Who We Are:
NCSY, a program of the Orthodox Union, connects with Jewish teens through innovative, cutting-edge social and recreational programs to develop a positive Jewish identity. NCSY inspires Jewish teens through informal Jewish education, retreats and summer programs. NCSY empowers teens through leadership development and guidance to become passionately committed leaders of the Jewish community and instruments for positive change and renewal.
The Orthodox Union (OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs for the disabled, localized religious study programs, and international units. The OU maintains a kosher certification service, whose circled U symbol, ?, is found on the labels of many kosher commercial and consumer food products.
Position Summary:
The Director of Memphis NCSY is responsible for achieving the objectives of the Midwest Region of NCSY, as defined by the Regional Director, within an assigned geographic area—in this case, the Memphis metropolitan area. The City Director serves as the local NCSY leader, tasked with promoting greater Torah observance among local youth. Therefore, the individual must possess the necessary Torah knowledge and exemplify the values required to accomplish this goal.
The City Director must have strong personal, organizational, and leadership skills, along with the experience needed to make decisions, communicate objectives, delegate authority, and inspire and guide the community’s youth. This position involves a wide range of activities and responsibilities, all aimed at ensuring a successful youth program and fostering a deeper commitment to Torah Judaism.
The role also requires active community engagement, which includes—but is not limited to—interacting with NCSY participants' parents, other parents, community rabbis, and various other community stakeholders. The Director of Memphis NCSY reports to the Regional Director.
Job Location:
This is a part-time, hybrid position that can be done partly in person and partly remotely. Travel to Memphis should happen as often as possible, but minimally for the mini Shabbatons, and to chaperone travel to Regional Shabbatons (Fall, Yarchei Kallah, Junior and Senior Spring Regional). Travel to Memphis at other times is encouraged, including Yom Tov programming, and any available Shabbos! If you have a conflict for Regional Shabbatons, alternate chaperones must be organized.
The salary for this role is $25,000-40,000, depending on whether the job is done remotely or in Memphis and how much time is committed.
All costs of travel and programs are covered by NCSY.
Key Responsibilities:
Relationship Building
- Keep in touch with your NCSYers by phone or text regularly.
- Maintain positive relationships with the parents of your NCSYers. Communicate all information about the programs that you are running openly and honestly.
- Cultivate relationships with educational, rabbinical, and lay leadership in your community as it pertains to NCSY programming.
- Invite NCSYers to your home for Shabbos regularly (if possible, based on travel).
- Manage relationships between teens and regional advisors
General
- Encourage your chapter members, where appropriate, to participate in national NCSY programs, including summer programs.
- Record all activities and events in the database.
Chapter Activities
- Plan, organize, advertise and recruit for chapter events and meetings.
- A good monthly chapter schedule should include but is not limited to:
- Chapter board meetings: 1-2 per month
- One Shabbat program, which should include two-chapter shabbatonim per year
- Recreational trips (bowling, movie, mini golf, arcade, etc.): 1 per month
- Educational programming (Latte and Learning, Partners in Torah): weekly (can be in conjunction with the chapter board/membership meetings)
- Other programs for the annual chapter calendar include, but are not limited to:
- Chessed Project/Trip (clean a shul, raising tzedaka money, help at an area charity, etc.): 1 to 2 per year, if possible, and if teens are interested
- Communicate information to chapter members and parents regarding chapter events and advertise in all appropriate areas of the community.
- Send out a quarterly Constant Contact newsletter to all community members
Junior NCSY (6th-8th grades)
- All of the same responsibilities related to Senior NCSY chapter events and Regional Conventions, EXCEPT:
- Events are every month, rather than twice a month.
- There should be at least one Chapter Shabbaton per year.
Develop Chapter Board
- Appoint or hold elections for a chapter board.
- Ensure that the board meets as often as the advisor deems necessary.
- Encourage the board to schedule and plan events and activities.
Regional Events
- Recruit teen participation from your chapter in regional events and conventions.
- Work with the regional office liaison to arrange for transportation of your chapter to regional events and chaperone the trip.
- Attend regional events
- Supervise your chapter members at regional events.
Financial management
- Chapters should maintain a chapter budget with the Regional Director, and it is expected that chapter finances will be handled professionally and responsibly.
- Receipts must be saved and uploaded into Expensify.
Fundraising
- Run a Memphis Day of Giving (with the support of the regional office)
Summer
- Summers should be used for planning the upcoming year’s programming.