Beth El is a pluralistic community that welcomes members who have diverse backgrounds, ideas, levels of knowledge, and observance. We are an egalitarian Conservative congregation of 400 families located in the heart of beautiful, thriving, historic Durham near Duke’s East Campus.
Current Job Openings:
PreKadima Youth Advisor (part-time)
Director of Teen Engagement (part-time)
Talmud Torah (Religious School) Teachers (part-time)
Job Descriptions:
PREKADIMA YOUTH ADVISOR (part-time)
The PreKadima Youth Advisor is a part-time employee who reports to the Education and Youth Director (EYD). The primary role of the Youth Advisor is planning and implementing programming for PreKadima, which comprises grades K-5. The Youth Advisor will be responsible for approximately one program a month, including publicity and communication of details and needs to families and parents. They are devoted to making events exciting, engaging, and safe for Beth El youth. Other essential qualifications include: ability to multi-task, make decisions in a timely manner and have excellent follow-through, communicate effectively with staff, and generally be responsive, creative, positive, and a team player.
The PreKadima Youth Advisor will be:
- A college graduate
- Excited to connect with and supervise children from a wide range of ages and grades (K-5th grades). This role involves working smoothly and easily with children, parents, professional staff and lay leaders
- A talented self-starter and leader, invested in sustaining and growing our thriving youth program
- Responsible for planning PreKadima youth events and supervising as the primary staff person at each event
- Dedicated to being a positive role model and mentor for young people in our community
- An excellent collaborator, flexible, eager to brainstorm with colleagues within and outside of Beth El
- Able to effectively recruit and retain participants in PreKadima programming
- Engaged in recruiting leaders among our youth with the ultimate goal of adding to and continuing our youth board (Kadima/USY)
- Supervised by Education and Youth Director (EYD)
Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Planning and implementing all PreKadima youth group programming (approximately one event per month)
- Creating publicity materials for events
- Serving as the primary staff person at each Youth Group event. Additional support and staffing (EYD, parent volunteers, etc.) may be assigned/recruited when necessary.
- Creating and maintaining communication between PreKadima Advisor and parents/kids/etc. via email, text, Facebook, etc.
- Keeping track of attendance at events and reflections to use for future planning
- Recruiting new students into our youth programs, and supporting their participation, retention and achievement
- Maintaining a positive attitude and serving as a role model for students and participants
HOW TO APPLY
E-mail a cover letter and resume to alexandra@betheldurham.org. Applications will be kept in confidence and references will only be contacted with the candidate’s permission. Submit materials quickly, as evaluations occur on a rolling basis.
DIRECTOR OF TEEN ENGAGEMENT (part-time)
The Director of Teen Engagement (DTE) will be…
- A college graduate
- A charismatic specialist in teen development, eager to sustain and grow our thriving teen programming
- A bright, talented, entrepreneurial self-starter who can envision and execute new and innovative ideas
- Jewishly knowledgeable (holidays, customs, service leading, etc.).
- An expert in teens with a youthful spirit. Teens should love to be around this person, and they should love to be around teens!
- A leader and a builder of relationships. They should easily connect with teens, parents, professional staff and lay leaders.
- Able to effectively recruit and retain participants.
- A stellar collaborator, flexible, eager to brainstorm with colleagues within and outside of Beth El.
- A regular presence at Beth El, both during the week and on Shabbat.
- Supervised by Education and Youth Director (EYD)
We need someone who understands the pull that our young people face today and wants to invigorate our teens and enhance the culture of how our teens relate to Judaism. This person should be able to provide creative programming, have the ability to use the latest innovative educational philosophies, should be engaging, have excellent inter-personal and problem-solving skills, and be able to communicate effectively. The ability to create vibrant and invigorating options while communicating excitement is crucial. Other essential qualifications include: ability to multi-task, make decisions in a timely manner and have excellent follow-through, communicate effectively with staff, and generally be responsive, creative, positive, and a team player.
Specific Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Serving as the youth advisor to Kadima (6th-8th grade) and USY (9th-12th grade) youth groups: Creating a variety of fun and compelling programs over the academic year (approximately two events per month), doing outreach to engage kids in the community, and fostering a sense of community and engagement within the group
- Initiating one-to-one outreach to 6th-12th graders, those who are and who are not currently engaged, to form relationships, learn about their interests, and draw them into deeper Jewish involvement
- Encouraging participation in USY regional and international events; Attending regional conventions when applicable, generally when at least three Beth El teens are attending
- Creating and maintaining communication between the DTE and families/kids via email, text, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
- Collaborating with other area youth advisors
- Attending synagogue B’nei Mitzvah on both Friday night and Saturday morning (alternating with the EYD)
- Coordinating the annual Teen Takeover Shabbat Saturday morning service
- Submitting monthly reports to the Education Committee and attending monthly committee meetings when possible
HOW TO APPLY
E-mail a cover letter and resume to alexandra@betheldurham.org. Applications will be kept in confidence and references will only be contacted with the candidate’s permission. Submit materials quickly, as evaluations occur on a rolling basis.
TALMUD TORAH TEACHERS
The Talmud Torah is looking for energetic, dynamic, innovative teachers who enjoy working with children (grades K-7) and creating a positive Jewish learning environment for all students for the 2020-2021 school year. Teachers will be teaching online through at least the fall semester, and will undergo training and orientation to become familiar with the platforms we are using.
**We are currently looking for teachers for various grades for Sundays (9:30-11:30AM) and/or Wednesdays (4:30-6:30PM).
There are also some opportunities for non-local teachers to teach short electives on Sunday mornings!
Applicants should send resumes to the Education and Youth Director: Alexandra Bicks (alexandra@betheldurham.org)
