a co-teacher . . . at the beginning of the second semester, the co-teacher and the mentor teacher will be engaged in co-planning. co-instructing and co- reflecting upon their learning activities. They may be engaged in team teaching where they alternate instructing the whole class, or they divide the class into small learning groups which each one directs. Upon successful completion of this stage, the co-teacher should receive a teaching certificate from the sponsoring institution . . . indicating that this teacher candidate has meet the requirements to teach specific courses at a supplemental school while attending college."

Clearly, Solomon is advocating here for the kind of systemic change that would require a partnership between schools, central agencies, academic institutions, and funders. Which is, of course, terrific, so kudos to him.

I'd suggest that we throw a few additional ideas into the mix:

• allow for greater fluidity between religious schools, day schools, summer camps, and so on - each providing a valid route by which individuals - especially high school students - can learn the skills necessary to become Jewish educators.
• build our youth programs to give greater leadership responsibility to the teens themselves, empowering them to take ownership for the success and failures of their events and activities.
• look at these rungs as important stages for individuals entering the field at any age: Just because a teacher is a 2nd year rabbinical student doesn't necessarily mean that they are going to be a more competent teacher than an 11th grader. Let's look at this ladder as a potential guide for the training of any new faculty.
  
• think about the additional roles, alongside teaching and mentoring, that could be played by individuals at the higher rungs of this ladder, so that they can hold full-time positions. These could include family education, running youth groups, teaching adult education classes, administrative work.
  
• extend this ladder so that as people become mentor teachers, there are in turn being mentored to become school administrators. To this end, require our school leadership to provide such mentoring as one of their key job responsibilities.

As always, I welcome your feedback and thoughts about any of the ideas presented here.

Supplementary Jewish Education: The State of the Art

The Autumn 2007 issue of Contact, the journal of the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life just came out, and the topic is "Supplementary Jewish Education: What Can Be Done?"

Editor Eli Valley writes in his opening piece:

"... for the majority of American Jews, afternoon schools are and will continue to be the preferred venue of Jewish education. Instead of declaring the demise of Hebrew schools, the community should recommit itself to making afternoon schools work ... afternoon schools can take the initiative in creating innovative, dynamic and rewarding Jewish educational experiences ... that can help form the cornerstone of a revivified Jewish life."

Steinhardt's own contribution advocates for moving supplementary school out of synagogues and away from a curriculum oriented toward bar/bat mitzvah, in favor of home-based learning in small groups. The issue features several profiles of schools by their directors, including the Kesher after-school Hebrew programs in Cambridge and Newton, Tribeca Hebrew in New York City, and Prozdor High School in Boston. There are also more topical pieces on the role of community and vision in making Bar/Bat Mitzvah and family education meaningful.

Other articles include an overview by Nathan Laufer of the work being done by his organization, PELIE, to disseminate both the Kesher model and the model of the NESS program from Philadelphia's Auerbach agency, an explanation of the principles behind the Chai and Mitkadem curricula from the Reform Movement by Rabbis Jan Katzew and Daniel Freedlander, and one by yours truly on the full-time teacher model at Central Synagogue in New York. This is, to my knowledge, the first time that a description of this initiative has appeared on the web. I conclude:

"...It seems self-evident that having more qualified and better compensated teachers working longer hours with more responsibilities outside the classroom will improve a religious school program. The real value of such a shift, however, is the opportunity it provides to align the school’s curriculum, prayer experiences, and social justice activities with the vision and values of the synagogue as a whole. The integration of the religious school faculty into the daily life of the synagogue and the lives of its families provides new potential for building communities of learning and engaged Jewish living. True institutional transformation will come not only from improved pedagogy, but also from the creation of meaningful communal experiences outside the classroom."

The final word in the issue goes to Bill Robinson, who just two weeks ago became Chief Planning and Knowledge Officer for the BJE of NY. In a turn of phrase reminiscent of Douglas Rushkoff, he writes:

" ...in Authentic Jewish Education we will recognize and honor those who have wrestled with Judaism before us. We will also metaphorically kill Judaism every day by taking it apart, turning it upside down and pulling it inside out — constantly creating the new while remembering the past."

Of course, no issue could cover everything - for me, the conspicuous absence is anything relating to technology - but this issue certainly provides one of the most accessible overviews of new trends in supplementary education currently available. Enjoy!

