Associate Director, Kesher Fellowship

About the Role

The Associate Director of the Kesher Fellowship owns the full three-year arc of the program: a planning year to design and launch the fellowship, a delivery year for the incoming cohort, and a sustainability year that establishes Kesher as an ongoing leadership pipeline. This is a hands-on role for someone who can build a program from the ground up, hold relationships with fellows, mentors, and teachers, manage logistics with care, and keep the program running at a high standard while working independently within the existing staff structure.

The three phases are:

Planning phase (Hire Date to July 2027): design the fellowship, recruit teachers and spiritual directors, and select the incoming cohort.
Fellowship phase (August 2027 to July 2028), Cohort 6: deliver the full program, support fellows, and begin preparing the next cohort.
Sustainability phase (August 2028 to July 2029), Cohort 7: refine and repeat the program, incorporating lessons from the first cohort, and support long-term funding.

Key Responsibilities

Program design and curriculum

Finalize the fellowship curriculum and the structure of monthly sessions.
Refine curriculum and program design over time to establish Kesher as an ongoing pipeline.

Recruitment and admissions

Develop marketing and outreach materials and manage recruitment, giving priority to first-time applicants.
Build the application, review, and acceptance process, and select ten to fifteen fellows for each cohort.
Recruit teachers and session facilitators and identify spiritual directors for hashpa'ah mentorship.

Gatherings, retreats, and sessions

Plan and coordinate the opening residential retreat and the virtual introductory session.
Organize and support the monthly ninety-minute sessions, including chavruta pairings and take-home resources.
Support fellows in planning and hosting local Havdalah gatherings, including stipends and logistics.
Coordinate the cohort's participation in the global gathering, Kallah, in July 2028.

Fellow support and spiritual direction

Match fellows with spiritual directors and coordinate ongoing one-on-one spiritual direction.
Establish and manage the cohort communications channel.
Gather and channel feedback from fellows and local communities back to Aleph.

Administration and sustainability

Manage program supplies and materials.
Coordinate program budget line items and work with Aleph's development staff on funding needs.
Support Aleph's efforts to secure multi-year funding for the program's continuation.
Track hours and maintain accurate program records.

Qualifications

Familiarity with Jewish Renewal, its theology and practice, and a resonance with Aleph's mission and core commitments.
Demonstrated program or project management experience, ideally in a Jewish or nonprofit setting.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage logistics, timelines, and multiple relationships at once.
Experience with curriculum design, adult learning, or leadership development is a plus.
Warmth and skill in building community and supporting participants across a multi-year experience.
Self-directed and able to work independently in a remote, part-time role.
Willingness to travel for retreats and gatherings.