Director of Jewish Growth & Learning

Hillel at Kent State University

Role Overview

The Director of Jewish Growth and Learning (Director) leads the strategic initiatives to foster student growth, belonging, and learning within the Jewish community on campus. The Director will be a member of the student life team and will be a part of cultivating a culture of Jewish education, spirituality, and well-being. 

The Director will oversee the creation of resources and networks designed to strengthen Jewish learning, foster growth, and a sense of belonging within Hillel’s community. This includes leading the development of wellness initiatives and engagement activities that help integrate students into the campus Jewish community in a thoughtful and impactful way. The Director will supervise the JAFI Israel Fellow and report to the Executive Director, playing a crucial role in advancing Hillel’s mission to nurture and engage Jewish student life.

The Director of Jewish Growth and Learning will meet students, university partners, and stakeholders across all campuses served by Hillel at Kent State University, as well as represent Hillel throughout the vibrant Jewish communities of Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, and Canton, OH.

What You’ll Do

Be the leading voice for Jewish Life on campus

The Director will inspire students to engage with Judaism and Jewish traditions in relevant, transformative, personal, and lasting ways. They will serve as a welcoming and inclusive mentor and resource as students explore and craft their own authentic Jewish lives and relationships with Israel. Additional responsibilities will include:

• Comfort in and ability to lead Jewish rituals and programming, including Shabbat and Jewish holiday experiences.
• Oversee, advise, and partner with student leaders and other student volunteers to design and implement programming of interest to support Jewish learning, Israel engagement, wellness, and more.
• Lead with Jewish values and Hillel mission and vision at the forefront of decision making; inject Jewish values and wisdom into leadership approach.
• Develop overall strategy for recruitment and facilitation of learning cohorts and Fellowships (Jewish Learning Fellowship, Kol Yisrael, Shabbat Hosting Lab, Service Engagement Interns, etc.)
• Supervise the JAFI Israel Fellow; guiding, directing, and supporting their professional growth and success.
• Create an integrated student wellness and engagement plan for staff and student leadership with our JFSA mental health counselor.
• Meet weekly with the student life team and play a role in creating a collaborative, strong team dynamic with a “win together, fail together” mentality.
• Empower staff and students to ideate regularly, providing appropriate time, space, and resources to drive creativity.
• Serve as the Hillel Liaison on Kent State’s Campus Religious Life Association (CRLA).

Be An Organizational Leader

• Serve as a part of the Kent Hillel leadership team, and act as a leader throughout the organization – with students, staff, university partners, donors, and other key stakeholders.
• Encourage calculated risk-taking and independent decision making where appropriate.
• Support building a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization, and participate in fundraising conversations and initiatives.
• As a part of the Student Life team, we expect every team member to:
• Hold at least 5 relationship-building meetings/ a week to develop 1:1 relationships and gain a deeper understanding of our various target audiences. 
• Be a part of the staff rotation for Shabbat and holiday programming, ensuring each and every student feels warmly welcomed into Hillel’s “doors.” 
• Be an active leadership presence for key events and initiatives throughout the year as determined in partnership with the Executive Director.
• Support recruitment for immersive experiences such as Birthright Israel, Onward, and Jewish Learning Fellowships
• Participate in ongoing Jewish learning and professional development.

What You’ve Accomplished

• 3+ years of work experience, within a Jewish setting.
• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred. 
• Proven success in:
• Leading Jewish rituals, programming, and education
• Management of multiple projects while maintaining quality
• Understanding the needs of a highly diverse, social student population, and knowing how to navigate a large campus environment. 
• Creating structures and opportunities that assist and empower students to take initiative and ownership for their communities 
• Communicating needs and vision clearly in an ever-changing environment

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• An outgoing, welcoming, warm, and inclusive personality that embodies a true commitment to Jewish pluralism – in concept and in practice.
• A comfort with one’s own Jewish identity and relationship to Israel.
• Strong communication skills with an aptitude for meeting students where they are
• Excitement to work within a pluralistic Jewish community.
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a team, as well as collaborate with University and community partners.
• Thoughtfulness and creativity; have great attention to detail and strong project management skills, and be able to juggle many projects and responsibilities simultaneously while remaining calm. 
• Exceptional time management and organizational skills, conducive to managing and navigating the many facets of Hillel’s work. 
• Comfort helping to prepare and serve food as part of programs, Shabbat, and relational meals during learning cohorts.
• The ability to help create an environment in which students want to spend time. 
• A strong, self-motivated, flexible, and resilient work ethic.
• Share interest in and ability to support students on their authentic Jewish journeys.

What You’ll Receive

• A salaried, exempt position with an estimated salary of $60-65k, depending on experience. 
• A flexible work schedule; the ability to work remotely during parts of school breaks and during the summers; the ability to take extended time off during the summer season for travel, professional development, etc. 
• A comprehensive benefits package including health insurance; employer-contributed retirement plan upon vestment; Life, AD&D and Long-Term Disability (LTD) insurances; generous vacation/sick time, parental leave.
• Great professional development, mentoring, and skill-building opportunities.
• The opportunity to work with a small, welcoming, supportive team on a beautiful campus.
• Occasional travel for conferences, training, and special events.
• Plenty of Hillel Swag!
• *Please note: Due to the nature of student life, during the semesters this position will require several nights/weekends, including for Shabbat and holidays.

About Hillel at Kent State University

Hillel at Kent State is the foundation for Jewish life at Kent State University, the University of Akron, and beyond, serving 1,250 Jewish students. We seek to inspire Jewish undergraduate and graduate students to make enduring commitments to Jewish life in ways that are meaningfully relevant to their lives. Our home, The Cohn Jewish Student Center, opened in 2009 as an 11,000-square foot state-of-the-art facility which sits in the heart of Kent’s campus. It is the first Hillel building on campus at a state school. 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 Jewish Federation of Cleveland, one of the premier Federations in the country, and additionally received support and partners with JewishAkron, the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation, and Canton Jewish Federation. 

The Jewish communities in Akron and Cleveland are large enough to have your choice from a variety of synagogues, Jewish organizations and cultural opportunities, but small enough that you’ll soon know people at the kosher butcher. They offer big city opportunities with Midwest appeal. 

Hillel at Kent State 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.