Director of Education

Job description -- Director of Education, Temple Sholom

About Temple Sholom

Temple Sholom is Reform congregation in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Our congregation celebrated its 100^th anniversary in 2013 and opened our new building in 2014. Temple Sholom is a vibrant community of 200 families. We currently have roughly 60 children in grades K-7 and an additional number in a joint post B’nei mitzvah program including our confirmation program. We are proudly known as an inclusive and welcoming community with an innovative religious school that strives to foster meaningful and lifelong engagement with Judaism.

Job description

The Director of Education works in partnership with our professional staff and lay leaders to develop and implement our congregational vision for Jewish learning. The role consists of 25 to 30 hours per week (hours vary during non-school weeks and summer) and is co-supervised by Rabbi Joel Abraham and the Board of Education.

Key components of this role include:

Communication – As the public face of the religious school, the Director of Education is a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and innovative Jewish educator who relates well with students, parents, and teachers. Examples of responsibilities in this area include:

• Religious school communications to students, parents, and the congregation
• Congregational education days (one per trimester)
• Grade level Friday Shabbat services/dinners
• Special services/holidays (e.g., Simchat Torah/consecration, teacher appreciation Shabbat, etc.)
• Periodic prospective member events

Administrative/Supervisory – The Director of Education builds a positive, supervisory relationship with teachers, identifies issues with student development to help students of varying abilities succeed, manages budget and payroll, and works with other professional staff and the Board of Education. Examples of responsibilities in this area include:

• Co-Supervision of Temple Administrator
• Supervision of madrichim (teen aides on Sundays and Tuesdays)
• Monthly teaching staff meetings
• Weekly office staff meetings
• Monthly Board of Education meetings
• Special programming (e.g., religious school holiday celebrations, babysitting during high holidays, etc.)
• Participation in inclusion committee
• Coordination with the post B’nei Mitzvah joint program (HaMakom)

Curriculum – The Director of Education proactively identifies when updates and changes to the current trimester curriculum and programming are warranted and leverages knowledge and innovations in Jewish learning to implement change and propel Temple Sholom’s curriculum forward. Examples of areas of responsibility include:

• Grades K-6 Sunday morning program including Kesher (project-based elective learning for grades 5-6) and art/music for all grades
• Grades 3-6 Tuesday Hebrew program
• Gesher program - Grade 7 transition to post b’nei mitzvah
• Family track (Saturday evening Havdalah program three times per trimester)
• Congregational Education days (one per trimester)