Director of Jewish Life

Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School is a vibrant, pluralistic Pre-K – 8 school in the heart of Washington, DC, serving 475 students on two campuses. As the only Jewish day school in the nation’s capital, MILTON students benefit from the school’s urban location, a talented and dedicated faculty, and a warm and engaged community that contributes to the life of the school and the greater community. At MILTON, students, families, and faculty mirror the diversity of Jewish practice in the community and our warm, inclusive, close-knit community is a hallmark of the school. It is ingrained in our growth-oriented culture to evolve as professionals and as an organization to meet the needs of our families and the greater DC Jewish community.  

The Director of Jewish Life will be a creative force to continue moving Jewish life forward at MILTON and will inspire colleagues and students to get involved with transforming and elevating Jewish life. This dedicated and energetic professional will be a core part of MILTON’s culture, ruach, dynamism, and strategy, overseeing and ensuring a spirited avira. In this environment, Hebrew and Jewish life permeates both of our campuses, all events, and our community presence. This is a wonderful opportunity for an up-and-coming or experienced leader with a passion for Jewish education who is driven by relationships, collaboration, and excellence -  and who finds joy and energy in working with children and adults alike. Excellent opportunities for professional development and mentorship.

The Director of Jewish Life sets the tone for, organizes, and oversees all experiential and extracurricular Jewish life opportunities for students and families. For example:

• Daily and special tefilah; Kabbalat Shabbat
• Shabbatonim beginning in 5th grade
• Holiday celebrations and milestone events
• Jewish practice during overnight trips
• Kashrut and Shabbat community expectations
• In-school b’nai mitzvah; out-of-school dynamics around b’nai mitzvah
• Chesed opportunities
• Select elements of Israel education 
• Special programming with other Jewish institutions
• Parent-child, adult, grandparent and family learning opportunities
• Written materials for parashat hashavua and holiday learning for families

The Director of Jewish Life works closely with the Head of School, Campus Principals, Hebrew and Judaic Studies Department Chairs, Specialists, and Parent Association to connect the curriculum to student and family Jewish life experiences. 

The ideal candidate will:

• Be an inspirational school leader, infusing ruach through song, learning, and joyful experiences throughout the school
• Be a strong Jewish role model for all our students and faculty
• Be highly knowledgeable in areas of Jewish practice, tefilah, and Jewish text, informed by diverse perspectives
• Have exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain effective, professional relationships with students, faculty, administrators, prospective parents, current parents, alumni, school visitors, local rabbis, and community leaders
• Be an excellent project and people manager who effectively and collaboratively plans and implement programs/events
• Be a strong communicator, capable of navigating the complexities of a pluralistic school
• Be eager to participate in professional development and be open to growth-oriented feedback
• Appreciate children as spiritual and creative individuals, with confidence in their capabilities, competence, and curiosity 
• Be a creative problem-solver with the ability to envision new traditions and programs
• Be able to represent the school in the larger community in a compelling and charismatic manner that reflects the values, culture, and excellence of the school

Qualifications: 

• High degree of cultural competency and knowledge of the diversity of the Jewish community and greater DC; demonstrated success in working with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to launch, prioritize, and manage multiple priorities
• Capacity to creatively problem-solve while empowering and entrusting colleagues as partners in the school’s Jewish growth
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Flexibility for weekend and evening work that is inherent in the Jewish Life calendar; Ability to be hands-on with event management, set-up, etc.
• Master’s or rabbinic/cantorial degree preferred
• Hebrew proficiency (at minimum)
• 8-10  years of Jewish educational experience and a proven track record of engaging students in meaningful, experiential modalities; leadership and management experience preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft and Google Suites required; Experience with relational database expected (Blackbaud, Ravenna or comparable)