Israel Engagement Associate

Hillel at Drexel University

Role Overview

Combine your passion for Israel and Jewish life with your skills in relationship building, education and event planning as Hillel at Drexel University’s next Israel Engagement Associate! We’re seeking an educator and innovator who will harness Israel – it’s cultures, history, geography, and spirituality – as a platform to inspire Jewish students at Drexel to think more deeply about their own Jewish stories, identities, and commitments.

As Israel Engagement Associate, you’ll serve as the lead professional for Israel initiatives at Drexel Hillel. You’ll own our Birthright Israel experiences from recruitment through follow-through, empower our Israel-focused student leaders with cutting-edge training, and help Jewish students of diverse backgrounds and perspectives dive deeper into Israel’s cultures, people, history and politics through coordinating and facilitating Israel learning seminars.

Working as a part of a dedicated team of Hillel professionals, you will participate in Hillel’s robust calendar of educational and cultural offerings, inspiring students to explore, develop, and deepen their Jewish identities. You’ll thrive on setting and meeting ambitious goals, weaving diverse networks, and supporting students to take leadership on campus and beyond. An empathic listener, you’ll model engaging in dialogue across difference with respect and curiosity. Always ready for the next big idea, you’ll bring enthusiasm, energy and joy to Drexel students and the Drexel campus every day.

What You’ll Do

You’ll actively contribute to student engagement by recruiting at least 60 students for Birthright Israel trips each year, and expanding recruitment year over year

You’ll train and supervise a cohort of 4-6 Israel Engagement Interns, inspiring them with Israel learning and leadership development so that they are able to set and meet ambitious goals

You’ll design, coordinate and facilitate 2-4 Israel learning fellowships and seminars annually

You’ll advise and support student leaders to build dynamic Israel programs, with a particular focus on our annual spring Israel Week.

You’ll build and facilitate Israel-themed content for our First Year Experience, Shabbat & holiday celebrations and other major moments throughout the year

A Typical Week Might Include…

Meeting with key student leaders in the Greek system to support Birthright Israel recruitment efforts

Building a communication calendar for Birthright Israel recruitment and developing graphic pieces to support that calendar

Planning and facilitating a weekly Israel intern meeting that combines leadership development, Israel learning and program planning

Meet a student for coffee to help them engage their big questions about Israel

Develop a recruitment plan for an upcoming Israel seminar exploring the diverse cultures and communities that make up Israel’s population. Schedule meetings with relevant campus and organizational partners, student leaders and Birthright alumni to begin recruitment.

Meet with the student Israel Week planning committee to start planning their big splash Yom HaAtzmaut event.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

0-2 years professional work experience

Bachelors degree

Team-oriented approach to work, a self-directed work ethic, a sense of humor, an ability to connect with and appreciate diverse personalities

Willingness to take risks and learn from situations when things don’t turn out the way you thought they would

Previous travel experience in Israel; Knowledge of Israeli society and culture, energy and enthusiasm for Israel programming and travel

Excitement to work with students with diverse and divergent approaches to the complex social and political issues connected with Israel, as well as with students who have limited previous exposure to Israel

Drive for success – setting ambitious goals and relentless hustle to meet and exceed them in a timely manner

Great interpersonal skills – ability to read the tone and energy of individuals and groups and respond with energy, tone and content that meets students where they are and makes them feel comfortable, valued, and invaluable

Project management savvy – experience in managing campus programs from conception through execution, partnering with others to set goals and turn passions into action

A desire to serve and grow as an educator

Ability to build trust, understanding, and connection with a diverse array of students, and cultivate those traits between students.

Strong empathic listening skills.

Previous experience facilitating group learning in formal or informal settings.

Communication and marketing expertise

Efficient, responsive and strategic communication skills that leverage multiple platforms (social media, email, text) to reach diverse audiences

What You’ll Receive

Competitive salary in the nonprofit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $40,000 -$45,000

A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plan, Life, AD&D and Long Term Disability (LTD) insurances, Flexible Spending accounts, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave.

Great professional development, mentoring, and skill building opportunities

Travel regionally and abroad, particularly to Israel

About Hillel at Drexel University

Over the last decade, Hillel at Drexel University has grown with enormous speed – shifting from a small Hillel reaching few students, to a robust organization recognized on campus, in Philadelphia, and beyond for our work engaging and inspiring Jewish students at Drexel University with diverse and exciting pathways into Jewish living. Our team of 5 full-time and 1 part-time staff members operates from the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Jewish Life at Drexel University, where our day to day work is enriched by countless students of all backgrounds who visit the Perelman Center to study, to socialize, to eat, to pray and to come together for programs and events.

Located in the heart of the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia (walking distance to the 30th Street Train Station), Drexel University is one of America’s 15 largest private universities, characterized by its world-renown co-operative education model. A premier urban research center with over 13,000 undergraduate students, Drexel University has programs of particular strength in technology, industry, health professions and the arts. Serving an estimated population of just under 1000 Jewish undergraduates, Hillel at Drexel University is committed to cultivating a robust platform for Jewish life on campus that matches the innovative and entrepreneurial heartbeat of our broader campus community.

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 at Drexel University 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.

Hillel is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an accepting and inclusive environment for all.