Beth Jacob Congregation Director of Congregational Learning
Full-time | Salaried + Benefits | Exempt employee | Salary Range: Educator only: $75-90K, with Rabbinic Responsibilities: $90-110K | Start date: 07/01/2026
Beth Jacob Congregation seeks a Director of Congregational Learning to set a vision for and bring to life meaningful, rigorous, and engaging learning experiences for all ages that help fulfill our congregation's mission and promote our values. This primarily involves directing the congregation’s multi-generational learning program (Limudim: Our Learning Community), overseeing our b’nai mitzvah program, and supervising our youth director. When this position is held by a rabbi, it includes sharing rabbinic responsibilities with our Senior Rabbi, such as leading morning minyan twice a week, occasionally leading Shabbat services, providing pastoral care, and officiating at life cycle events. The Director of Congregational Learning reports to the Senior Rabbi.
About Beth Jacob Congregation
Our congregation is motivated and powered by our commitment to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and engaged community. These qualities are at the heart of who we are: lifelong learners dedicated to deep Jewish learning and ritual practice, to egalitarianism and inclusion, and to continually working toward building a more just world.
We see Judaism as a living tradition which continues to develop and change, one that is “progressively traditional”. Our community is deeply grounded in Jewish tradition. We daven primarily in Hebrew and read the full Torah reading each Shabbat. On holidays, we preserve many rituals in a traditional way. For example, on Sukkot the sanctuary is fully encircled by congregants carrying their lulavim and etrogim.
Our diverse congregation is made up of people from all over the Twin Cities metro area, from those who have been members for decades to young families, people who have just moved to this area, people who chose Judaism long ago and those who are just starting to explore it, and local college students. Our congregation has prided itself on LGBTQ+ inclusion - our founding rabbi, Morris Allen, was the first local Conservative rabbi to perform a same-gender commitment ceremony in 1996 and Beth Jacob now regularly celebrates same-sex weddings. We are proud that Beth Jacob is a Jewish destination that brings in diverse voices, passion, and energy to our community.
Newcomers and regulars alike are greeted warmly as they enter our building and again upon entering the sanctuary. On Shabbat, services are led by members of the shul with people of all genders participating fully. Our young children participate in the Torah service by carrying Torah adornments and leading some of the piyyutim. During the seventh aliyah we invite up all those observing yarzheits in the coming week. Kiddush lunch is always open to the entire community, often followed by learning sessions. People often hang out on Saturdays for hours, with kids playing in various spaces inside and outside, adults talking or playing games in the social hall.
Our focus on welcoming and community-building is demonstrated through the way we show up for and care for each other. We provide meals for members of our community in times of need through our Chesed Committee. Our profound commitment to inclusion means embracing families of all backgrounds, welcoming interfaith families, reflected in the creation of our Children of Abraham section in our cemetery so members of interfaith families are able to be buried with their loved-ones. We are committed to financial inclusivity, with no financial barriers to participation in our congregation. We have self-determined dues, we have never had tickets for the High Holy Days, and we provide a free option for any programming that involves fees. We know that privilege can be invisible to those who have it, and we actively look for ways to provide full access to those within our community who have felt excluded from full participation: members who didn’t grow up with a Jewish education, who don’t speak or read Hebrew, or are part of a multifaith family. Beth Jacob also makes Jewish ritual more accessible by providing space to Heritage Judaica, an organization that collects and distributes all types of Judaica - from candlesticks and challah covers to seder plates and Jewish artwork - for free to the community at large.
We take seriously our tradition’s imperatives to work to improve the world around us. Our congregational commitments have included 25 years of serving breakfast monthly at a St. Paul shelter, sponsoring refugee families from Myanmar and Afghanistan, collecting needed items for unhoused people to keep warm in winter, and our social justice committee’s work on affordable housing. This year, our congregation also created chat groups to share information and mobilize as needed on key issues, including protecting immigrant rights, preventing gun violence, and protecting democracy in this country.
