Assistant Director, Hebrew School Project

Job Description:

The Jewish Community Project (JCP) of Lower Manhattan was founded in 2002 as a grassroots effort to grow Jewish life in downtown NYC. Based in Tribeca, JCP is an open and dynamic non- denominational Jewish community that enables individuals and families to become a creative force in the life of the organization through educational, cultural, social, and spiritual experiences. The organization now serves approximately 300 downtown families and individuals, and also operates a prominent Early Childhood Center (ECC) and a thriving Hebrew school (the Hebrew School Project, or HSP).

JCP is seeking a highly organized and proactive Assistant Director to join our Hebrew School Project (HSP) team and ensure the seamless daily operations of our vibrant Hebrew school community. HSP is a community-centered, hands-on program serving upwards of 250 learners ages 3.5-18, where our priority is to give learners a strong sense of belonging and ensure a fun, positive connection to Jewish life. Reporting to the Director, your mission will be to oversee the day-to-day HSP activities, support the teaching staff, and ensure an inclusive and engaging learning environment for all of our students. With our school growing every year, this role is crucial to ensure efficient operations and allow the Director to focus on strategic initiatives. You should be excited about making a meaningful impact on young Jewish learners and fostering a positive community spirit.

What You’ll Do:

• Supervise Teaching Staff: Meet with teaching teams weekly to ensure curriculum execution aligns with school values and provide support to teachers as needed. Conduct weekly classroom observations to provide feedback.
• Liaise with Families: Ensure strong communication with parents. Address questions about curriculum and any learning, social, and behavioral concerns in the classroom.
• Program Management: Assist with event coordination, including model seders, grade-specific events, Shabbat dinners, speakers, field trips, and more.
• Thought Partnership: Collaborate with the Director to drive forward the vision for the Hebrew School Project, including an emerging Israel-related curriculum.
• Oversee Curriculum: Review and update curriculum annually and assist with weekly lesson plans.

How Success Will Be Measured:

• Effectively take on and manage key responsibilities transitioned from the Director, with the ability to independently manage the school’s daily operations in the Director’s absence.
• Ability to provide effective support and guidance for teaching teams.
• Timely and satisfactory resolution of classroom issues.
• Successful development and implementation of several new initiatives for parent involvement and community building.
• Positive feedback from students, teachers, and families.

If the details below describe you, you could be a great fit for this role:

• Experience: 3+ years of experience managing and supervising a team, preferably in a Jewish school or camp environment. Experience working with elementary to high school children and parents.
• Skills: Proficiency in Google Suite, basic Hebrew, strong cross-denominational Jewish knowledge and literacy (texts, culture, customs, holidays, values).
• Attributes: Meticulous attention to detail, proactive, flexible and open-minded, allergy awareness, and excellent interpersonal skills. 
• Nice to Have: Background in child development, public speaking skills, ability to type in Hebrew and create Hebrew resources, knowledge of prayers and Torah trope, and first aid certification, experience with a CRM.

Why you should be excited:

• Join a unique and vibrant Jewish community that is passionate about inclusivity and pluralism, and help drive our continued growth in downtown NYC.
• Be the first in this role and have the opportunity to help define its scope and impact.
• Engage in diverse tasks every day, from program management to community engagement, in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to take on additional projects and responsibilities as you grow in the role, including helping to build out youth programming, creating more resources for parents, supporting in interviewing and hiring HSP staff, and serving as the primary staff presence at key HSP family events.
• Be part of a dynamic school that offers a range of modes of engagement, with the ability to bring your own passions to the job (art, music, film, etc.) and have the opportunity to make a big impact on young Jewish learners in a way that feels personally meaningful.
• Enjoy a hybrid structure with some flexibility to work from home. 

The details:

• Salary: $70,000 - $75,000 
• Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance (fully subsidized) for individuals, vision and dental coverage
• Time Off: 10 days PTO, sick days, 10 US holidays (incl. Fri after Thanksgiving) and a number of Jewish holidays
• Schedule: HSP is an after-school program.  As such, the Assistant Director must be at JCP Monday - Thursday, from 1pm - 7pm in person, with the ability to work remotely in the mornings and on Fridays. This position may also require some work on weekends (including Shabbat and Jewish holidays) to support community events as needed .

JCP Downtown is an equal opportunity employer.