No Jewish Education?

Let me say right off the bat that I have busy indeed these past few months, and the backlog of things I would have liked to write about in this space has grown longer than I ever imagined it could. If you are curious about some of the things keeping me occupied on a professional basis, I would direct your attention to the website of Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York. If you'd like to know what's been happening on the home front, well, Liz has been doing a far superior job keeping that blog updated than I have here.

Nevertheless, the long pause since the last update to this blog shouldn't be seen as indication that nothing of note is happening in the world of Jewish education. Quite the contrary: these are interesting times indeed!

First, I suspect that 5768 will be remembered as the year that interest in Supplementary Jewish Education reached critical mass and hit the mainstream.

• Following on the heels of Jack Wertheimer's Recent Trends in Supplementary Jewish Education last Spring, CAJE has announced that the Summer 2008 conference will largely focus on questions of synagogue education. An online discussion has already begun at the CAJE 33 wiki.
  


• Mindy Schiller, writing for the not-exactly-alternative World Jewish Digest, authored a front-page article entitled "What's Wrong with Hebrew School?" for the October 2007 issue. Nothing is really said that wasn't written about in Sh'ma (and other places) as far back as March 2002, but hey, this article does quote me.
  


• The Steinhardt Foundation's posting for a Program Officer included as a job responsibility "Developing a plan for rethinking supplementary Jewish education," and this will be the subject of the Fall 2007 issue of their journal, Contact. I expect that in the coming year we will increasingly see postings for congregational positions featuring phrases like "educational innovation" and "visionary leadership."

This past Fall also saw mainstream Internet sites becoming part of the general Jewish educational experience. We've got:

• Rosh Hashanah videos on YouTube, like this one (which appears to be some kind of low-key birthrightisrael viral marketing campaign.


• It certainly seems to be the case that every Jewish educator I've ever known is now on Facebook. Teens, run in terror!


• And of course, 2Life magazine, celebrated the one year anniversary of Jewish life in Second Life, with its sixth issue featuring articles on the first virtual brit milah.

And of course, this Fall has seen the controversial opening of the first Hebrew-language public school, Ben Gamla Charter School, in Hollywood, Florida. Opinion is split as to whether this is a "genius" or "disingenuous" means to use public money to provide children with a Jewish, er, I mean "Hebrew" education. Nevertheless, expect to see others trying to replicate this model if Ben Gamla is deemed a success (and it survives any legal challenges that arise as it navigates the line between church and state).

All of this, and still so much more to say. Ladies and gentlemen, it is hard to believe it, but Jewish education is a growth industry. Who would've thought?

Job Posting: Director of Development, Beit Rabban (NYC)

Beit Rabban is a day school that weaves together exemplary and creative practices of academic and Jewish education. The school's diverse learning community brings together families from across the Jewish denominational spectrum. The school is committed to intellectual openness regarding the diversity of belief and practice found within Judaism. In an environment that is progressive in orientation, yet serious about engaging children in the Jewish textual tradition, students learn in an open spirit and in a way that fosters a love of learning. Find out more about our unique vision-led school at: www.beitrabban.org.

Beit Rabban seeks a highly organized individual to serve as Director of Development. This new position is an exciting opportunity for a motivated professional to join a dynamic, stimulating work environment and play a crucial role in the strategic growth of the school. The Director of Development will plan and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies for both the annual and capital campaigns. Reporting to the Executive Director, s/he will:

• Work effectively with lay leaders to cultivate volunteer teams and campaign organizers, and identify and cultivate prospective donors
• Institute new strategies for moving donors along the continuum of giving
• Plan and implement major donor recognition and cultivation events
• Design and implement mail, phone, online campaigns and other income streams targeted to current and alumni parents, grandparents, alumni and community donors
• Conceptualize and execute brochures and communications pieces related to development projects and events.
• Oversee gift administration processes relating to annual giving, pledge reminders and reporting

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a minimum of five years experience as a development professional where s/he has demonstrated success in:

• Designing and implementing major donor solicitation efforts, including capital campaigns
• Team-building and stewardship
• Appeals such as direct mail, dial-a-thons and e-philanthropy
• Defining, articulating and writing the case for giving and other campaign materials
• Special events and volunteer management and mobilization

The successful candidate will also have excellent interpersonal and managerial skills, as well as the ability to work well independently; capacity to assume leadership roles and take initiative in start-up enterprises; Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s is preferred.

