Jewish Life and Israel Engagement Manager

GW Hillel 

Role Overview

GW Hillel seeks a Jewish Life and Israel Engagement Manager who brings contagious energy and passion for Judaism and Israel. An ideal candidate has an innate ability to build relationships and inspire students to make a commitment to Jewish life, paired with a passion for Israel and the vision to lead a robust and diverse Israel agenda on campus. The Jewish Life and Israel Engagement Manager will work closely with a multi-dimensional education and programmatic team, working to advance GW Hillel's overall engagement strategy and Israel engagement plan.

In this role, you will be the primary manager of GW Hillel’s Israel Engagement plan. Informed by student needs and organizational values, the GW Hillel Israel Engagement plan blends education, relationship building, leadership opportunities, and immersive experiences to help students at GW develop their own relationship with Israel. You are a deep thinker, a master relationship builder, and possess extremely high emotional intelligence. Drawn to learning and facilitating intellectual conversations, often across a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and opinions, you will utilize these skills to engage GW students,  Jewish and non-Jewish, in conversations related to Israel. You will be responsible for ensuring meaningful and diverse opportunities for Israel education, identifying and cultivating student leaders who are passionate about Israel, and consistently promoting a welcoming and lively pluralistic Jewish community.  You will be well-versed in the moment facing the Jewish community right now, and will support students in taking ownership of their Jewish experience and connection to Israel. The Jewish Life and Israel Engagement Manager reports to the Managing Director.

What You’ll Do

Israel Engagement Portfolio

• Develop and lead a robust and diverse Israel education and engagement strategy.
• Engage students from a wide range of backgrounds and beliefs in conversations and programming about Israel.
• Advise and support student-led Israel groups, spanning the spectrum of political, cultural and societal aspects of Israel education and advocacy.
• Develop a cadre of influential, proactive and knowledgeable student Israel leaders. 
• Lead students and colleagues in shaping strategy and responding to campus conversations about Israel.
• Serve as the lead educator for Israel related learning cohorts and other educational opportunities.
• Liaise with outside Israel organizations on Israel-related opportunities.
• Support staff effort to increase student travel to Israel and oversee meaningful post-trip follow-up experiences and opportunities.
• Staff immersive Israel experiences, such as Birthright and Perspectives (interfaith and intercultural trip to Israel) and conventions including but not limited to AIPAC and JStreet.

General Engagement Portfolio

• Develop and implement a comprehensive engagement strategy for Hillel to map campus and engage students. Utilize this strategy and implementation to develop innovative initiatives and move the needle toward engaging more Jewish students in more Jewish experiences.
• Lead staff team in engagement work, helping staff set and surpass individual and collective engagement goals.
• Conduct 1:1 meetings with students to build relationships and identify and develop student leaders.
• Innovate and experiment with different engagement methodologies designed to reach students who are currently uninvolved as well as micro-communities on campus.
• Build upon existing programs as well as initiate and implement new programs to serve unmet student needs.
• Track progress and evaluate impact using LittleGreenLight.
• Participate fully in the shared work of Hillel, community events, staff meetings and training, and other duties as assigned.

Student Leadership Portfolio

• Directly advise a select number of student groups and their leadership
• In collaboration with the Managing Director, determine goals and outcomes for student organizations and their student leadership. 
• Empower student leaders by equipping them with the training, tools, and resources to create impactful programs while also aligning with the larger goals and vision of GW Hillel.
• Identify and nurture emerging leaders in the Jewish community at GW and, in collaboration with other staff, create opportunities to develop their skills.

What You'll Bring to the Job

• 2–4 years of professional experience
• Bachelor's degree required
• Passion for Judaism, Israel, and Jewish community building
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills
• Ability to facilitate thoughtful, approachable conversations about Judaism and Israel
• Knowledge of Israel with a commitment to ongoing learning
• Experience supervising, delegating, and leading teams
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Confident leading programs and taking initiative
• Warm, welcoming, and inclusive approach to engaging diverse students
• Creative problem-solver who turns ideas into action
• Flexible, collaborative team player eager to grow beyond core responsibilities

What You'll Receive

• Competitive salary in the non-profit marketplace. The salary for this position is $50,000-$55,000.
• A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plan, Life, AD&D, and Long Term Disability (LTD) insurances, Flexible Spending accounts, vacation/sick time, and parental leave. 
• Dynamic professional development, mentoring, and skill-building opportunities through our Hillel movement, and other avenues as needed.
• Travel regionally and abroad, particularly to Israel.
• A work community that values professional growth and personal balance.

About GW Hillel

You will join a team of creative thinkers who are thirsty to work together to build a meaning-driven, dynamic, warm community that allows students to be seen, appreciated, and challenged to grow their Jewish identities. Proudly serving more than 3,000 Jewish undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students at the George Washington University, GW Hillel aims to give students the tools they need to live vibrant, meaningful Jewish lives during their four years of college and beyond. Our students are thirsty to build meaningful relationships, grow their leadership skills, and have college experiences that mark a pivotal time in their lives.

GW 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.

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.