ATTENTION: Applications submitted through the Hillel International website will NOT be considered. To apply, please submit your application through the Elon University website linked HERE.  

Director for Jewish Life

Elon University

Role Overview

Elon University is seeking exceptional candidates to serve as the next Director of Jewish Life at the university. The Director is responsible for fostering a vibrant, welcoming, and inclusive Jewish community on campus. This critical campus leader will engage and inspire multiple stakeholders, including students, staff, faculty, donors, and volunteer leaders, in an exciting vision for the engagement of Jewish students and colleagues on campus and in the community. This is a full-time, 12-month university leadership role, reporting to the University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement in the Division of Student Life.

About Jewish Life at Elon
Jewish Life at Elon is a dynamic and growing presence within the university’s commitment to spiritual and religious diversity. Centered at the Sklut Hillel Center – a warm, welcoming, and student-centered on-campus facility – Jewish Life supports a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff who identify with Jewish traditions, culture, and spirituality. Elon is home to one of the largest Jewish student populations among private universities in the
Southeast, and Jewish Life receives strong support from the university community and generous alumni and family engagement. Students participate in a wide range of programs, including Shabbat dinners, religious observances, interfaith dialogue, cultural events, travel experiences, and service projects. Jewish Life at Elon is deeply woven into the university’s mission of inclusive excellence, student flourishing, and global citizenship. Jewish Life is embedded within the university and is part of the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life in the Division of Student Life. Elon’s commitment to excellence and nationally recognized model for multifaith engagement are key factors in the institution’s ranking as one of the top private universities that Jewish students choose to attend. For the past two years, Elon was one of the few universities in the nation to receive an “A” grade from the ADL for the strength of its efforts, practices, and policies to combat antisemitism. The director of Jewish Life serves as a representative of the university at the local and national levels. The Director supervises the team of university colleagues supporting Jewish Life, including two assistant directors, a Jewish educator, and an associate chaplain for Jewish Life. The team is also supported by a Hillel Israel Fellow and two affiliated staff who lead Chabad. Key student programs and organizations include the Hillel Student Board, engagement interns, the Jewish Learning Fellowship, the SoupWorks and ChallahWorks programs, Jewish fraternities and sororities, as well as other Jewish student groups and programs. The university also offers a robust Jewish Studies program, leading to an academic minor. For additional information about Jewish Life at Elon, visit https://www.elon.edu/u/truitt-center/jewish-life/

The Director of Jewish Life provides visionary and instrumental leadership for a comprehensive, vibrant Jewish Life experience at Elon University. The Director builds and sustains a Jewish community at Elon where all students feel welcome, included, and valued for the diverse backgrounds and experiences they bring, both within and beyond Elon. The priorities for this position include:
• Developing and implementing the strategic mission and goals of Jewish Life at Elon
• Supervising, mentoring, and developing Jewish Life staff team members and student leaders
• Ensuring the financial sustainability of Jewish Life by overseeing fundraising campaigns and the stewardship of the Jewish Life Advisory Council (JLAC)
• Partnering with administrative leaders across the institution in furthering university initiatives and priorities to strengthen inclusive excellence, wellness and well-being, leadership and civic engagement, the first-year experience, student success, and the residential campus experience
• Advocating for the safety, security, and vibrancy of Jewish life on campus

