Director of Jewish Student Life

SUMMARY

This role brings Jewish education to life for current Gann Academy students and creates opportunities to engage prospective students.

The Director of Jewish Student Life will work with faculty, administration, and students to plan and implement various student activities, Jewish life, and Israel programming. This position reports to the Head of School.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Gann Academy is committed to building an inclusive workplace culture where talented people of widely diverse backgrounds can thrive. We believe that including diverse perspectives will improve our work and produce better societal and learning outcomes for all. All employees participate in this commitment internally, building a welcoming workplace culture, and externally, ensuring inclusive engagement with families, donors, vendors, allies, and others.

• Jewish Life Team Leadership: Supervise and support members of the Jewish Life team in their programmatic and student-facing work. Foster a collaborative environment that encourages creativity, shared responsibility, and alignment with Gann’s mission. Guide the team in developing programming that deepens students’ connection to Jewish learning, identity, and community.
• Shabbatonim: Envision, plan, and execute the annual Shabbatonim schedule, including all Shabbaton experiences for each grade. Design experiences, train staff, and run a program focused on community building, wellness, and vibrant Jewish life. Play an appropriate leadership role at Shabbatonim.
• Z’man Kodesh (Tefillah): Lead the vision, design, and implementation of the Z’man Kodesh program. Create a range of meaningful prayer and spiritual experiences that engage students in different ways, from traditional minyanim to creative, reflective, and experiential options. Recruit, train, and support faculty, staff, and student leaders who facilitate these experiences. Ensure that Z’man Kodesh reflects Gann’s pluralistic Jewish community and fosters connection, reflection, and spiritual growth.
• Israel Programming: Execute the planning and delivery of Israel education elements (e.g., exchange programs, trips, and Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations).
• Jewish Educational Travel: Support the planning and delivery of elements of educational travel opportunities for students, including senior Israel class trip, alternative break trips, and grade-wide travel experiences.
• Jewish Life Experiences: Collaborate with faculty to envision, plan, and execute Jewish holiday celebrations and programs. This includes attending Shabbatonim and other programming outside regular school hours and leading activities as appropriate.
• Holiday Celebrations: Oversee all Holiday celebrations during the school year. Collaborate with the Jewish Life team to create innovative and vibrant holiday celebrations that center on student voice and represent the school’s pluralistic community.
• Teach a  Class or Module: Teach in the area of Jewish Studies, Israel education, and Jewish identity.
• Student Council, Student Leadership, and Hakhel Support all Student Council meetings. Advise student input into Limmud planning. Plan with the student government and facilitate weekly all-school Hakhel assemblies. Develop new leadership opportunities for students year over year.
• Admissions/Development: Work with the admissions/development teams to plan and deliver programming that engages prospective students.
• Student Life: work with the Dean of Students to plan and facilitate new students’ Revisit and Orientation Days.
• Limmud/Advisory Program Coordinator: Serve as the primary operational/programmatic coordinator for Limmud and advisory programming support. This involves ensuring all parties receive appropriate communication and that all facilities and IT setups are planned. It also means being part of the larger Limmud and Advisory teams and generating ideas for programming and speakers.
• Community Service Program: Oversee the programmatic and administrative responsibilities alongside the Assistant Director of Jewish Student Life.
• School Culture: Collaborate with the student experience team to strengthen school culture and support student behavior at grade level and schoolwide events.
• Jewish Studies: Attend Jewish Studies department meetings, observe Jewish Studies classes, and act as a substitute as appropriate.

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

• Experience working with teens, ideally in a Jewish summer camp or youth group environment.
• A background in Jewish studies and/or good knowledge of Jewish texts and traditions.
• Strong interpersonal skills and well-developed empathy.
• Ability to work within a pluralistic Jewish setting.
• Ability to work collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Self-starter with good organizational and planning skills.
• Ability to prioritize several projects, accurately assimilating information, and consistent attention to detail.
• Possesses excellent computer skills in Excel and Word and can learn school-specific software programs quickly.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• B.A. Degree is preferred.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Must be proficient in English and familiar with Hebrew to work as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supervise The Assistant Director of Jewish Student Life

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

• Competitive salaries  
• Professional development 
• Comprehensive benefits package featuring generous paid time off policies -including sick time, paid vacation, personal days, and U.S. holidays, Gann employees get up to an additional 15 days off for Jewish Holidays, depending on the Jewish Calendar of the year 
• Short Fridays  
• Comprehensive Health Insurance 
• Retirement Plan Match (403B) starting immediately! 
• Hungry? Gann has a full-service kosher dairy dining hall, complete with a fresh salad bar and multiple hot meal options 
• Free parking! 
• Fitness facilities for our faculty and staff 
• Life Insurance 
• Short - and Long-term disability 
• Paid MAPFML

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Physical demands include dexterity for operating office machines and supplies, including, but not limited to, computers, telephones, copy machines, and printers. Stooping, bending, reaching for files or supplies, and sitting or standing for extended periods are common.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Gann Academy is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the school to prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants, without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity or expression), and pregnancy, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or veteran status.

ACCOMMODATION

External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, must be able to perform the essential job functions (as listed) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by management on a case-by-case basis.

E-VERIFY

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot verify that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed Form I-9