UPDATE/ANNOUNCING OUR NEW EDUCATOR

We are thrilled to announce officially that beginning on July 1, Rabbi Elisa Koppel will be Beth David’s next Director of Education. 

Many of you had the chance to meet Rabbi Koppel when she visited Beth David in April. We received so much positive feedback from her visit; so many of you reached out to us to share how inspired you were by her passion for Jewish life, her innovative approach to Jewish education, and her depth of experience working with children and teenagers. Over the course of three rounds of interviews with Rabbi Koppel, and after having interviewed a dozen other candidates from around the country and even internationally, our search committee was similarly impressed, and selected her as our enthusiastic choice. We are excited for the energy and vision that Rabbi Koppel will bring to our Beth David community.

Rabbi Koppel currently serves as the Interim Education Director at Judea Reform Congregation in Durham, NC. Prior to that role, she served as the Director of Lifelong Learning at Congregation Beth Emeth in Wilmington, Delaware. She has also served as a congregational rabbi and as a Regional Director of Teen Programs for the Union for Reform Judaism. Rabbi Koppel has deep experience in informal and experiential education, and she has spent many summers at Reform Jewish summer camps in a variety of capacities, most recently at URJ 6 Points Creative Arts Academy in West Chester. A nationally respected educator and rabbi, she has served as an officer of the Women’s Rabbinic Network. Originally from Westfield, NJ, she received her MA in Jewish Education and her Rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, the Reform Movement’s seminary.

We will share more information soon about opportunities to meet Rabbi Koppel this summer and fall, and we hope you will take the time to get to know her and to help welcome her to Philadelphia and to Beth David. We can’t wait to welcome her to our Beth David family!

With Gratitude and Excitement for the Future,

Rabbi Beth Kalisch
Ashlee Goodman and Karen Wilson, Search Committee Co-Chairs
Lisa Miller, Congregational President

SEEKING  Administrative Assistant for the Religious School

Does the idea of helping to create a vibrant, caring, and active learning environment for Jewish youth appeal to you? Do you enjoy having a variety of types of tasks on your to do list? If so, this may be a great fit for you!

As our new Administrative Assistant for the Religious School at Beth David Reform Congregation, you will support our Director of Education in running a warm, inclusive, and innovative Jewish learning environment for our synagogue’s children, teens, and their families.

Areas of focus include, but are not limited to, maintaining records and data, including registrations, class lists, and email lists; welcoming people to the building and communicating with caregivers about absences and early pickups; helping prepare and send the weekly email newsletter and other communications and publicity; support for faculty; ordering food and supplies; submitting and tracking expenses; and other duties as assigned.

The position is 17 1/2 hours per week. The exact schedule will be determined by the Administrative Assistant together with the Director of Education and the Executive Director, but the hours–during the school year–must include Tuesdays 3:00 – 6:30pm, and Sundays 8:30am – 1:00pm, when Religious School is in session.

Frequently cited statistics show that women and underrepresented groups often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the criteria. We encourage you to break that statistic and apply if this job is appealing to you.

What we need:
● Strong organizational and communication skills
● The maturity and sensitivity to handle confidential information and challenging situations or conversations
● Basic computer skills, as well as the inclination to learn other or newer technologies, including synagogue software such as ShulCloud
● Flexibility and ability to manage multiple priorities
● Willingness to do what is needed, especially in the category of “other duties as assigned”

What would be helpful:
● Bachelor’s or Associate Degree preferred
● Previous experience in a part time religious school or similar environment (including full time schools, summer camps, other religious institutions)
● Sense of humor
● Desire to be around kids and people who like being around kids
● Ability to pivot when unforeseen circumstances necessitate changes in plans

What you get:
● Experience, learning new skills, and mentoring in a supportive and caring environment
● Support in learning the skills needed for success
● A work environment in which everyone’s contributions are valued
● A primary supervisor who will work with you on creating the building blocks of a successful school (and will also do some of the “other duties”)
● A flexible schedule, outside of the hours when religious school meets, and possibility to do some work remotely
● Salary: $18 – 21 for 17 1/2 hours a week

If offered this position, as per state law and congregational policy, all PA background checks are required. Proof of current Covid-19 Vaccination (or medical exemption) must also be submitted.

Beth David Reform Congregation, nestled in the woodlands of historic Gladwyne just a few miles outside Center City Philadelphia, is a diverse, intimate, and joyful congregation of 300 member families. We are seekers. We are learners. We are doers. At Beth David, we are impelled by our tradition to build connection, support our communities, and do our part to help heal the world. Our synagogue is the aggregation of our stories—a 75-year history that entwines our diverse individual pasts with a shared future.

Please visit our website to learn more about our community: https://bdavid.org/

Please email your resume to Rabbi Elisa Koppel, Director of Education, to apply or with any questions: EKoppel@bdavid.org