Director of Jewish Learning & Engagement

Cleveland Hillel

Role Overview

Cleveland Hillel seeks a dynamic and entrepreneurial Jewish educator and relationship-builder to inspire students to explore Jewish life, learning, identity, and community. Reporting to Cleveland Hillel’s Assistant Director, the Director of Jewish Learning & Engagement will lead Cleveland Hillel's Jewish learning strategy across multiple campuses, cultivate meaningful relationships with students, and create engaging educational experiences that help students connect Judaism to their lives.

This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of Jewish learning and student engagement for more than 2,000 Jewish students across 11 campuses throughout Northeast Ohio. This role combines Jewish education, student engagement, and leadership development, using relationship-based outreach as a primary tool for helping students deepen their connection to Jewish community, learning, and practice.

The ideal candidate brings a deep love of Judaism and Israel, a commitment to pluralism, and the ability to connect authentically with undergraduate and graduate students from diverse Jewish backgrounds and experiences. This individual will serve as a key member of Cleveland Hillel's leadership team, working collaboratively with staff, students, faculty, alumni, and community partners to strengthen Jewish life throughout Northeast Ohio.

The Director of Jewish Learning & Engagement will oversee Jewish learning initiatives, mentor student leaders, supervise select staff and interns, and develop innovative educational opportunities that advance Cleveland Hillel's mission of creating a vibrant, welcoming, and inclusive Jewish community.

Key Responsibilities

Jewish Learning & Student Engagement

• Develop and implement Cleveland Hillel's vision and strategy for Jewish learning and educational engagement across all campuses.
• Build and sustain a portfolio of meaningful student relationships, utilizing one-on-one engagement, mentoring, and follow-up to connect students with opportunities for Jewish learning, leadership, and community involvement.
• Create innovative educational experiences that help students explore Jewish identity, values, tradition, and contemporary Jewish life.
• Engage students from a wide range of Jewish backgrounds, including those not currently connected to Jewish communal life.
• Lead Jewish learning initiatives including fellowships, cohorts, Shabbat Hosting Lab, and other educational programs.

Program Leadership

• Design and oversee high-quality Jewish educational experiences, including Shabbat, holidays, fellowships, leadership programs, and immersive learning opportunities.
• Collaborate with colleagues to ensure meaningful Jewish content is integrated throughout Cleveland Hillel programming.
• Develop new educational models and initiatives that respond to student interests and emerging campus needs.
• Support educational and mentorship opportunities connected to Cleveland Hillel's Summer Internship Program.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Supervise designated staff members and student leaders, including goal setting, coaching, and performance management.
• Support, supervise, and manage student leadership groups on multiple campuses.
• Partner with senior staff to strengthen relationships with faculty, administrators, alumni, and community partners.
• Represent Cleveland Hillel on campus committees, community initiatives, and institutional partnerships as appropriate.
• Serve as a member of the senior staff team, contributing to organizational strategy and culture.

Assessment & Organizational Effectiveness

• Establish annual educational engagement goals and evaluate outcomes through data collection, reporting, and assessment.
• Track participation, engagement, and learning outcomes to inform program planning and continuous improvement.
• Create and utilize effective marketing and social media strategies to reach new populations within target audiences.

What You'll Bring

• Deep knowledge of Jewish tradition, culture, history, and contemporary Jewish life.
• Ability to facilitate thoughtful conversations about Judaism, Israel, identity, and belonging with students across a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.
• Commitment to pluralism, inclusion, and relationship-based engagement.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Creativity, curiosity, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Experience developing and leading educational programs and learning communities.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across teams and build partnerships with students, faculty, and community stakeholders.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required (master’s degree preferred) in Jewish studies, Jewish education or a related field.
• 3-5 years of relevant work experience in community organizing, Hillel, youth movements, camping and/ or experiential Jewish education.
• Proven success in community building and outreach, and previous experience in program visioning and implementation.

What You’ll Receive

• A salaried, exempt position with an estimated salary of $60-$65k, depending on experience.
• Benefits include generous paid time off, employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance, and a 403(b) retirement plan with up to a 5% employer contribution, subject to eligibility requirements.
• Great professional development, mentoring, and skill-building opportunities.
• Occasional travel for conferences, training, and special events.
• 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 Cleveland Hillel

Cleveland Hillel is on the front lines of shaping vibrant Jewish life on 11 campuses throughout northeast Ohio, standing up against the rising tide of antisemitism impacting students across the country. Rooted in our mission to cultivate innovative, inclusive, and entrepreneurial communities on all our campuses to actively build meaningful Jewish experiences and enhance Jewish pride for young adults throughout their entire college journey, we are guided by our core values of inclusivity, Jewish learning, community-building, and leadership development. Our work is more critical than ever, and our commitment to creating safe, proud, and empowered Jewish spaces on campus for over 2,000 Jewish college students is unwavering.  Cleveland Hillel offers students the means to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity in a dynamic and welcoming environment. Each year, Cleveland Hillel connects students to their community, their peers, and their heritage through an array of social, cultural and community service programs. The momentum is here, and we want to continue our trajectory.

Cleveland Hillel 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.