Congregation Beth Shalom Engagement Fellowship

Congregation Beth Shalom seeks a Jewish Engagement Fellow for 20-25 hours/week who will bring contagious energy and passion for Judaism. The applicant should believe in our mission and possess the abilities to relate well with children, their parents and young families from a wide variety of Jewish backgrounds. Engagement with students, families, and young adults as a teacher and resource person to encourage participation and connectedness within our congregation and community is a fundamental aspect of the job.

The Jewish Engagement Fellow reports to Rabbi Nick Renner.

What You’ll Do

Key Priorities (in no particular order):

• Build community among students, parents and families by reaching outside the traditional synagogue spaces.
• Reach out to synagogue-unaffiliated local Jews to build connections.
• Build relationships with Beth Shalom member families and children, connecting them to one another and to a broader vision of community.
• Regularly conduct youth and family Shabbat and holiday services.
• Lead/coordinate religious/holiday youth and family programming .
• Lead/coordinate experimental engagement programs in broader community, offsite destination, family homes, and other possible communal spaces.
• Lead Youth Programs (pre and post B’nei Mitzvah teens) that innovate and experiment with different engagement methodologies.
  

Additional Responsibilities (in no particular order):

• Together with Rabbi, update and hone existing engagement strategies and approaches to affect a synagogue-wide approach to Jewish engagement.
• Develop and facilitate creative educational programming and innovative approaches for all age cohorts (including adult education) in alignment with Rabbi and congregational programming.
• Serve as a liaison with community agencies for projects and programs to engage children, their families and young adults in our community.
• Recruit students to increase membership and Hebrew School enrollment based on plan developed in collaboration with congregational staff and leadership.
• Provide back-up to Rabbi Renner for services and lifecycle events.
• Integrate youth and family education into wider congregational community.

What You’ve Accomplished

• Rabbinic ordination OR advanced degree in Jewish studies, Jewish education, or a related field.
• 4+ years of relevant work experience including supervision with a track record of results. Experience in community organizing, youth/camp movements, or experiential Jewish education is a plus.
• Proven success in community building and outreach, previous experience in program visioning and implementation as well as success in developing curricula and informal educational experiences.
• Ability to prioritize and balance multiple projects simultaneously.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• Connect particularly well with children, teens and young adults.
• Innovative and think outside the box…will bring new ideas to our community
• Preferable (not mandatory) musically inclined, play an instrument and have a nice singing voice.
• Pied Piper that can energize staff, students, teens, young adults and young families and inspires excitement and engagement.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office suite
• Proficience in reading/chanting Torah, leading Torah study, and Shabbat, holiday and prayer services.
• Experience in coordinating relational and experiential programs, fostering relationships across all ages and stages.

What You’ll Receive

• Competitive salary in the non-profit marketplace.
• Great professional mentoring, and skill building opportunities.
  

• Engaging, inclusive, committed and dynamic congregation and community.

Congregation Beth Shalom is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.

Synagogue information:

Congregation Beth Shalom is a vibrant and progressive Conservative congregation in the greater Wilmington, DE and Delaware County, PA areas. 

Founded in 1922, CBS was established to provide the growing Wilmington, Delaware Jewish Community with an alternative to the existing Orthodox and Reform congregations. We are over 400 families and affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and join with other area Conservative congregations to form the Mid-Atlantic District of Conservative Movement. Our clergy actively participate in DERECH, the Delaware Association of Rabbis and Cantors, along with inter-faith task forces, civic coalitions, and communal organizations.

Our Mission

Congregation Beth Shalom is an egalitarian, Conservative synagogue committed to the worship of God, to the ideals and precepts of Torah, and to lifelong education. We are a welcoming Jewish community that promotes the observance of sacred times, the celebration of life cycle events, and acts of loving kindness. We are committed to social justice, interfaith dialogue, and the perpetuation of the State of Israel.