What You’ll Do

• Departmental and Administrative Oversight 
  • Create and promote a dynamic and innovative mission and vision that guides Jewish Life at Elon University in partnership with all stakeholders, including students, staff, faculty, the Jewish Life Advisory Council (JLAC) , alumni, parents, and Hillel's Schusterman International Center 
  • Serve as an advocate for and representative of the Jewish community on campus and work cooperatively with appropriate departments and faculty to strengthen Jewish campus life and to fulfill the University's strategic goals of diversity, inclusion, and multifaith engagement 
  • Develop and implement effective departmental meeting and communication structures. 
  • Develop, facilitate, and implement effective weekly meetings and communication structures 
  • Serve as a clearinghouse for resources, education, and programming related to Jewish Life 
  • Serve as the key university liaison for the Hillel Israel Fellow and the affiliated ministers who support Chabad, and administer university policies for community ministries related to Jewish Life 
  • Oversee all aspects of facility operations for the Sklut Hillel Center, including student access and building policies 
• Staff and Student Development 
  • Supervise, recruit, hire, train, and assess the job performance of assigned staff – two assistant directors, Jewish educator, associate chaplain for Jewish Life (joint report to the University Chaplain), and student employees and volunteers – which includes developing training experiences and supervision strategies that provide skills, knowledge, and dispositions required to effectively meet established goals and objectives. 
  • Fulfill the mission of Jewish Life at Elon to prepare students for life beyond college by serving as an informal and formal mentor for students and the Jewish Life staff team 
  • Work with staff to develop student leadership and to develop Jewish Life traditions that reflect Elon's unique and particular community 
  • Partner with staff and students to ensure that a pluralistic, inclusive, and innovative Jewish community and programming are available and accessible on campus, supporting meaningful Jewish experiences, including holiday and Shabbat observances, Taglit-Birthright Israel trips, alternative spring break service experiences, educational programs, and social justice opportunities. 
  • Work with Jewish Life staff to develop student leadership through the Hillel Student Board, SoupWorks, ChallahWorks, the engagement internship program, Jewish Learning Fellowship, and other student organizations, groups, and programs 
• Communications, Marketing, and Admissions
  • Sustain and grow Jewish Life and Elon Hillel's visibility and resources by building and nurturing strong relationships with students, faculty, staff, administrators, parents, alumni, local community members, Hillel International, and donors 
  • Partner with Admissions to welcome prospective and incoming students, host welcome events at Elon and other sites across the US, oversee outreach to incoming and prospective families, greet visiting families and connect them with Elon students 
  • Provide support for ongoing strategic communications and development activities, and work with the assistant director to ensure messaging is consistent and compelling on all the social media and communication platforms for Jewish Life at Elon 
• Financial Resource Development 
  • Provide direct oversight for the Jewish Life budget; includes monitoring the budget, preparation, and submission of the annual budget and long-term planning documents/proposals 
  • Ensure the sustainability and growth of the Jewish Life operating budget and endowment funds, including leading and implementing development activities, including solicitations, grant applications, and fundraising campaigns 
  • Partner with University Advancement to develop an active, vibrant, invested, and supportive network of alumni donors and parents and ensure the stewardship of donors 
  • Lead the development and growth of the Jewish Life Advisory Council by partnering closely with chairs to structure the board, facilitate productive meetings for JLAC and its three subcommittees, and recruit, vet and onboard new members 
• Additional Responsibilities 
  • Participate as an active member of the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and Division of Student Life 
  • Represent Elon Jewish Life at the local and national level 
  • Support university events, including, but not limited to: Convocations, Commencement, Family Weekend, and events related to Admissions and/or New Student Orientation 
  • Serve on university, divisional, or departmental committees, task forces, and search committees 
  • Other related duties as assigned by the University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement 

What You’ve Accomplished

Minimum Required Education and Experience

• A bachelor’s degree and minimum of 7 years professional experience, preferably in the Jewish community, is required.

Preferred Education and Experience

• An earned master’s degree and experience in a college or university setting are both preferred qualifications.

Benefits of Working at Elon

As an Elon University employee, you’ll join an internationally acclaimed university with a commitment to fostering a thriving community. Ranked among the most innovative, creative and best-run universities in the nation, Elon’s personal approach to education extends to employees, whose growth, professional development and success is a hallmark of our training and advancement opportunities.

Elon University’s home is the charming town of Elon, North Carolina, a small, friendly community located a short distance from the beach and the mountains, and among the vibrant cities of Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham. In addition to the beautiful canopy of historic oak trees iconic to our campus, you’ll find boundless opportunities for family-friendly recreation, cultural events and outdoor activities. Hiking, water sports, fine dining and entertainment are just a few of the many happenings in the Elon area, making the region one of the nation’s premier travel destinations.

Employees at Elon enjoy a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes:
• 28 annual days off, including holidays and vacation
• Immediate tuition remission for undergraduate courses
• Tuition remission for approved graduate-level courses after 12 months of employment
• Retirement plan with an 8 percent contribution from the university
• Immediate eligibility for health, dental and vision insurance, along with free acute care and lab services at our onsite Health & Wellness Clinic
• Free use of campus fitness facilities
• Free admission to musical and theater performances, guest speakers, religious and ethnic observances, recitals, art exhibitions, entertainment and our Division I Phoenix athletics
• Eligibility for tuition remission at Elon for spouses, qualifying domestic partners and dependents begins at two years of service. After two years of employment, eligibility begins for participation in the Tuition Exchange, a national scholarship exchange program that enables dependents to enroll in nationally recognized partner colleges and universities.

Elon values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of our community members. As an equal opportunity employer, Elon’s principles of diversity extend to race, gender, age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and other aspects of one’s identity. At Elon, our employees respect human differences, have a passion for lifelong learning, emphasize personal integrity, and are committed to an ethic of service.

Elon is proud to have been named to the list of Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs each of the past five years. For additional information about working with the Division of Student Life, visit: https://www.elon.edu/u/administration/student-life/about/work-with-us/

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.