Overview
BET CHAVERIM RELIGIOUS SCHOOL DIRECTOR
Bet Chaverim Congregation, a young and growing Conservative synagogue of approximately 100 families in Columbia, Maryland, is seeking a passionate and innovative Jewish educator to become the Religious School Director of the Bet Chaverim Religious School as we enter our third year.
OUR PHILOSOPHY/SUMMARY OF POSITION
Bet Chaverim sees our youth as the architects, designers and builders of the future. Empowering Jewish children with a deep understanding of and connection to Jewish values, texts, rituals and culture sets them upon the path to our ultimate goal: their lifelong engagement in Jewish learning and living. Our religious school program is hands-on, experiential, collaborative, warm and supportive of the learning styles and abilities of each of our children.
The Religious School Director will work with the clergy, school board and lay leadership of the synagogue to continue the strong path that we set out in our school’s first two years. Our Director should be experienced, creative and fully supportive of the experiential learning model. We want our students and their families to always feel a sense of community and to be both enthusiastic and proud of being knowledgeable and connected Jews. Our Director should strive to foster that connectedness and be an energetic and forward-thinking member of our team.
Our school meets on Sunday mornings from 9 AM – 12 PM and has an online learning component during the week (led by teachers with a mid-week check-in; execution to be overseen by the Director). This is a part-time salaried position. The Director should anticipate an average of 8-10 hours of work each week during the 30-week school year, as well as supporting planning, staffing, publicity/advertising, registration and other duties during the spring and summer months preceding the school year.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Religious School Director will:
• Oversee the implementation of curriculum and work with faculty to use best practices as they develop and enhance the curriculum, ensuring alignment with Conservative Judaism and experiential education models
• Participate in the hiring, training and managing of teaching faculty and madrichim (teen volunteers)
• Develop and execute family programming and service learning projects that correspond with the seven Jewish values units that are the cornerstone of our curriculum
• Coordinate special programming, chuggim (electives), davening and other activities that take place during the school day
• Develop and execute four to six congregational family programs during the year tied to Shabbat, holidays and/or Jewish values that serve as educational opportunities and celebrations with the dual purpose of congregational community-building and outreach to potential new families
• Ensure clear and regular communication between faculty and parents
• Communicate effectively with faculty, students, parents, clergy, staff and lay leadership
• Work with the school board to develop and implement a school budget, as well as manage expenditures and tuition collection
• Manage the rental of our school space (currently at a local public high school, coordinated with another religious school)
• Manage the school calendar
• Manage the student registration process
• Manage the school’s social media presence, including Facebook, sign-up tools, emergency text messaging and email systems
• Conduct regular faculty meetings, planning meetings, and in-class observations
• Participate in school board meetings
• Provide the congregation a status on the school at semi-annual congregational meetings
• Maintain school records, including family information, attendance, student reports, teacher timesheets and other records as needed
• Actively recruit future school families through marketing, communication and programming efforts
• Serve as Bet Chaverim’s educational liaison in Howard County collaborative educational programs (such as community-wide concerts and holiday celebrations)
• Actively participate in Howard County religious school director meetings
The ideal candidate would be a passionate, creative, warm Jewish educator who is both an enthusiastic leader and a collaborative team player. He or she would be masterful in developing innovative and meaningful programming, possess excellent communication and management skills, and can advocate enthusiastically for school and congregational growth. He or she must be adept with technology and social media. As we are a Conservative congregation, knowledge and practice of Conservative Judaism and observance is preferred. Preference will be given to experienced Jewish educators with at least 3 years of prior director level experience who possess a Master’s Degree in Education and who are experienced in experiential models of teaching, service learning program development, and special education and inclusion.
BCRSDirector@gmail.com
To see our school in action, please visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BCRSHowardCo/
About Bet Chaverim Congregation
Howard County’s newest congregation, founded in 2012, is modern, member-driven, and inclusive, with roots in Conservative practice and a warm appreciation for the diversity of today’s Jewish community.
This is a highly interactive congregation. We enjoy sharing Shabbat dinners and desserts socials monthly in members' homes. We also have frequent events planned by our active Social Committee. We are genuinely interested in welcoming new members to our congenial group.