Rabbi Careers

Overview

Hillel at Kent State and Temple Beth Shalom of Hudson, OH, are looking for a dynamic, warm leader to become the spiritual leader of their communities. This unique and collaborative position is a full-time role with a 50/50 split of time, which will fluctuate based on the cycles of the year. The ideal candidate will find great joy from mentoring college-age Jewish students on their own unique Jewish journey in addition to being the congregational leader to a lively, small shul. The two positions are located approximately 20 minutes apart in the heart of Northeast Ohio.

The position will be hired full-time by Hillel at Kent State and contracted part-time to Temple Beth Shalom. They will take advantage of Hillel’s comprehensive benefits package. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The position starts in the summer of 2018.

Rabbi – Temple Beth Shalom

What You’ll Do:

Offer a spiritual Shabbat service with a strong D’var Torah twice per month.
Be warm and support to all our members, recognizing that as many as 75% are mixed marriages.
Offer caring responses to members in need and outreach to the community.
Lead 2 adult Torah studies per month.
Lead a full schedule of holiday and High Holiday services.
Officiate approximately 5 Bar/Bat Mitzvahs per year.
Work with and support a part-time cantorial soloist, Education Director, and 3-4 teachers in the Sunday school.

About Temple Beth Shalom:
Temple Beth Shalom, the Synagogue of the Western Reserve, is a small, warm Reform Jewish congregation, affiliated with the national organizations of that movement. As a congregation, we uphold the principles of Reform Judaism, including the belief that Judaism is a progressive, evolving religion whose practices and tenets are rooted in Torah. We cherish community with the people of Israel and adapt to the changing world around us.We dedicate ourselves to serving God in the pursuit of bettering ourselves and our world through study, action, and living in accord with Jewish ethical principles.

Started in 1977, TBS has 95 family units of which 61 are families and 34 are single. Our dues average out to about $1000 per unit giving us an annual budget of about $100,000. We have our own building with a sanctuary that seats 160, a downstairs social hall, renovated kitchen and 4 classrooms for our small Sunday school.

Senior Jewish Educator – Hillel at Kent State
Hillel at Kent State University seeks a dynamic, passionate, driven, entrepreneurial-minded candidate to join its team and serve as its Senior Jewish Educator (SJE). Under the direction of the Executive Director, you will serve as the lead education and Jewish content staff person ensuring vibrant Jewish life at Kent State is developed to meet the needs of diverse populations of students. As our Senior Jewish Educator, you will work alongside Hillel staff and student interns to build relationships with hundreds of Jewish students through meaningful, relevant Jewish conversations and experiences and to help set a strategic educational vision for the Hillel.

What You’ll Do:

Establish and successfully implement initiatives which create “meaningful Jewish experiences” and seek to achieve Hillel’s strategic mission and vision.
Supervise Shabbat and holiday programming (and the students involved with leading them) while keeping a focus on deepening current offerings while creating new ones.
Encourage and create opportunities which promote a pluralistic approach to Jewish life.
Develop Jewish learning opportunities for professional staff and student interns.
Develop strategic partnerships to further Hillel’s mission and vision among university and community members, departments, and organizations.
Provide short-term counseling and referral for students.
Assist with the development of engagement and programmatic vision among staff, students and university and community stakeholders.

What your Day-to-Day Looks Like:

Build a one-on-one relationship with students.
Have coffee with students from various backgrounds to build strong relationships and invite them into Jewish life.
Plan and implement social action initiatives in collaboration with student leaders.
Set up meaningful learning opportunities for students to study Judaism, such as an introductory level course that includes basic Jewish education and deep exploration of Jewish identity.
Teach in formal and informal settings across campus
Train student leaders interested in learning to lead Shabbat services and rituals.

What You’ll Bring to the Job:

Advanced Rabbinic degree and 2-3 years prior professional experience preferred. Experience in Hillel, non-profit management or the rabbinate is highly desirable.
A passionate, entrepreneurial spirit.
A deep commitment and ability to develop and strengthen meaningful relationships through the use of appropriate texts and Jewish experiences.
Creativity, flexibility, and excellent interpersonal, communication, and leadership development skills.
Computer proficiency, administrative skills, a commitment to follow-through and a desire to grow professionally are essential to success.

What You’ll Receive:

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.
A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, Group Supplemental Retirement Annuity (GSRA), pension plan, life insurance, Long Term Disability (LTD), Flexible Spending Plan, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave.
Great professional development, mentoring, and skill building opportunities.

About Hillel at Kent State University:
Hillel at Kent State is the foundation for Jewish life at Kent State University and the University of Akron serving 1,500 Jewish students. Our home, The Cohn Jewish Student Center, opened in 2009 as an 11,000-square foot state-of-the-art facility which is the first Hillel building on campus at a state school. While our Hillel lives in this extraordinary Center, Jewish students can be found all over campus. Our Hillel received the Indispensable Partner Award from Hillel International in 2013 and was recognized in 2014 by Kent State for being an “Outstanding Campus Partner.”

Kent State University and the University of Akron are two premier public universities in Northeast Ohio. Both attract students from around the globe; however, a great majority of the student body for each institution comes from within 100-mile radius. Kent State is known for its schools of fashion, architecture, communications, education, and business. The University of Akron is a world-renowned polymer science school. Kent State and the University of Akron enjoy a healthy and fun athletics rivalry.

Hillel at Kent State is located 25 minutes from Akron, Ohio and 40 minutes from Cleveland’s east side, home to a thriving Jewish community of 80,000+. Hillel at Kent State University is a partner agency of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. The area boasts one of the best Metropark systems, world-renowned arts and cultural center in Cleveland, a vibrant music scene that brings local and nationally known artists, and some of the best private schools in the country. Our medical community hosts two of the leading medical institutions in the country, the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland. Its affordability (and lack of traffic!) is incomparable to most regions that have such amenities.

About Hillel International:
In 1923, Rabbi Benjamin Frankel started Hillel with humble means, a noble mission, and a breathtaking vision: to convey Jewish civilization to a new generation. Today, Hillel International continues to enrich the lives of Jewish students and is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world at more than 550 colleges and universities across North America and around the world. As Hillel evolves as an organization, the mission remains steadfast: to create lasting connections with every Jewish student that foster an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel and train them to become the next Jewish leaders.

Hillel at Kent State University is affiliated with Hillel International. Hillel International enriches the lives of Jewish students so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world, and envisions a world where every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel.