Director of Community Learning

Who We Are

Congregation Eitz Chayim is an independent, pluralistic synagogue in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that's spiritually alive, creative, and deeply connected. We're in the midst of growth and transformation—our kids' and young families' programming is bustling, our meditation retreats are sold out, our Life Long Learning committee has engaging programming, and our musical shabbat services pulse with multigenerational joy.

We've recently secured transformative funding and are investing in the future of exceptional Jewish learning. Our community is hungry for depth, creativity, and meaningful connection—for ourselves, our children, and our broader Cambridge neighborhood.

We're a small, innovative team with big dreams. We value relational leadership, collaborative culture, and people who know how to get things done with heart, excellence, and joy.

The Opportunity

We're reorganizing our education department to meet the growing needs of our community—including a significant investment in our outdoor spaces designed with children and families in mind. We need an educational leader with both vision and execution skills to build integrated learning programs across all ages. We have a Hebrew School that's established and functioning, but we're ready for someone to bring pedagogical innovation, creativity, robust recruitment efforts, and clear curricular vision. We have adult learners craving depth. We have families seeking meaningful Jewish experiences for their children. We're also building new partnerships, including an exciting and deep collaboration with the JCC launching in Fall 2026.

We're seeking a Director of Community Learning to lead and grow our Hebrew School, create and manage extraordinary family and children's programming year-round, and develop robust adult learning offerings. This role is 20 hours a week (with a lighter programming load in the summer) and is open to experienced educators and rabbis.

This is a rare opportunity to shape Jewish education alongside a dynamic rabbi and admin team in a spiritually vibrant community at a pivotal moment.

What You'll Do

Hebrew School Leadership

• Lead Sunday Hebrew School on-site, creating a warm, engaging, creative learning environment for students and staff
• Develop and articulate cohesive, engaging curriculum across all grade levels with clear pedagogical framework
• Hire exceptional teaching staff
• Lead recruitment of new families
• Build collaborative staff culture through training, observation, and constructive feedback
• Provide educational leadership and vision for the School Committee in collaboration with parent leaders, ensuring strong communication and shared vision between families and staff
• Work closely with the Administrator on enrollment processes and operational needs like materials ordering and class lists
• Meet with School Committee monthly

Family and Children's Programming

• Design and lead children's experiences for holidays in collaboration with the Rabbi (Simchat Torah, Sukkot, Tu B’Shvat, Purim, etc.)
• Create and manage comprehensive children's programming and childcare for High Holy Days
• Opportunities to lead or co-lead Tot Shabbat, Learners' Minyan, and Family Services

Adult Learning

• Facilitate adult Torah study sessions and specialized classes for adults (contemplative practice, Talmud, Jewish mysticism, liturgy, contemporary thought, ethics, the Jewish calendar, etc.)
• Assist the Rabbi in working with conversion students on their learning journey
• Provide educational leadership and vision for the Lifelong Learning Committee, developing lay leaders and shaping a dynamic adult learning culture in partnership with committee members
• Cultivate a culture of ongoing learning across the community—helping adults of all backgrounds find their way into Jewish text, practice, and spiritual growth

Community Partnerships

• Alongside the Rabbi and relevant lay leaders, serve as a primary contact for our JCC partnership, likely including an afterschool program launching at our location in Fall 2026
• Coordinate any joint programming for young families in collaboration with the JCC
• Ensure complementary programming and strong joint initiatives with local and national organizations (Lehrhaus, POTA, CJP, etc)
• Attend regular staff meetings to ensure coordination across all congregational programming

There are also opportunities for candidates with the requisite skills (especially those who are rabbis) to lead services, serve as cantor for high holy days, offer pastoral support, and beyond. We're building this new role together—it will adapt and expand in ways that match your unique gifts.

Who You Are

• An inspiring educator with vision for creative, transformative Jewish learning and the skills to implement it
• A builder who can create curriculum, systems, and culture from the ground up
• Jewishly knowledgeable with deep literacy in Hebrew, Jewish texts, and personal spiritual depth
• Experienced in Jewish education (formal or informal settings)
• Highly organized and communicative, with strong administrative skills to manage multiple programs, coordinate with families and partners, and keep complex systems running smoothly
• A people developer who builds strong, organized teams and mentors teachers
• Relationally gifted and welcoming with children, families, and adult learners
• Creative and entrepreneurial, comfortable in startup environments where everyone wears multiple hats and rolls up their sleeves
• Drawn to spiritual depth and contemplative practice alongside joyful, accessible Jewish community
• Musical ability a plus! (but not required)
• Rabbinic or cantorial ordination preferred, but not required.

Why Join Us

• Shape Jewish education in a warm, close-knit, spiritually vibrant, growing congregation at a transformative moment
• Work in close partnership with passionate leadership in an inspiring community with big dreams
• Join a collaborative, fun team
• This role will grow and adapt based on your particular strengths and interests.

Compensation & Details

• 20 hours per week, year-round (with a much lighter programming load in the summer)
• Annual salary: $37,000-41,000, commensurate with experience
• Modest annual professional development stipend
• Retirement: 3% employer match

How to Apply

Send a cover letter and resume by March 31st to ecoffice@eitz.org.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Eitz Chayim is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all qualified applicants and employees, without regard to race, color, religion religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, gender identification identity or expression, or disability handicap (disability), HIV status, criminal record, veteran or active military status, or genetic information.

• Modest annual professional development stipend
• Retirement: 3% employer match