Beth Shalom v’Emeth Reform Temple (B’ShERT) seeks a collaborative and enthusiastic Reform Jewish educator to add to our Saturday morning religious school team!
About B’ShERT
B’ShERT is a Reform Jewish synagogue in Brooklyn with a history over 100 years long. Located in the heart of Flatbush in Ditmas Park, B’ShERT is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming spiritual home regardless of where families may be on their Jewish journeys. B’ShERT officially formed in July 2018, when the communities of Temple Beth Emeth v’Ohr Progressive Shaari Zedek and Progressive Temple Beth Ahavath Sholom consolidated into a new entity. B’ShERT enthusiastically welcomes members of all Jewish traditions, families of multiple faith backgrounds, LGBTQ+ members, differently abled members, and those who simply wish to learn and experience our warm and friendly community.
About the Religious School
B’ShERT’s religious school philosophy focuses on instilling a love of Judaism in our students and creating belonging for all Jewish students in our classrooms.
B’ShERT’s religious school meets once a week on Saturday mornings from 9:45am-12:30pm. From 9:45am-11am, students attend religious school in the classroom. Then, from 11am-12:30pm, students join their families for Shabbat morning services, including a full Torah service. We know we don’t have a ton of time in the classroom, but if students develop a strong connection to Judaism, we believe they will engage in lifelong learning.
During the weekdays, students learn Hebrew in chevruta (paired learning/study) on Zoom with a Hebrew teacher. Saturday morning part-time teachers are not responsible for Zoom teaching during the weekdays but if you are interested in also teaching Hebrew on weekdays on Zoom, please let our Education Director know in your application.
Accessibility
We are working on making our space accessible for all. B’ShERT is partially accessible: there is a ramp to enter into the building. The entire first floor, including a classroom, the sanctuary, an ADA compliant gender neutral bathroom, and the community room, is wheelchair accessible. Our building is not fully physically accessible for wheelchair users or those who cannot navigate stairs, however, as there are classrooms upstairs and a function room downstairs. Teachers can teach a class on the first floor and attend the service in the sanctuary without using stairs.
Essential Duties
- Arrive promptly at 9:30am and stay for the duration of the Torah service until 1pm.
- Prepare to teach religious school curriculum by internalizing the lesson plan prior to class and discussing with the Education Director as needed.
- Create an inclusive, warm, welcoming, and joyful environment for your class. All students belong at B’ShERT.
- Bring your creativity to the classroom.
- Occasionally setup and breakdown rooms (during working hours on Saturdays) for special events such as Model Seder, Purim Carnival, etc.
- Model participation in services and help students engage in services - sit near students, point out parts that connect to the lesson in class, encourage them to ask questions.
- Attend occasional check-in meetings and professional development and curriculum meetings with teaching staff and Education Director as needed and as it works for your schedule.
- Teach some Hebrew content: Hebrew through Movement, and Hebrew decoding, based on lessons.
- Please note: all Saturday classes will be held in person at B’ShERT.
Qualifications
- Love of Judaism, Jewish learning, and exploring Jewish concepts with students in the classroom
- Enthusiasm for working on a small team and for working collaboratively - we are excited to be a close knit community and hope you enjoy that, too!
- Belief in belonging for all - everyone belongs at B’ShERT
- Familiarity with and comfort with Reform Jewish values, practices, and observance*
- Classroom teaching experience or experience working with children (camp, in-classroom teaching, after-school programming)
- Must be available to work Saturdays in-person - no remote options available for this position
- Hebrew language experience and knowledge is a plus! Ability to effectively internalize Hebrew decoding and vocabulary lessons at a minimum
- Musical skills, drama skills, art making skills, tefillah-leading skills are a plus!
*A note about observance: As Reform Jews at B’ShERT, we are comfortable writing, drawing, and using technology on Shabbat. Shomer Shabbos teachers will be accommodated and madrichim (teen helpers) will provide support in the classroom. Our services are hybrid and involve a projector with a Zoom meeting in which folks can join the service online. Please note that the services always include Zoom/computer technology, amplified sound, and live streaming.
Compensation: $50-$55 per hour, depending on experience
Teachers will be compensated for 3.5 hours of work each Saturday (9:30am-1pm) plus 1 hour for remote preparation.
We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity. We welcome qualified applicants of all races, ethnicities, ages, physical abilities, genders and sexual orientations, etc.
We do not expect every candidate to be equally skilled in all these areas, and this is not a complete list of all relevant qualifications applicants might bring to the job. Please tell us about your other assets not mentioned here that may be valuable to this role. If you do not have the exact combination of skills listed here, but are still interested in this role and/or in B’ShERT, we'd love to hear from you.
How to Apply
Please submit a resume and cover letter to our Education Director, Lizzy, at lizzy@bshert.org. Also, if you have any questions or clarifications, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Due to the expected volume of applications, we will follow up with the most promising candidates, but cannot respond individually to all applicants.