Adas Israel is an ever-evolving, vibrant, growing, and innovative urban congregation of 5,000+ members. Led by two Co-senior Rabbis, a strong professional staff, and an active lay leadership, our community embraces a diverse and engaged membership across all life stages. As a critical member of the executive team, the Executive Director (ED) is responsible for managing Adas Israel’s strategy and execution, and leads the finance and accounting operations, HR, and staff development teams. The ED has three direct reports, who are responsible for leading membership engagement and operations, finance and human resources (HR) and communications teams, respectively. Moreover, the ED heads a team of 30 professional staff.
Adas Israel is also home to two schools, our Gan HaYeled, a reggio-inspired 5-day/week preschool, and the Estelle and Melvin Gelman Religious School, a supplemental education program for K-12 students. Each school is led by a dedicated director who leads a team of administrators responsible for designing and managing the school's operations, as well as overseeing the faculty. While the directors manage the day-to-day school operations, they receive strategic support and oversight from the ED, who supports the senior rabbis and education teams in fostering the overall quality of the education programs and offers financial and operational guidance.
The collaboration between the ED and Adas Israel’s Co-senior Rabbis has been an invaluable strength for the Congregation. The successful candidate will be comfortable collaborating and executing their vision and listening and leading within a diverse and engaged Congregation. The ED will work to continuously improve our service delivery and prepare Adas Israel for further growth. The ED reports to the President and Board of Directors.
Portfolio Highlights
- Strategic implementation of vision through organizational structure, portfolios, and positioning
- Budget and financial oversight
- Fundraising
- Communications oversight
- Department-head leadership support (with special emphasis on schools )
- Partner with the President of the Board to develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors; seek and build board involvement with strategic direction; serve as the lead Board liaison
Position Description
As a critical member of the executive team, the Executive Director is responsible for overall strategic, financial, logistical, and communications health of the synagogue. The ED works with various constituencies - clergy, educational, operations, and programmatic staff and lay leaders to help them meet their obligations to the Congregation. In all functions, the ED acts with due regard for Conservative Movement principles of Halakhah and, consistent with those principles, acts with sensitivity to congregants, clergy, and staff.
Together with lay leadership, clergy, and professional staff, the ED plays a central role in developing, overseeing, and monitoring strategic visioning and planning processes designed to support both the short-term and long-term goals and overall wellness of the entire Congregation.
Organization and Reporting Relationships
The ED reports to the Board of Directors and day-to-day to the President of the Board of Directors.
The ED exercises general oversight over all personnel excluding clergy and their direct reports. The full professional team at Adas Israel is supported by the Executive Director, who helps to drive the work culture at the synagogue and establishes key portfolios including administration, programming, accounting, HR, membership engagement, facilities, communications, and member life-cycle support.
The ED determines specific reporting authorities among staff as are appropriate and efficient, and directly supervises the Senior Director, Operations and Engagement, Controller, and Communications Director.
All responsibilities are fulfilled in close collaboration with the Senior Rabbis, with recognition of the Senior Rabbis’ position as spiritual leader and mara d’atra. The ED and Senior Rabbis will function and present themselves to the Congregation as a harmonious management team. The ED provides advice and other assistance to the Senior Rabbis and other clergy as requested concerning matters within the scope of their responsibilities and knowledge.
Financial Management
The ED supervises the Congregation’s financial operations and is responsible for the overall financial management of the Congregation, including long-term financial planning, and generally ensures that the synagogue’s financial operations are performed efficiently, transparently, and with utmost integrity. The Executive Director
- Oversees the finance department staff, including monitoring receipts, deposits, expenditures, cash-flow functions, implementation of financial controls and reporting, and ensures that financial statements are prepared and distributed to the President, other appropriate officers and Board members, responding to officer requests for financial information, and generally assuring that each fiscal year the synagogue’s financial performance comports with the budget as approved by the Congregation.
- With the Controller and Audit Committee, provides support, as needed, in the development of the annual financial audit.
- Supports the Budget Committee in the development of annual operating and capital budgets, including coordination with all relevant clergy and department heads, and functions as needed to prepare a draft budget.
- In partnership with Lay Leadership, supports long-term financial planning with multi-year budget projections and financial modeling.
- Supports the Investment Committee in the oversight of synagogue endowment and other invested funds.
- Assures compliance with existing financial controls and in collaboration with the synagogue auditors, consistent with best practices.
Fundraising
With the President, Vice President for Development, and Senior Rabbis, as applicable, the ED participates in resource development functions, including building relationships with individual donors and foundations, maintaining and enhancing existing relationships, expanding the endowment fund, and developing a planned giving program. supports officers in raising funds, including the annual campaign, endowment, and special projects approved by the Board as well as major capital campaigns that may be pursued.
Oversees the Senior Director of Engagement and Operations and accounting staff in creating and managing tools and data designed to support fundraising efforts.
Administration
The ED supervises the overall administrative team in the execution of all personnel/HR administration and general office responsibilities, including oversight of Adas Israel’s robust administrative, operational, HR, and membership/programming operations.
In partnership with the Senior Rabbis, the Lay Leadership, Senior Director for Engagement and Operations, and legal counsel, the ED supports the development and implementation of synagogue personnel policies and activities.
Membership Relations/Programming/Communications
The ED supervises the Senior Director, Operations & Engagement who leads member engagement initiatives, data, and activities. In collaboration with the Senior Rabbis and the Senior Director, Operations & Engagement, the ED oversees the strategy and execution of ongoing synagogue programming (including special events, holiday planning, learning experiences, etc).
The ED supervises the communications director and any contracted communications support in the oversight of all communications activities. This includes efforts to ensure high quality and effective communications strategies and activities within the Congregation’s internal membership community and beyond.
Lay Leadership Support
The ED helps build, sustain and strengthen all board functions, including meetings, policy compliance and committee work. The ED ensures strategic and logistical support for and regularly attends meetings of the Board, Executive and Budget Committees.
Provides regular updates, reports, and strategic guidance to the board, while ensuring the organization operates in accordance with its legal, governance, and compliance requirements.
The ED supports other Board officers and lay committees of the Board specified in the Bylaws or otherwise established by the Board, providing tangible assistance and advice to enable and facilitate their work.
Assists the board of directors in, leveraging their expertise, networks, and resources to support the organization’s mission and goals.
Assists Board leadership in preparation for meetings of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and other Committees as assigned, and supports them in advancing projects and priorities.
Identifies and makes recommendations to the President, the Board, and Senior Rabbis about members with leadership potential and interest for greater responsibility within the Congregation.