Rabbi Careers

Overview

Hebrew and Judaic Studies Director

Come and join an exciting team of passionate professionals and educators at a growing school in paradise!
The Judaic Studies Director is part of the dynaminc Administrative team at Temple Beth Am Day School. Applicants should hold an undergraduate or graduate degree in Judaic Studies, Education, or Administration. Your job will be to  coordinate curriculum, instruction, and professional development for the Judaic faculty at our growing Day School (of over 450 students). The position warrants an extremely organized, multi-task capable, Judaic curriculum knowledgeable person. We also welcome creativity and the pursuit of excellence.

 

Now to the fine print. . .

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Curriculum – oversees the Early Childhood and Elementary Education Judaic Studies                    curriculum (which includes Hebrew).

 

·         Current in all aspects of K-5 Judaic Studies curriculum. Able to locate, assess and evaluate offerings available from colleges, universities, publishers, on-line, and other Jewish Day Schools for its generalizability to Temple Beth Am Day School.

·         Reads and uses Jewish educational journals (i.e. Jewish Educational Leadership), list serves (PEJE), and actively pursues own professional development.

·         Able to recommend, develop and write curriculum for the school based on current research and trends in education with respect to best practice.

·         Responsible for review, revision and assessment of grade-level Judaic curriculum.

·         Updates scope and sequence at each grade level and facilitates curriculum mapping with grade level teachers (with assistance from Elementary School Director and Head of School).

·         Collaborates with Elementary School Director and general studies teachers to write up integrated units of study where applicable and appropriate.

·         Responsible for teacher-implementation of the curriculum in the classrooms.

·         Evaluates and authorizes all ordering of Judaic materials.

·         Fluent in Hebrew and English.

·         Consecration: works with Jewish Life Director to develop the program.

·         Attends and helps design Early Childhood Kabbalat Shabbat program

 

Supervision

·         Assists in the hiring process for Judaic faculty.

·         Provides orientation for new Judaic faculty to familiarize them with Mission Statement, the tenets of Reform Judaism and the broader Temple Beth Am community.

·         Provides on-going support for Judaic faculty including mentoring.

·         Collects and reviews weekly lesson plans of Hebrew and Judaic teachers (including Judaic lesson plans of general studies teachers).

·         Collaborates with Head of School and Elementary School Director to coordinate professional development workshops and ongoing learning experiences for faculty.

·         Able to assist teachers in designing classroom lessons to differentiate the curriculum to best meet the needs of all our students – including those needing remediation and advancement.

·         Able to assist teachers, by designing specific individual teacher plans, in varying their delivery style in the classroom. (i.e. DeLeT: Day School Leadership Through Teaching; Research for Better Teaching, Inc. etc.)

·         Support and mentor teachers based on individual needs with regard to students, peers, parents, etc.

·         Works with Judaic faculty on appropriate classroom management and discipline techniques.

·         Systematically collects and reviews lesson plans of Judaic faculty.

·         Coordinates and conducts regular Hebrew/Jewish Studies grade level meetings.

·         Reviews Report Cards each quarter for areas of Hebrew, Jewish studies and integrated studies.

·         Utilizes the Temple Beth Am Evaluation Tool to mentor and evaluate Judaic faculty (with assistance from the Head of School).

·         Performs on-going classroom visits outside of the observation process.

·         Provides yearly, formal and informal, written classroom observations as outlined by the Temple Beth Am Evaluation Tool.

·         Writes end-of-year Closure Meeting Reports, with ratings, for Judaic faculty.

·         Organizes and leads Judaic break-out sessions at Faculty Meetings and In-Service days, as warranted.

·         Screens all newly entering students to the school (above kindergarten) to determine their Hebrew ability and design a support plan for accepted students, as necessary. (This may include the need for outside Hebrew tutoring to be paid for by the parents.)

·         Provides guidance and counseling to disruptive students when need to be removed from class.

 

Administration

·         Establishes positive rapport with parents in order to communicate an understanding of the educational mission of the Day School.

·         Develops and maintains effective working relationships with Day School parents through prompt communication and response through conferences, e-mails and phone calls.

·         Serves as parent liaison when Judaic issues arise throughout the school.

·         Monitors individual progress of students.

·         Interfaces with instructional support staff to meet and coordinate needs of students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade.

·         Provides for student welfare, pro social behavior, academic support and student guidance concerns.

·         Vets, orients and places all Hebrew classroom substitutes. Provides classroom coverage when necessary.

·         Interfaces with Elementary School Director, Clergy, Jewish Life Director and Early Childhood Director with regard to scheduling, program content and faculty roles.

·         Gives information to the Head of School to be included in her monthly Head of School Report to the School Board.

·         Attends weekly meetings of Day School administrative team.

·         Serves on School Board committees and/or task forces as required.

·         Attends Temple staff meetings.

·         Represents the Day School at community meetings, conferences, and Temple events, as required.

·         Oversees and assists in Hebrew department maintenance of professional licensure.

·         Coordinates purchase orders of Hebrew Department with Lisa R. and Kim C. (i.e. Tal AM, Chalav U’Dvash, Torah Scrolls for Consecration, etc.)

 

Development
·         Possesses strong writing skills to allow us to apply for educational grants that may be available to us. (i.e. PRIZMAH, Avi Chai Foundation, Covenant Foundation, etc.)

 

Vision and Identity
·         Assists in the School and Temple Boards’ desire to move the school forward with Jewish identify and vision issues.

 

Personal Professional Growth

·         Confers and collaborates with educational professionals involved in instructional leadership.

·         Engages in ongoing professional development in order to advance the academic program, including workshops, institutes and conferences.

·         Establishes and maintains liaisons with professional peers in the Reform/Progressive movement including URJ (Union of Reform Judaism), NATE (National Association of Temple Educators), RAVSAK (Community Day School Network), PARDeS (Progressive Association of Reform Day Schools) and ISM (Independent School Management) research, theory and analysis of best practices to maintain high level of awareness and understanding of research and trends in education.

·         Participates in CAJE programs including Project Day School Excellence and ongoing professional development opportunities.

 

Teaching

·         Tutoring of newly admitted students with limited or no Hebrew until they can segue into a leveled class

·         Fifth grade Judaic Studies classes

 

 

Tagged as: day school; director; judaics; hebrew