Overview
For most of our 60-year history, Congregation Beth David, a member of the USCJ, has enjoyed the spiritual leadership of two clergy. For the last year and a half, we have managed with a single rabbi while we experimented with different professional staffing models. We have concluded that the two clergy model is more effective for our community. We seek a Rabbi/Educator who will have two main responsibilities: leader of our religious school and family engagement, and colleague and associate to the Senior Rabbi on pastoral care and other ritual matters. We anticipate these skills will complement our Senior Rabbi who is already leading us with her dynamic and creative religious worship and programming ideas. At Congregation Beth David, we think broadly and we value innovation. For instance, we feature several rotating Netivot, alternative services, that run in parallel with our main Shabbat morning service, including in-depth Torah study, yoga, and Russian language. We are looking for a creative Rabbi/Educator who can add to these offerings to help keep Congregation Beth David inspiring and diverse.
The initial priority for our Rabbi/Educator upon arrival in the summer of 2020 is to focus on our religious school. We want the Rabbi/Educator to put their stamp on our curriculum and offerings, and to make sure our already planned High Holy Day programs for children and families are meaningful and well-executed. The religious school has seen several changes in leadership over the last few years, so it is important that parents and children are the primary focus at the start, and for as long as necessary to ensure a smooth transition for them. After the High Holy Days and a smooth start to the school year are behind us, the Rabbi/Educator will work with the Senior Rabbi to expand ritual creativity.
We seek a Rabbi/Educator who will create an environment of Jewish experiential learning and dynamic programs serving all of our youth. This includes both traditional religious school offerings, B’nai Mitzvah preparation, and family/youth programming for all of our young people including those who attend day schools. We are looking for an energetic and creative Rabbi/Educator who will help us grow, and who will revitalize the curriculum. Congregation Beth David’s B’nai Mitzvah preparation has long been the gold standard of Silicon Valley. We want this to continue under our new Rabbi/Educator’s leadership, as we want them to innovate and enhance the rest of our curriculum so that the entire program is equally admired.
Regular attendance and participation in synagogue functions including Shabbat and holiday services, and teaching classes, is expected. The Rabbi/Educator will serve as a Jewish role model for all members of our congregation, and as a representative of Congregation Beth David in the community-at-large. They will have traditional rabbinic responsibilities including leading services, offering d’rashot, and pastoral care. The Rabbi/Educator will work with the Senior Rabbi and our Ritual Director to assess the needs of our community on an ongoing basis to serve our congregants. Building relationships within the community will be a key focus for this second member of what we hope will be a dynamic, creative, and inspiring clergy team.
While we have specified the likely initial split of responsibilities, over time we expect the job to evolve as the two rabbis determine the best way to use their strengths in a complementary fashion. At Congregation Beth David, we believe in hiring creative professionals and allowing them the flexibility to do their best work and find their passion. Our desire to be at the leading edge of best practices and experimenting with new ways to engage spiritually and socially makes Congregation Beth David a great home for a rabbi looking for an exciting place to thrive.
The candidate should be an ordained or soon-to-be-ordained rabbi with relevant experience in educational leadership/administration in a congregation, day school, or camp setting. A Master’s degree in Education or a related Jewish field is preferred. Candidates must be passionate about Jewish education, effective communicators, and willing to be innovative in ways that excite and motivate learners of all ages and learning styles. Candidates should excel in both the ritual/pastoral and educational roles. This role is a senior staff level position vital to the community. The Rabbi/Educator will work in partnership with the Senior Rabbi, the Director of Operations and Ritual, the Ritual Vice President, the Education Vice President, and other lay leaders to further the mission of Congregation Beth David. In the area of pastoral and ritual matters, we want a Rabbi/Educator who empathizes with and cares for congregants, provides comfort during illness, death and other crises, and who celebrates joyous life-cycle events with the community.