Role Overview
As the Senior Jewish Educator - Director of Learning and Inspiration at the Center for Jewish Life – Princeton Hillel, you will bear primary responsibility for enriching the Jewish journeys of Princeton students and helping them co-create a Jewish community that is intellectually vibrant, spiritually alive, and deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and values. This role centers on both a powerful outcome—a Princeton Jewish community that nurtures belonging, purpose, and joy—and a bold methodology: empowering students to shape their own Jewish lives and to become the architects of a pluralistic and inspiring Jewish future.
This role invites you to paint on a wide canvas: guiding the what, how, and who of Jewish student life—from transformative Jewish learning and inclusive ritual to soulful community building and immersive travel experiences. At the heart of this work is relationship-building: forging authentic, caring connections with students across backgrounds and ideologies, and becoming a trusted presence in their lives. You will serve as a mentor, cheerleader, guide, and pastoral companion—offering warmth, wisdom, and steady support as students navigate questions of identity, purpose, and belonging.
You will bring CJL’s vision of nimble pluralism to life—welcoming students exactly as they are, while guiding them to grow in compassion, curiosity, and commitment. Just as importantly, you will help students become leaders. Through mentorship and modeling, you will foster a culture in which students take responsibility for one another and for the community, experiencing first-hand the joy and integrity of Jewish leadership. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Senior Jewish Educator will serve as a senior member of CJL’s program team and play a central role in shaping strategy, partnerships, and programming related to Jewish education, spiritual life, and student leadership development.
This position offers a rare opportunity to lead in one of the most intellectually demanding and spiritually dynamic environments in the world. Success in this role will position you as a rising voice in the Jewish communal world, and as a model for the next generation of Jewish leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Student Engagement & Community Building
- Build deep, lasting relationships with a diverse array of Princeton students through 1:1 meetings, small group conversations, and immersive Jewish experiences.
- Supervise the student life team, including two JLIC staff and one Israel Fellow.
- Provide personal guidance, pastoral care, and mentorship that meets students where they are while inspiring them to grow Jewishly and ethically.
- Serve as primary advisor to Kesher, CJL’s Reform minyan, and help support student-led Shabbat, holiday, and prayer experiences across denominations.
- Attend and help lead Shabbat services and dinners 2–3 times per month, contributing to CJL’s warm and welcoming communal atmosphere.
- Help students feel at home in Jewish life, with particular attention to those from historically marginalized communities or less intensive Jewish backgrounds.
- Support Jewish student affinity groups—such as those focused on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or disability—and help cultivate a Jewish community where all students can explore their identities fully and joyfully.
- Support the growth and programming of Israel-related student groups representing diverse political and cultural perspectives.
- Collaborate with students to design and implement high-impact Jewish programs that integrate Torah, spirituality, music, food, justice, and more.
Jewish Learning & Teaching
- Oversee and teach in the Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF) program, and develop other innovative and exciting new learning cohorts and electives that reflect CJL’s pluralistic approach to Jewish learning.
- Work with the program team to create a robust and dynamic educational calendar that elevates Jewish texts, values, and contemporary relevance.
- Partner with student leaders and the rabbinic team to shape holiday and lifecycle programming that is meaningful, inclusive, and rooted in tradition.
- Serve as a resource for students and staff on questions of Jewish identity, thought, and practice, modeling intellectual and spiritual depth.
Immersive Experiences & Travel
- Plan and coordinate all CJL student trips—including trips to Israel and domestic social justice/service-learning trips—ensuring strong educational framing, recruitment, logistics, and student leadership.
- Staff key travel experiences and support pre- and post-trip engagement, reflection, and integration.
- Lead or help coordinate CJL’s annual Jewish-themed theater trip to New York or regional venues, with a focus on arts as a vehicle for spiritual and communal inspiration.
Strategic Leadership
- Lead, together with the Executive Director, strategic planning and visioning for CJL’s educational and spiritual programming, ensuring alignment with CJL’s mission and the evolving needs of Princeton students.
