Manager of Jewish Life and Learning

Emerson College, Hillel Council of New England

Role Overview

Make your mark on Jewish student life by joining Hillel Council of New England (HCNE) as the full-time Manager of Jewish Life and Learning at Emerson College. As a community builder, you’ll inspire students to be partners in creating a vibrant and welcoming Jewish community on one of our flagship campuses in the heart of downtown Boston.

As the Jewish Lead Staff within the Center for Spiritual Life at Emerson, you will play a pivotal role in a dynamic student life team. In addition to collaborating closely with students, your responsibilities will include working alongside our dedicated student-facing team members across all campuses. You will support large-scale regional programs and actively recruit for immersive experiences and cohort-based initiatives within our multi-campus Hillel.

The ideal candidate will be a self-starter and skilled multi-tasker who will partner with students, colleagues, campus administrators, faculty and staff, parents, and alumni to drive Hillel’s and Emerson College’s mission, values and goals. 

The Manager of Jewish Life & learning reports to the Assistant Director (Hillel Council of New England) and the Director of Spiritual Life (Emerson).

Beyond your direct supervisors, you will have the opportunity to collaborate regularly with individuals from both the Hillel Council of New England and Emerson College. Your interactions will be especially focused within the Division of Student Affairs, fostering a strong partnership that enhances our community's vibrant campus life.

• Through HCNE, you will be working and meeting regularly with colleagues from your multi-campus team across Greater Boston.
• At Emerson College, you will be reporting to the Director of the Center for Spiritual Life (CSL) and serve as a member of the CSL staff team as part of the broader Student Affairs division. Together with the rest of the Spiritual Life team, this position supports the Emerson community's spiritual needs and religious practice, both within and outside the Jewish faith and tradition. In particular, you will be introduced to the following key partners during the On-Boarding process at Emerson and will continue to work collaboratively with the following Emerson College staff professionals:
  • Associate Vice President, Student Affairs
  • Communications Specialist, Student Affairs
  • Director, Intercultural Student Affairs
  • Director, Student Engagement and Leadership, Student Affairs 

What You’ll Do

• Develop one-on-one relationships with Jewish students by meeting them where they live, work and/or study, utilizing creative methods to reach and connect them to Jewish life and empower students to create and implement meaningful Jewish experiences with and for their peers.
• Serve as an advisor for the Hillel student organization on campus and work with students and staff to implement a wide range of programs, including Shabbat and holiday celebrations, social opportunities, social justice projects, and Jewish learning opportunities.
• Oversee and support student visioning and implementation of a calendar of dynamic Jewish engagement opportunities and programming.
• Guide students as they explore their Jewish identities and build a warm, welcoming, and inclusive Jewish campus community.
• Build relationships with students from all religious backgrounds through meaningful conversations and by creating connections to participate in Jewish life on campus, as well as interfaith programs and events.
• Partner with Emerson College staff and chaplains to provide compassionate and open-minded spiritual care for those across a wide spectrum of spiritual practices and identities.
• Share and educate about Jewish religious and cultural observances opportunities, both on and off campus, with the greater College community, including updating and distributing a Jewish holiday and religious observance calendar.
• Track and manage data around student presence and participation as part of our regional student engagement strategy, using Hillel’s tracking database (HEART).
• Develop and strengthen strategic relationships with university administrators, faculty, and staff, and community stakeholders. 

On a day to day basis you may

• Back-to-back 1:1 meetings with students whom you met at an Orientation program, followed by a Spiritual Life staff meeting on campus.
• Attending a student executive board meeting and collaborating with students to help shape and develop new and exciting Jewish educational programs and initiatives, followed by an afternoon spent on logistics and administrative duties, such as working with students to update Emerson Hillel’s social media presence, event listings on EmConnect, budget requests, and ordering food for upcoming events.
• Tabling on campus with various student leaders to advertise for upcoming programs, Birthright Israel trips, Jewish Learning Fellowship, etc, followed by a lunch that you organized for Jewish faculty and staff as part of a new Jewish Employee Resource Group (ERG).
• Starting your morning with a Zoom meeting with a colleague from another Hillel whose innovative program idea you would like to bring to your campus, followed by a planning meeting with Student Affairs administrators on next steps for launching the antisemitism awareness training you are helping to bring to campus.
• A co-working day with your HCNE team, followed by a Hillel event back on campus.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• 1-3 years of relevant experience
• Self-motivation and the ability to work independently.
• A commitment to creating an inclusive, vibrant and pluralistic Jewish community.
• Ability to effectively engage students at all levels in Jewish life and to serve as a resource in a pluralistic setting.
• Work enthusiastically and compassionately with people from different backgrounds and who have a variety of religious beliefs and practices.
• Ability to be on campus during non-traditional working hours to accommodate students’ schedules and to plan and execute events and programming.
• An approachable, dynamic, engaging personality with outstanding interpersonal skills.
• Strong oral, written and non-verbal communication skills.
• An ability to manage logistics and multiple tasks with competing deadlines.
• A knack for creative problem-solving.
• Energy, a sense of humor, resilience and flexibility.
• A team-oriented approach to work, a strong work ethic, a sense of humor, an ability to take risks and learn from situations when things don’t turn out the way you thought they would. You’re comfortable with your Jewish self (or are actively figuring that out). 

What You’ll Receive

• A competitive salary in the non-profit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $55,000 - $60,000.
• A comprehensive benefits package, including health and dental plans, retirement plan, Life, AD&D and Long Term Disability (LTD) insurances, Flexible Spending accounts, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave.
• Great professional development, mentoring, and skill building opportunities.
• A supportive team of colleagues in a growing organization

About Hillel Council of New England

Hillel Council of New England (HCNE) is a multi-campus Hillel currently serving twelve campuses with small Jewish populations in Massachusetts. HCNE’s mission is to connect Jewish students on campuses across to each other and to the local and global Jewish community. Our vision is to inspire students to explore their Jewish identity and strengthen their connection to Judaism and the Jewish people. We achieve this by meeting students where they are on their individual journeys, and by providing them with meaningful experiences and support on campus, in New England, and around the world.

Hillel Council of New England 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.

About Emerson College

Emerson College is the nation’s only four-year institution dedicated exclusively to majors in communication and the arts in a liberal arts context. It is located in the dynamic multi-cultural city of Boston in close proximity to major arts institutions, performing art venues, and research centers. The college enrolls over 5,800 graduate and undergraduate students from more than 70 countries and all 50 states. Emerson College has campuses in Los Angeles and the Netherlands. At Emerson College, we seek individuals who bring innovation, creativity, and impact to our campuses to increase our depth, breadth, and diversity in our educational offerings. Emerson’s commitment to inclusive excellence is supported by a range of resources. The unique, countercultural vibe of Emerson and its community is a testament to the creative and eclectic students our specialized majors attract, fostering an environment where uniqueness is celebrated and artistic expression thrives.

About Hillel International

In 1923, Rabbi Benjamin Frankel started Hillel with humble means, a noble mission and a breathtaking vision: to convey Jewish civilization to a new generation. Today, Hillel International continues to enrich the lives of Jewish students and is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world at nearly 1,000 colleges and universities across North America and around the world. As Hillel evolves as an organization, the mission remains steadfast: to create lasting connections with every Jewish student that foster an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel and train them to become the next Jewish leaders.

Hillel is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an accepting and inclusive environment for all.