In this role, you will help ignite Jewish life on an Ivy League campus with the largest Jewish student population. The Director of Jewish Student Life will blend student leadership development, programming, and engagement, to help students create meaningful Jewish opportunities and progress on their Jewish journeys. They will build relationships with students through meaningful conversations and experiences, mentor student leaders to grow personally and Jewishly, and create and implement the vision of what Jewish leadership at Cornell can be. They will be accessible to students of all backgrounds and possess confidence and comfort with a broad range of Jewish knowledge, experiences, ideas, and practices.
What You’ll Do
Design and implement an engagement plan under the supervision of the Managing Director to strategically build relationships with students who are uninvolved with Cornell Hillel Hillel.
Identify and mentor student leaders in their Jewish growth through individual meetings and group trainings, in order to cultivate a Jewish community that is diverse, welcoming, creative, and thoughtful
Organize and empower student leaders by providing them with the training, tools, and resources to create innovative social, cultural, educational, and religious programs that energize Jewish life on campus
Oversee and support student board in visioning and implementation of a calendar of dynamic Jewish engagement opportunities and programming
Play a key role in planning and evaluation of programs, including tracking program participation and student engagement for measurement and ongoing evaluation
Guide students as they explore their Jewish identities and build a warm, welcoming Jewish campus community
Build relationships with over 250 students, 100 of whom are unique, from diverse backgrounds through meaningful conversations and by creating connections to opportunities to participate in Jewish life on campus
Oversee the Hillel Across Cornell (HAC) initiative. HAC provides reimbursement for student-led Shabbat and Holiday programming. It is an opportunity for Jewish students to create experiences for their peers outside the traditional Jewish leadership structures on campus
Supervise multiple early career professionals, helping them to be successful in their role.
A Typical Day May Look Like
Grabbing coffee with a new student who came to last month’s welcome back bagel brunch but hasn’t attended anything else since, followed by a spiritual life 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 updating the website with recent photos and listing upcoming events
Tabling on campus with various student leaders to advertise for upcoming programs, followed by a Zoom meeting with a colleague from another Hillel about an initiative they started that you would like to bring to your campuses.
Starting your morning with a engagement staff meeting with your other team members to plan an upcoming event, followed by leading a Jewish Learning Fellowship at night for a group of students.
What You’ll Bring To The Job
A bachelor’s degree
3+ years of professional experience
Passion and prior experience working in the Jewish young adults or with Jewish college students
A moderate to strong Jewish knowledge base, and a willingness to work with students from a variety of backgrounds
Creativity, flexibility, initiative, and excellent interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills
The ability to work independently, and as part of a team, in a fast-paced environment where prioritizing, multitasking, organization, and attention to detail are essential
What You’ll Receive
Competitive salary in the non-profit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $55,000 – $60,000.
Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Prepare for your future: a 403(b) plan.
$3,000 budget for professional development, mentoring, and skill-building opportunities as part of the global Hillel movement.
Travel regionally and abroad, particularly to Israel.
About Cornell Hillel
Cornell Hillel is located in Ithaca, NY, which combines small town life with a world class academic/college town community. Ithaca has been named one of the top 100 places to live, a top 10 recreation city, the best green place to live, and one of the “foodiest” towns in America. Cornell University is one of the world’s foremost institutions of higher education, with seven undergraduate schools and five graduate schools located in Ithaca, NY, in the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York State. Cornell Hillel is housed in Anabel Taylor Hall, home of the Cornell United Religious Works. Jewish students make up approximately one-quarter of the student body on the Ithaca campus, approximately 2,500 students. Cornell Hillel currently engages a talented professional team of 13 full time and one part-time professional.
Cornell 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 more than 550 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.