- Support Co-Create, CJL’s initiative to empower students as Jewish social entrepreneurs—helping them develop creative ideas to welcome in new populations and broaden Jewish engagement on campus.
- Oversee grant applications and funding reporting related to student learning and Israel engagement, including working with Hillel International and other partners.
- Liaise with Princeton’s Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students (ODUS) and other campus departments in support of student initiatives and broader university partnerships.
Operations & Event Coordination
- Coordinate logistics for Kesher and Koach High Holy Day services.
- Manage or oversee administrative tasks tied to educational events, speakers, and venue coordination.
- Support key student initiatives such as Challah for Hunger, ideally by mentoring junior staff or student leaders who run such programs.
Who You Are
- You are a deeply committed Jewish educator with passion for working with emerging adults and the creativity to bring Torah and Jewish life alive in a pluralistic setting.
- You have experience teaching and facilitating in Jewish educational spaces—formally or informally—and are skilled at adapting content to meet diverse audiences.
- You are a warm and caring mentor, with a pastoral sensibility and high emotional intelligence.
- You are a strategic thinker who thrives on team leadership, collaborative planning, and empowering others.
- You are comfortable navigating diverse approaches to Israel and Jewish identity, and understand how to model respectful discourse and inclusion.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required; rabbinic ordination or advanced degree in Jewish education strongly preferred.
- 4–8 years of relevant experience in Jewish education, Hillel, congregational life, Jewish camping, or experiential education.
- Proven success in managing programs, leading teams, and mentoring others.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- A deep connection to Israel as part of Jewish life, and comfort leading complex, values-based conversations about Israel on campus.
- Comfort working in a pluralistic environment and supporting students across denominational and ideological spectrums.
What You’ll Receive
- A salary of $100,000-$120,000, depending on experience and qualifications.
- A network of students, parents, and university partners who will inspire you and become lifelong professional resources and partners.
- Opportunities for professional development, coaching, and Jewish study.
- Colleagues and support from across the Hillel movement.
- Travel opportunities, both domestically and internationally
- A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, Tax Deferred Retirement Plan, Life, AD&D, and Long Term Disability insurances, Flexible Spending Plan, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave.
About the Center for Jewish Life – Princeton Hillel
The Center for Jewish Life (CJL) is Princeton University’s home for Jewish life and learning—an inclusive, pluralistic community where students explore Jewish identity, deepen their connections to tradition, and cultivate a sense of meaning, purpose, and joy. CJL is affiliated with Hillel International and is a proud partner of Princeton’s Office of Religious Life.
Princeton University is recognized globally for its academic excellence, bold research, and distinguished faculty. Within this environment of intellectual rigor and innovation, the CJL nurtures a Jewish community that is equally committed to learning, ethical action, and spiritual growth. The university is home to approximately 500 Jewish undergraduates, each bringing their own questions, commitments, and aspirations to campus Jewish life. The CJL engages upwards of 90% of that Jewish undergraduate population.
CJL’s mission is to empower Princeton students to lead lives of Jewish meaning and purpose. Through prayer, learning, celebration, advocacy, and service, CJL provides students with transformative experiences that support them as individuals and as part of the global Jewish people. We are proud to be a home for students across every background and belief—from secular to Orthodox, Zionist to critical, lifelong Jews to those just beginning their journey.
More than just a campus Hillel, CJL is a national model for what Jewish life can look like when creativity, rigor, pluralism, and spiritual depth are brought together with care and intention. Our vision is clear: We envision a generation of Princetonians who carry Jewish purpose, resilience, and responsibility into the world. And our unofficial motto expresses our ethos: CJL—Where students grow in the service of their Jewish community and of humanity.
As a leading Hillel, CJL is known for innovation, deep community partnerships, and its commitment to pluralism. We seek to model what is possible for the Jewish future—and we invite our students to help build it, here and now, and for the rest of their lives.