Director of Jewish Life at Hillel at the University of Rochester

Director of Jewish Life

Hillel at the University of Rochester

Role Overview

Join Hillel at the University of Rochester as our Director of Jewish Life, taking a leading role ensuring we foster an environment in which every Jewish student feels empowered to meaningfully engage with Judaism and Jewish living while on campus, and in an enduring way long after.  The Director of Jewish Life:

• Is the leading face of Jewish student engagement on campus, coordinating a majority of our student-facing initiatives in partnership with the Executive Director and Jewish Education Fellow.
• Should possess a great desire and capacity to build one on one relationships with students, and partner with them to create engaging programming and experiences.
• Should embody a true commitment to Jewish pluralism – in concept and in practice.
• Should possess strong knowledge of Jewish holidays, culture, traditions, and ritual practice.
• Is able to facilitate a text-based learning cohort with provided materials; preferred ability to lead some form of a Friday night Shabbat service
• Should be thoughtful and creative, have great attention to detail and strong project management skills, and be able to juggle many projects and responsibilities simultaneously while remaining calm.
• Will help inspire students to want to engage with Judaism and Jewish traditions in relevant, transformative, personal, and lasting ways; serving as a welcoming and inclusive mentor and resource as students explore and craft their own authentic Jewish lives, and relationships with Israel.

What You’ll Do

• Work closely with the Executive Director to develop and execute a general strategy for programming and engagement.
• Help craft and implement the annual cycle of Jewish holiday and Shabbat programming.
• Advise and partner with student leaders and other student volunteers to design and implement programming of interest to support civic engagement and social impact, social connectivity, Jewish learning, and more.
• Support and sometimes play a leading role in developing and executing special events.
• Facilitate learning cohorts.
• Support recruitment for and sometimes staff special programs and trips, including Birthright Israel trips.
• Support and assist with Israel-related initiatives within our pluralistic lens.
• Oversee student workers, engagement interns, and/or other student leaders/volunteers.
• Cultivate one-on-one relationships with Jewish students by meeting them where they live, work, study, and/or socialize.
• Provide leadership in marketing, public relations, and promotional activities as appropriate to best welcome students and create an inviting ambiance, including oversight of social media.
• Provide information to prospective students and their parents through open houses, new student events, etc.
• Help with UR Hillel’s initiative to better support Jewish graduate students and all students at the Eastman School of Music, in addition to our primary focus on Jewish undergraduate students on the River Campus.
• Please note: Due to the nature of Jewish student life, during the semesters this position will require several nights/weekends, including for Shabbat and holidays.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• A minimum 2-5 years of related professional work experience, preferably within a campus Hillel environment.
• A bachelors degree.
• A working knowledge of Jewish holidays, culture, traditions, rituals, and modern Jewish life sufficient to take a leading role in helping to plan and execute a year’s worth of Jewish celebrations, learning, and experiences, with preferred ability to lead Friday night services when needed.
• An outgoing, welcoming, warm, and inclusive personality.
• 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.
• Confidence initiating and running programs, and serving as the lead staff.
• Exceptional time management and organizational skills, conducive to managing and navigating the many facets of UR Hillel’s work.
• Ability to learn how to use HEaRT – our database for tracking student engagement.
• Comfort helping to prepare and serve food as part of programs, Shabbat, and relational meals during learning cohorts.
• A sense of aesthetics and ambiance – ability to help create an environment in which students want to be.
• Willingness to work on a small but mighty staff team.
• A strong self-motivated, flexible, resilient work ethic.
• A sense of comfort with one’s own Jewish self, and the interest in and ability to help support students on their authentic Jewish journeys.
• Basic social media skills, and ability to assist with marketing for the purposes of student outreach and engagement.

What You’ll Receive

• A salaried, exempt position with an estimated salary of $55-65k, depending on experience. 
• A flexible, hybrid work schedule; the ability to work remotely during parts of school breaks and during the summers; the ability to take time extended time off during the summer season for travel, to work at a camp, 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; and 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, trainings, special events.

While this job description is geared toward early career professionals, we are open to adjusting the role and salary for the right candidate with additional experience.

About the University of Rochester

The University of Rochester is an elite medium-sized university with approximately 6500 undergraduates – of which we estimate approximately 550 identify as Jewish – as well as several thousand graduate students.  The school merges the best resources and opportunities of a top-tier research university with the close-knit self-contained campus feel of a small college.  Undergraduate students study on the main campus within the School of Arts, Science, and Engineering, as well as at the Eastman School of Music, while graduate students additionally study in graduate schools for business, medicine and dentistry, nursing, and education.

About Hillel at the University of Rochester (UR Hillel)

With a small but mighty staff of three, Hillel at the University of Rochester is a major force in Jewish life on campus. We offer a weekly home-cooked Shabbat dinner and Friday night services, holiday celebrations, and Jewish learning.  We also offer social impact/service project initiatives, social gatherings that bring the community together, and programming and travel that connects students with Israel.  We are currently located in an interfaith Chapel, and value our relationships with friends of other faiths.  We also have a friendly relationship with our local Chabad chapter and partner with them on occasion.  We are incredibly excited to be in the process of raising funds for a capital campaign that will lead to designated UR Hillel space in a new building, estimated ground breaking Spring 2025.

About the Rochester Jewish Community

Rochester, NY has a mid-sized community of approximately 17,000.  The area has a friendly vibe, and is consistently rated as one of the most livable communities, easily accessible, and with lots to do.  In addition to the great kosher offerings at Wegmans, the renowned grocery chain, Rochester has an independent kosher bakery and butcher shop.  Rochester is known for its festivals, including a week-long jazz festival each summer. There is an annual Jewish film festival and Jewish book festival hosted by the local JCC, as well as over a dozen synagogue communities.  There is a growing commitment to supporting Jewish young adult life (approx aged 22-35), with programming and activities sponsored by both the local Jewish Federation and area synagogues, in addition to UR Hillel’s own graduate student initiative. 

The University of Rochester 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.

Questions? Please contact Joy Getnick, Hillel at the University of Rochester Executive Director, joy.getnick@rochesterhillel.org