To apply: Please send a resume and cover letter with salary requirements to: Lisa Sacks, Executive Director, Beit Rabban Day School, 8 W. 70th Street, New York, NY 10023; lisa@beitrabban.org. Candidates meeting some but not all of the qualifications are also encouraged to apply.

A few words of advice to those applying for an entry-level position

Recently, I posted a job description for the position of Life-Long Learning Associate at Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York.

Of course, I respond to every application individually. Nevertheless, here are a few unsolicited words of advice to anyone who might be applying for a job for the first time:

• If you have the word "beach," "kitten," or "toy" in your email address - you might want to consider opening a new gmail account for business correspondence.


• Don't apply for every position that is being advertised at the congregation with exactly the same cover letter.


• If I ask you about what you know about the congregation, don't cut and paste from it's website in your response.


• Probably not best to address me as "Dear Sir/Madam" or "Hello ," - I mean, my name's on the friggin' job description.


• If your email is three sentences long, every sentence shouldn't end in an exclamation point! Really! Honest!"

We are still collecting resumes for this position. If you need me to tell you to look under "job descriptions" (to the right), this is not the job for you.

Job Posting: "Shabbat Leader," Society for the Advancement of Judaism

The SAJ, a Reconstructionist and Conservative synagogue on the Upper West Side, is seeking a "Shabbat leader" to lead family services and to teach in our Hebrew School. Our family services are warm, inviting, and very musical. We use a mix of traditional prayer, storytelling, and interactive educational activities to create a service that is welcoming to all. At the Hebrew School we use an experiential learning approach to introduce children of all ages to the joys of Jewish life. We are looking for an educator who will bring educational engagement and a high level of ruach-oriented fun to our Hebrew school.

The Shabbat leader will:

• Lead two Friday night family services a month, one geared towards younger children (ages 4-8) and their parents, and one geared towards tweens and their parents.
• Lead one monthly Saturday morning service geared towards younger children.
• Teach music in the Hebrew School twice a week, ideally on Sunday and Tuesday. There will be a particular focus on teaching songs from the family Shabbat services, to create a bridge between the Hebrew School and the family services.
• Help plan and attend two havdalah events during the winter.
• Work closely with and be supervised by the education director, meeting with the education director on a weekly basis.
• Attend bimonthly meetings of a lay "Shabbat committee."

The schedule for the various services should allow for each service to occur on a different week of the month in order to accommodate all family groups.

The ideal candidate for this position will have at least four years experience in song-leading, have the ability to song-lead while playing either guitar or keyboard, and will also have experience creating and leading family education programs. He or she will be upbeat and outgoing, and will enjoy and relate well to children.

Compensation ranges from $15,000 up, commensurate with experience.

Please email resumes to education.saj@verizon.net or fax (212) 724-0293.

Job Posting: Full-Time Teacher at Central Synagogue, NYC

Central Synagogue, a Reform congregation of over 2000 households in mid-town Manhattan seeks to hire full-time educators for the fourth year of an innovative educational initiative for academic year 2007-8. Our full-time teachers work as a team to plan and implement formal and informal learning experiences for our 3rd-9th graders and their families, including Shabbat and holiday celebrations, enrichment activities, and social action projects.

Responsibilities include:

• team-driven curriculum planning and assessment
• classroom teaching
• evaluation of student achievement
• weekly communication with parents
• family programming and parent education
• home and internet based learning initiatives

This is a full time position with benefits.

Starting date: July 1, 2007

Salary: $38-49K based on experience

Applicants for this position should have previous experience in classroom teaching and curriculum development, excellent organizational and communication skills, and a strong work ethic. We seek reflective practitioners, committed to professional growth, who are able to work effectively as part of a team and to share a love for learning and of Judaism with all members of our synagogue community. This is a challenging position with tremendous opportunity for achievement. Our faculty creates cutting-edge learning experiences, incorporating the latest pedagogical theories, while receiving mentoring from experts in the field. In order to create a diverse educational team we are seeking candidates with special skills in one or more of the following areas: music, song leading, technology (web/video), dance, theater, visual arts, and Judaic studies.