Beth Jacob is a community rather than an institution. Many of us sit together each week in Shabbat services, while others catch up on our friendships as part of our robust “hallway minyan”. Still others play, read, and sing with their children in the nursery or at Minyan Katan, our service for preschool and kindergarten-aged children. We learn together through Jewish meditation and Torah classes, and encourage the participation of our deep bench of learned lay leadership. Our middle schoolers and teens gather regularly for youth group activities, including a weekly BJUSY lounge night. We stand with each other through the bitter and the sweet, celebrating our joys, and providing support in times of loss through our active daily morning minyan.
We are fortunate to have Rabbi Tamar Magill-Grimm as our Senior Rabbi. Before coming to Beth Jacob, she was Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Rock Island, IL. She received her smicha from the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College, where she was a fellow with The Center for Inter-Religious and Communal Leadership Education. She studied in Israel at Hebrew College in Jerusalem, Machon Pardes, the Conservative Yeshiva, Machon Schechter and the Secular Yeshiva in Tel Aviv. She recently completed a fellowship with the Mandel Teacher-Educator Institute. Rabbi Tamar has served Beth Jacob for 10 years in various roles, officially becoming our Senior Rabbi in June 2025.
About Limudim: Our Learning Community
Launched in 2024, Beth Jacob’s education program, Limudim: Our Learning Community, was built via a collaborative process involving educators, parents, students and community members. Our goal was to create a program that would set up learners for a lifetime of exploration, connection, and meaningful Jewish engagement. Students acquire the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become active participants in Jewish ritual and communal life and to proudly contribute to the Jewish community and the world.
During Limudim on Shabbat morning and Tuesday evenings, the building is humming with energy and activity, with learning for all age levels in every corner of the shul. On Tuesday nights, we begin with a family dinner, followed by classes for children and adults.
For our PreK through 5th grade students, the classes emphasize Hebrew language, Tefillah, Torah, Jewish holidays, Israel, and Mitzvot. Our 6th and 7th graders participate in group tutoring, helping them prepare for their b’nai mitzvah. Post-b’nai mitzvah students learn Talmud together. Our high schoolers take a class offered by AJU for college credit and serve as Madrichim (classroom assistants). Our offerings for Adult learners include classes on Midrash, Talmud, mini-courses on various Jewish subjects, a Jewish Parenting Circle and Beginner’s Hebrew.
About this Position
PREFERRED SKILL SET AND EXPERIENCE
- Master’s degree in Jewish Education, Rabbinic Ordination preferred
- Significant and extensive knowledge of Jewish life, ritual, and texts
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills (direct, concise, polite, comprehensive, welcoming)
- Experience working collaboratively with committees, parents, and lay leadership
- Mission-driven and conscientious
- Experience overseeing and developing supervisees, and/or administrative experience
RESPONSIBILITIES
Youth Education
- Direct Limudim: Our Learning Community, a twice-weekly innovative educational experience, which centers on children learning Hebrew and aspects of Jewish life, thought, and practice.
- Hire, supervise, and mentor Limudim teachers
- Provide professional development & lead regular staff meetings
- Supervise Madrichim (9th - 12th Grade) and coordinate with their teachers to ensure success
- Supervise the Youth Director and oversee all experiential Jewish educational programs offered by Beth Jacob Congregation (BJUSY, Gesher, & BJuniors)
- Help maintain Shabbat atmosphere on Saturday mornings
- Oversee administrative aspects of the program (in coordination with administrative staff), including registration, attendance & finance paperwork, board reports & marketing materials
- Create children’s programming for Jewish Holidays
- Work closely with the Youth Education Committee and Limudim Committees
B’nai Mitzvah
- Manage B'nai Mitzvah Planning and Preparation
- Work with families to set B’nai Mitzvah dates at the beginning of their fifth-grade year
- Set and lead initial meetings with families to lay out goals and expectations
- Assign B'nai Mitzvah tutors & manage student progress
- Work with b’nai mitzvah students on writing divrei torah and help them in their spiritual preparation (shared with Senior Rabbi)
Adult Education
- Develop and implement adult learning classes that take place during Limudim.
- Partner with Senior Rabbi to set vision, define schedule, and teach other Adult Education classes.
