Jewish Educator, Family Journeys

Jewish Community Center•Owings Mills, MD

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Jewish Educator provides educational leadership for Family Journeys, an innovative initiative designed to strengthen Jewish identity, belonging, and connection through shared family experiences. Centered on whole-family identity-building, this role designs and facilitates meaningful educational experiences that help families connect their own stories to the broader arc of Jewish and American Jewish history through intergenerational storytelling, reflective inquiry, and shared exploration. Working collaboratively with JCC staff and community partners, the Jewish Educator creates welcoming, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning environments for the full diversity of today's Jewish families—including interfaith, multiracial, Jews of Color, LGBTQ+, adoptive, and single-parent households. Through trauma-informed, sensory-aware facilitation and relationship-centered educational practice, the Educator helps ensure that families—particularly those who may not have always felt represented or welcomed in Jewish communal life—experience a genuine sense of belonging and connection. This role reports to the Director of J Life and is ideal for an educator who is passionate about experiential Jewish learning, building authentic relationships, designing creative curriculum, curating meaningful pre- and post-trip experiences, and helping families discover accessible and lasting pathways into Jewish community.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Jewish Education, Jewish Studies, or a related field required; Graduate degree preferred.
Experience facilitating experiential Jewish learning in family engagement, camps, museums, schools, or community-based settings.
Deep knowledge of Jewish traditions, Jewish history, and contemporary Jewish life, with the ability to connect these themes to participants' lived experiences.
Experience designing engaging intergenerational educational experiences for children and adults.
Strong facilitation skills with demonstrated ability to lead reflective conversations, build relationships, and create inclusive learning communities.
Experience working with diverse Jewish populations and a demonstrated commitment to creating welcoming, culturally responsive environments where every family experiences belonging.
Familiarity with trauma-informed and sensory-aware educational practices.
Excellent communication, organizational, and collaborative skills.
Self-starter with the ability to manage multiple projects while working effectively as part of a collaborative team.
Willingness to travel and work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

Design a cohesive educational curriculum that transforms each day trip into a connected journey of reflection, storytelling, and Jewish identity-building.
Develop engaging, age-appropriate, intergenerational activities, reflection prompts, and Family Story experiences that invite families to connect their personal narratives with Jewish history, values, and community.
Facilitate pre-trip gatherings, educational experiences during each trip, and post-trip reflection sessions that foster dialogue, relationship-building, and ongoing connection among participating families.
Employ experiential educational methods that prioritize reflective inquiry, storytelling, peer-sharing, and meaningful conversation over traditional didactic instruction.
Create welcoming, accessible experiences through trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and sensory-aware facilitation practices that ensure every family feels seen, respected, and able to participate fully.
Foster a sense of belonging for families from historically underrepresented or underserved populations—including interfaith families, Jews of Color, multiracial families, LGBTQ+ families, adoptive families, and single-parent households—helping create meaningful entry points into Jewish communal life.
Root educational experiences in Jewish values, traditions, and the broader arc of American Jewish history, helping participants discover connections between their own family stories and the evolving Jewish experience.
Collaborate with the Program Coordinator to integrate educational goals into trip planning, logistics, and participant engagement.
Partner with focus group participants, community members, and colleagues to co-create curriculum, facilitation prompts, and experiences that reflect the lived realities of participating families.
Review participant feedback and continuously refine curriculum and facilitation practices to strengthen the Family Journeys model.
Contribute to the development of educational resources and facilitation tools that support the portability and long-term sustainability of the Family Journeys model.
Visit and familiarize yourself with trip locations in advance to prepare educational content and facilitate meaningful experiences.
Staff all Family Journeys trips and events, including necessary evenings, weekends, and travel.
Perform additional duties as designated by the supervisor.