The position requires evening and weekend work throughout the academic year. Hebrew proficiency and familiarity with Reform Judaism are essential. An advanced degree in Education and/or Judaic studies is preferred.

For more information or to apply for this position, please send cover letter and resume to:

Sara Blumstein
Director of Educational Administration
Central Synagogue
123 East 55th Street
New York, NY 10022
sara@censyn.org
212-838-5122 x254
212-486-1944 (Fax)

Job Posting: Project Assistant, Lippman Kanfer Institute

JESNA is a continental nonprofit organization that is focused on improving Jewish education through a cycle of learnings, dissemination, and application.

JESNA (www.jesna.org) is seeking a highly-motivated, self-directed individual for a part-time (10 hour per week) position as Project Assistant for its Lippman Kanfer Institute. The Lippman Kanfer Institute operates as a think tank within JESNA, focusing on the identification and diffusion of innovative ideas and practices that will keep Jewish education relevant and effective in the 21st century. The Project Assistant will work closely with the Director of the Institute (who is also JESNA’s Chief Ideas Officer) to manage its initiatives and day-to-day activities.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist the Director in planning the activities of the Lippman Kanfer Institute, including meetings and events, publications, presentations, and other activities.
• Ensure that these activities are implemented effectively and in a timely fashion.
• Manage the Institute’s ongoing communications with key partners and constituents, including members of the JESNA Board and staff, the Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation, individuals working with the Institute on projects, advisers and consultants, Jewish education funders, and other professional and lay leaders in the field of Jewish education.
• Coordinate meetings, consultations, and other events organized by the Institute.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

• B.A.
• Experience in managing projects and activities in the for-profit or not-for-profit sectors.
• Skills in using word processing, spreadsheet, presentation (Powerpoint) software; skills in using project management, graphics, and web software a plus.
• Personally familiar with and knowledgeable about the Jewish community and Jewish education.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, with all levels of management and staff, volunteer leaders, partner organizations, and media.
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks under deadlines.
• Demonstrated resourcefulness, optimism, flexibility, and good humor in approach to project assignments and in working with colleagues and constituents.
• Commitment to JESNA’s values, mission and goals.

START DATE: September 1, 2007; possible earlier start if candidate is available sooner

LOCATION: JESNA’s New York office

SALARY: $300 / 10 hr. week

APPLICATION PROCESS: Email resume and cover letter with position title in the subject line to Jonathan Woocher, Director of the Institute, at jwoocher@jesna.org.

Job Posting: Executive Director for Limmud NY

Limmud NY is a cutting-edge grassroots organization that works all year to create a festival of Jewish learning and culture for Jews of all ages and backgrounds from across the New York metropolitan area. The Executive Director will manage Limmud NY’s development and growth.

Now in its fourth year, Limmud NY is described by Lynn Schusterman as having a “level of creativity that many Jewish organizations spend years trying to build.” This event, or conference, is the Jewish expression of more than 90 volunteers and reflects the diversity of their ideas and thoughts. The multi-media formats of sessions throughout the weekend include music, text, film, lectures, and hands-on workshops, appealing to Jews of all ages and all backgrounds. With more than 800 people in attendance and over 300 sessions throughout Martin Luther King weekend in the Catskills, this event is a celebration of the vibrancy of Jewish life.

Job Description:
As Limmud NY moves from being a start-up organization to a more established one, the Executive Director will work closely with the Board of Directors, Advisory Board, 90+ volunteers, funders, and local Jewish organizations to build Limmud NY’s capacity and further solidify its long-term sustainability.

