DEAN OF JEWISH LIFE & STUDIES (PART-TIME)

Davis Chicago•Chicago, IL

3d•$40,772 - $72,550•Onsite

About The Position

Davis School Chicago is seeking a half-time (0.5 FTE) Dean of Jewish Life & Studies to be the founding architect of Jewish life and Jewish learning at a new college-preparatory high school opening in fall 2027. This role involves teaching Jewish Studies and designing and directing Jewish life, including tefillah, holiday cycles, Shabbatonim, the service program, and student leadership. The Dean will establish the frameworks, traditions, and cultural touchpoints that define Jewish life at Davis Chicago, fostering an environment where students develop intellectual curiosity, moral courage, spiritual grounding, and a lifelong connection to Jewish learning and community. This is a founding leadership position focused on vision, program design, and curriculum development, with support from other staff for daily operations. The ideal candidate is a warm, relational, high-performing, magnetic Jewish educator and an entrepreneurial builder who thrives in ambiguity and is rooted in tradition while embracing innovation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
3+ years of successful teaching or schoolwide leadership experience required
Progressively responsible leadership in Jewish educational or communal settings preferred
Jewish day, Jewish high school, or faith-based settings preferred
Deep appreciation for and understanding of key Jewish traditions and rituals is critical
Warm, Relational, and High-Performing – Kind, emotionally intelligent, intellectually rigorous, and committed to excellence.
A Magnetic Jewish Educator – The kind of presence students seek out; deep Jewish learning worn lightly, head and heart together.
A Builder of Ritual and Community – Designs gatherings, retreats, and traditions people remember, then trains students to run them.
An Entrepreneurial Builder – Thrives in ambiguity, solves problems, and creates programs, systems, and traditions from the ground up.
A Curious and Courageous Thinker – Embraces learning, evidence, critical thinking, and meaningful debate.
Rooted and Forward-Looking – Honors tradition while embracing innovation, technology, and AI.
Committed to Jewish Life and Community – Values Jewish identity, the diversity of Jewish thought, and meaningful engagement in Jewish life.
A Collaborative Culture-Builder – Balances accountability, care, and results while elevating everyone around them.
Jewish Studies curriculum and instruction; Israel education; text and tradition brought to life.
Gatherings, holidays, retreats, and service; traditions that stick.
Forming the students who will run tefillah, Shabbatonim, and service.
Program building; community partnerships; entrepreneurial with startup grit.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or M.Div preferred in Jewish Education, Judaic Studies, Jewish Leadership, Education, Spirituality, Theology, Youth Leadership Development, or a related field
Some form of leadership experience is required; Jewish student center, campus minister, experiential program director, Judaics department, administration, or instructional leadership preferred
Jewish day, Jewish communal, or faith-based education experience is a plus
Hebrew proficiency preferred
Being Jewish is not a requirement for this role

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a compelling vision for Jewish life and learning that aligns with the school’s mission and values.
Serve as a member of the school’s senior leadership team.
Establish the traditions, rituals, and cultural norms of the founding school community.
Partner with school leadership on strategic planning, enrollment growth, student engagement, and community-building initiatives.
Ensure Jewish values are meaningfully integrated throughout the student experience.
Create measurable outcomes for Jewish learning, identity development, leadership, and belonging.
Establish systems for evaluating the effectiveness of Jewish life and educational programming.
Design and oversee a comprehensive Jewish life program that promotes belonging, engagement, leadership, and community.
Lead school-wide Jewish programming, celebrations, and educational experiences.
Grow student leadership by growing the programs that need student leaders — recruit, train, and coach students to lead tefillah, learning, Shabbatonim, and chesed, and hand over real responsibility as they earn it.
Partner with students to create programming that reflects their interests, identities, and aspirations.
Foster an inclusive environment that welcomes and celebrates diverse Jewish backgrounds and experiences.
Design the school’s ritual life and tefillah, its holidays, and its rhythms of gathering, in partnership with other staff members and community partners.
Design and lead Shabbatonim for students.
Design the service program as a core expression of Jewish life at Davis Chicago.
Manage departmental budgets and allocated resources.
Set the calendar and the standard for Jewish life programming, with planning and execution shared with other staff members and partners.
Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing refinement of the Jewish Studies curriculum, including the placement mechanism that places students into honors and standard sections.
Teach Jewish Studies, beginning with Principles of Jewish Learning and growing across levels as grades are added.
Develop innovative approaches to teaching Jewish texts, history, ethics, philosophy, and contemporary Jewish issues.
Promote interdisciplinary learning experiences that connect Jewish Studies with humanities, STEM, arts, and real-world issues.
Integrate Israeli culture, literature, history, current events, and contemporary topics into instruction.
Differentiate instruction to support diverse learners and learning styles.
Utilize educational technology and innovative teaching methodologies to enhance student engagement and achievement.
Assess student progress through a variety of formative and summative measures and provide timely, meaningful feedback.
Showcase student achievement through competitions, presentations, exhibitions, and public events.
Promote inquiry-based learning, analytical writing, discussion, research, and project-based experiences, including immersive and experiential approaches — simulation, role-play, performance — where they deepen mastery.
Set the direction for Israel education and engagement initiatives.
Develop programming that explores Israel’s history, culture, society, and contemporary issues.
Help students engage thoughtfully and respectfully with complex issues related to Israel and the global Jewish community.
Serve as a visible ambassador for Jewish life at Davis School Chicago.
Build strong partnerships with families to support students’ Jewish growth and development.
Build the first partnerships with synagogues, camps, and community organizations that extend Jewish life at the school.