- Work with Senior Rabbi in cultivating an adult learning lay committee
- Help plan ongoing and one-off educational experiences, such as Scholar-in-Residence
Camp & Scholarships
- Oversee all Jewish Summer Camp recruitment & advocacy, including family camp
- Oversee scholarship application process and allocations of Jewish Summer Camp Scholarships, Jewish Day School Scholarship, Israel Trip Scholarships, & BJUSY/Gesher
- Work with Executive Director, Senior Rabbi, Youth Director & Scholarship committee to fundraise for Jewish education scholarships
Pastoral/Rabbinic Support (rabbis only, approx. 25% of role)
- Lead Morning Minyan twice a week
- Support the Senior Rabbi with life cycle events, shiva minyanim, etc.
- Provide pastoral care to community members at the direction of the Senior Rabbi
- Serve as back-up for the Senior Rabbi as necessary at Shabbat Services, Chagim & Kabbalat Shabbat
- Attend community events representing the congregation
Other Duties
- Attend regularly scheduled staff meetings
- Other duties as assigned by the Senior Rabbi
About the Twin Cities
Situated near the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers in Mendota Heights, MN, Beth Jacob is part of the Twin Cities metro area, serving members from both St. Paul and Minneapolis, and the surrounding suburbs. This area is known for a high quality of life, offering culture, recreation, and a vibrant Jewish community.
With the Mississippi River winding through both cities and a great many lakes, the outdoors is never very far away in the Twin Cities. Nearly every neighborhood has a city park that typically includes a playground and sports fields/courts that often become outdoor ice skating rinks in the winter. Minnesota is home to 64 state parks where one can canoe, kayak, bicycle, hike, camp, fish, swim, and ski, with gems like the north shore of Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters within a few hours’ drive of the Cities. Both cities also consistently rank in the top 5 most bicycle-friendly cities, with dedicated bike trails and marked bike lanes throughout the metro.
The Twin Cities boasts a rich performing and visual arts scene, with world-class theaters, renowned art institutions, and live music in every style. From lauded playhouses like The Guthrie to neighborhood art festivals, the area is a hive of cultural activity. If you prefer sports over the arts, we are home to professional teams in every major sport, as well as minor league and college teams. The Twin Cities is also recognized nationally for our food scene, with outstanding restaurants, breweries, and farmer’s markets.
Rating high in livability, the Twin Cities combines relative affordability with progressive values, strong public services, and excellent healthcare and education. Minnesota state continues to improve its social programs, including universal paid family leave, free breakfast and lunch to all students with no income requirements, and quality healthcare coverage for low-income families. Neighborhoods tend to feel friendly, many have held annual block parties for decades, and neighbors typically know and help each other. This makes MN a great place to raise children, as it also has a wide variety of high-quality public and private education options from preschool through higher ed. Families can also enjoy many hands-on museums and specific children’s programming through many major arts, sports, and recreational organizations.
The Twin Cities is home to a thriving Jewish community, dating back to the 19th century. This area has been a leader in egalitarianism, celebrating bat mitzvahs beginning in the 1940’s. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have Jewish Federations to support our local Jewish institutions. The vibrancy of our community is reflected in the variety of organizations dedicated to Jewish life, including JPride, Living Mussar, and Six Points Jewish Theater. Other organizations, such as Jewish Community Action and Jewish Family and Children’s Service, reflect our commitment to tikkun olam. Jewish community happenings are covered in the online publication TCJewfolk. Adults requiring assistance can live at Sholom Home, which provides a continuum of care and has campuses on both the east and west side of the metro. Children can attend the Smith Jewish Academy from elementary through eighth grade. During the summer, a variety of camps are available, including day camps through the JCC, and overnight options at Camp Ramah and Herzl Camp in Wisconsin.
To apply: Please submit a cover letter, resume, brief statement of educational philosophy (max 500 words), 2-3 references, a 1-paragraph bio, and a recent photo to Rabbi Tamar Magill-Grimm at [email protected]. Priority will be given to candidates who apply by Jan 4, 2026.