Specific responsibilities will include:
• Providing guidance and direction to a growing organization, in close partnership with the Limmud NY Board
• Managing a growing budget (currently around $700,000) and maintaining day-to-day financial oversight of Limmud NY
• Creating a long-term development plan, and raising the funds necessary to sustain and build Limmud NY. Currently Limmud NY raises about $375,000 mostly through foundation gifts. As the organization develops, we anticipate a greater focus on individual gifts and other new sources of funding
• Overseeing one staff person and one intern, and working with 90+ volunteers in the planning and implementation of Limmud NY’s annual conference
• Further developing and implementing a strategic plan
• Collaborating with a volunteer committee to plan and implement an annual fundraiser
• Maintaining and developing relationships with other Jewish communal organizations
• Providing consultation to new Limmuds around the country on an as-needed basis

Job Requirements:
• 5+ years experience in fundraising and program management
• Familiarity with the New York Jewish community
• Commitment to a broad understanding of Jewish life and learning
• Openness to working with a very active and involved Board
• Experience with and love of working with volunteers
• Ability to attend occasional evening and weekend meetings
• Self-motivated, energetic, flexible

Masters Degree preferred. Excellent writing, communication, and interpersonal skills. Proficient use of Excel. Knowledge of Donor Perfect Online a plus.

Start Date: June/July 2007
Salary: Commensurate with experience.

Submit resume to search@limmudny.org

Job Posting: Family Learning Coordinator at Congregation Emanu-El of NYC

Please forward this posting to anyone you think might be interested:

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York
FAMILY LEARNING COORDINATOR

Congregation Emanu-El, the first Reform congregation in New York City, seeks to hire a part-time (20 hours / week) Family Learning Coordinator. This is a new position that is being created as an outcome of a year-long process of re-envisioning congregational learning.

The Family Learning Coordinator will be responsible for the planning and execution of formal and informal learning experiences for Nursery and Religious School-aged students and their families during and outside of school hours. Key responsibilities will include developing, directing, and evaluating holiday and Shabbat programming, field trips, and social action projects, and teaching both in and out of the classroom. Although this will be a largely programmatic role, the Coordinator will manage certain financial and administrative tasks (such as bookkeeping, registration, and publicity).

The Family Learning Coordinator will:
• Broaden and cultivate the target base served by formal and informal family programs
• Assess the interests of this population, and develop new educational, social, cultural, and religious initiatives
• Support the creation and execution of parallel learning opportunities for parents and home-learning experiences, including content delivered via email and the synagogue website
• Staff all family activities and events, including retreats and planning meetings
• Hire and supervise additional staff, volunteers, and chaperones as needed
• Develop adult leadership and build family participation.
• Evaluate and assess family programs and student achievement.

The ideal candidate:
• Brings new ideas and the ability to implement them
• Has both formal and informal educational experience
• Builds a pluralistic and Reform Jewish environment
• Has a strong understanding of family dynamics and child development
• Is familiar with Hebrew language and Reform Jewish liturgy
• Is committed to professional growth
• Is a team player, working collaboratively with clergy, other teachers, and parents
• Has excellent communication and organizational skills
• Is passionate, fun, enthusiastic, creative, and energetic
• Thinks big picture: How family activities fit into congregational living and learning

Candidates with a background in songleading, drama, and/or ropes-course are especially encouraged to apply. This is a challenging position that brings with it tremendous opportunity for achievement. We seek reflective practitioners who are committed to professional growth, are effective team-members, and who are able to share a love for learning and of Judaism with all members of our synagogue community. An advanced degree in Education and/or Judaic Studies is preferred.

The position requires evening and weekend work throughout the academic year. The ideal starting date will be July 10, 2007. This is a half-time (20 hours / week) position and salary is $25-30K based on experience. The Family Learning Coordinator will be supervised by the Director of Life-Long Learning.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Saul Kaiserman at saulkaiserman@gmail.com.

Opening for Tenure track position at Davidson School

This just came in off the Davidson school alumni listserve:

JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY announces a tenure track position in the Department of Jewish Education. Specialization is open but scholars with expertise in educational leadership and philosophy of education are particularly encouraged to apply.

The Department of Jewish Education forms the core of the Seminary's William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education. The Davidson School, the largest school of Jewish education in North America, prepares educators for teaching careers in day schools and universities as well as for leadership positions in synagogue schools, community centers, camps, and other informal settings.

The successful candidate will teach a range of courses to graduate (MA and EdD) and rabbinical students. A record of research and publication or evidence for potential is a must. Rank is open. Candidates already tenured at another institution may be considered for a tenured appointment to JTS.

Please send a cover letter and C.V. by November 21, 2006 to the Chair of the search committee, Prof. Barry W. Holtz, Department of Jewish Education, Jewish Theological Seminary, 3080 Broadway, New York, NY 10027.