Director, Israel Immersives and Cohorts

About the Role

The Jewish Education Project seeks a Director of Immersives and Cohorts to serve as the educational architect and lead storyteller for the organization's immersive educator experiences. For the first two years of the position, the Director will focus on designing and implementing immersive trips to Israel. This is a hands-on educational leadership role for someone who excels on the ground: designing transformative cohort experiences, weaving a cohesive pedagogical narrative across each experience, leading groups through complexity, and ensuring every educator concludes their experience equipped to teach Israel differently.

For the Israel immersives, every trip will be designed to model what Israel education looks like when it adheres to the Reimagining Israel Education Framework. This is not general Israel travel; it is framework-in-action through immersive experience. The Director ensures participants come away fully versed in the Reimagining approach and ready to translate it into their own classrooms, camps, and programs.

Reporting to the Managing Director of Israel Education, this individual is the primary designer and educational leader of The Jewish Education Project's immersive and fellowship programming. The Director focuses on program design and direct delivery, including pre- and post-experience learning, partnering with various external partners, subject-matter experts, and ground operators to create rigorous, relevant, and deeply impactful experiences.

Key Responsibilities

Immersive Israel Educator Experiences

Serve as the educational architect and narrative weaver for The Jewish Education Project's 7-day immersive educator experiences in Israel (~5-6 trips per year; approximately 10 trips over the initial two-year period), including:
Designing the educational arc, daily learning objectives, and facilitation approach for each trip.
Leading on-the-ground facilitation and teaching, partnering with a licensed Israeli tour guide and rotating topical experts.
Curating site visits, guest speakers, and experiential learning moments that model encounters with complexity, diverse Israeli voices (including Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinian perspectives), and new pedagogical approaches.
Managing pre-trip preparation sessions and post-trip integration programming to extend impact.
Continuously refine trip models based on participant feedback, evaluation data, and the evolving reality in Israel.

Cohort Audience Strategy & Trip Differentiation

Develop and refine the audience strategy for each trip cycle, ensuring differentiation across educator populations and trip themes.
Manage application and selection processes that build strong, diverse cohorts.
Sustain alumni engagement and continued framework application beyond the trip experience.

Reimagining Framework Integration

Ensure the Reimagining Israel Education Framework is the animating pedagogical foundation of every trip.
Design experiences that model the framework's key shifts.
Identify and cultivate relationships with Israeli educators, institutions, and voices that embody the framework's values and can serve as recurring partners across trips.

Pre/Post Programming & Trip-Adjacent Learning

Design and facilitate pre-trip learning (orientation, framework introduction, cohort building) and post-trip integration (application planning, peer accountability, alumni community).
Integrate content partners (e.g., those delivering "Teaching Israel Through Disagreement" or related content) into the pre/post arc where appropriate.
Build connections between trip experiences and the broader PD portfolio, ensuring educators see a coherent pathway of professional growth.
Program Operations & Logistics

Serve as the primary relationship holder with the ground operator, including collaborative itinerary development, logistics coordination, and quality management.
Manage operational aspects of trip logistics in coordination with the ground operator and program operations staff, including housing, transportation, dietary needs, and site access.
Oversee participant communications, document collection, and pre-departure logistics.
Track participant engagement, feedback, and outcomes; contribute data to program evaluation and funder reporting.

Experience, Qualifications, and Competencies

Israel Expertise: Deep personal and professional connection to Israel; extensive experience leading educational groups in Israel; strong familiarity with Israeli educational institutions, diverse communities, sites of significance, and the pedagogical landscape. Comfort navigating sensitive locations and topics.
Facilitation & Teaching Excellence: 5+ years of experience designing and facilitating professional development or educational travel, ideally in Israel education or Jewish education. Must be an outstanding educator and group facilitator who can lead through complexity and hold space for diverse perspectives.
Curriculum & Experience Design: Proven track record developing immersive, cohort-based programming from concept through delivery, with attention to educational arc, sequencing, and participant transformation.
Partner Collaboration: Comfort collaborating with guides, local experts, and ground operators; a dedicated program manager supports vendor logistics and day-to-day coordination.
Relational Skills & Community Building: Demonstrated ability to build and sustain trust-based relationships with partners, guides, experts, and diverse stakeholders. Skilled at creating strong learning communities, managing group dynamics, and sustaining engagement over time.
Flexibility & Stamina: Comfort with significant travel to Israel (6-10 weeks per year across 5+ trips, plus advance site visits and partner meetings), leading intensive multi-day programs, and adapting in real time to group needs and on-the-ground realities.
Education:Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in education, Jewish studies, or related field preferred.
Language:Proficiency in spoken and written Hebrew is an asset.
Success in this role requires someone who values:
A positive attitude
Care and concern for others
Humble confidence and competence
Reliability, consistency, and accountability.
A commitment to excellence.