Reports To: Dean of Jewish Studies

Salary range: $82,400 - $119,480

Start Date: August 1, 2025

FLSA: Full-Time, Exempt

About The Kehillah School

The Kehillah School is an innovative, independent high school rooted in Jewish values and open to students of all backgrounds. Located in Palo Alto, CA, we are committed to academic excellence, inclusion, and student well-being. 

Position Summary

Are you a passionate and experienced Jewish Studies teacher looking for a rewarding opportunity to educate and inspire high school students? The Kehillah School is seeking Jewish Studies teachers for the 2025-26 academic year. The ideal candidates are dedicated educators whose expertise and passion have prepared them to teach engaging discussion based courses on classical Jewish texts that develop students’ close reading and analytical thinking skills as well as their ability to make meaningful connections between texts studied and their own lives. Ability to teach classes on Jewish History, especially Holocaust and Israel Studies is an important secondary asset as well. Finally, an ideal candidate has one or more particular areas of Jewish Studies about which they are deeply passionate, for example, feminist literary theory, Jewish Law, intellectual history, or anything else, especially if it may surprise us! We want teachers who model deep love of learning and are excited to create and teach courses that fit their passions. Additionally, we want teachers who value passion based learning and are devoted to helping students find and pursue their passions as well. We want collaborative colleagues who appreciate a highly diverse pluralistic community and are excited about approaching Jewish Studies through innovative pedagogical methods including experiential, project, and inquiry-based learning. 

We embrace diversity in all its forms, welcoming students of various backgrounds, religious beliefs, and perspectives. Our students thrive in a nurturing and inclusive environment that encourages personal growth and self-discovery. At Kehillah, we strive for excellence in education, promote inclusivity, and celebrate the unique qualities of each student. If you are passionate about Jewish education and dedicated to creating a positive impact on the lives of students, we invite you to apply for this rewarding opportunity. 

Key Responsibilities

• Curriculum Development and Instruction: Develop and implement engaging lesson plans for up to five classes and three separate preps that are aimed at developing the skills of close reading, analytical thinking, and personal meaning making. 
  • Assessment and Reporting: Assess student progress through observation, in class assignments, as well as occasional homework. Provide timely feedback to students and communicate progress to parents and colleagues. Maintain accurate records of student attendance, grades, and other required documentation using platforms such as PowerSchool and Schoology. Seek feedback from students to improve teaching practice and differentiate learning.
• Collaboration and Professional Development: Collaborate with colleagues to evaluate and revise curricula, course content, and materials. Contribute to departmental and staff meetings, initiatives, and extracurricular activities. Actively participate in a year-long professional growth plan to continue refining your teaching practice.
• Classroom Facilitation: Utilize effective techniques to facilitate interactive, lively discussion and to create a positive and inclusive environment for all learners. Foster academic achievement, personal responsibility, and individuality in all students, guiding each of them towards deep passionate learning. 
• Warm and nurturing presence: Demonstrate unconditional positive regard for students. Create a warm and supportive environment in which students feel a sense of psychological safety, allowing them to explore difficult questions and express themselves robustly. 
• Respect for and Valuing of Diversity: Expect students to have a very wide range of backgrounds, experiences, feelings, and opinions. Encourage students to bring their whole selves to the table, including diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds. Encourage students to express and explore beliefs, identities, and practices even when they are drastically different from your own. Facilitate discussion openly and non-judgmentally. Celebrate differences.  
• Student Support and Advising: Guide students to foster academic achievement, personal responsibility, intellect, and individuality in all students. Actively participate in the Confidential Kehillah Student Education Plan when needed, implementing strategies to support student progress. Maintain regularly scheduled office hours in order to advise and assist students; be flexible if sharing a classroom. Chaperone school events and class trips, as assigned. 

• Education: Significant Jewish knowledge base. Bachelor’s Degree. Advanced degrees preferred.
• Experience: Prior experience in informal or formal Jewish education, ideally at the high school level.
• Instructional Design and Delivery: Deep understanding of material and best practices in pedagogy. Able to effectively explain complex concepts to students of varying abilities and facilitate meaningful discussion and skill building. 
• Technology: Highly proficient with technology tools such as Google Docs, Zoom, PowerSchool (LMS), Schoology, and blended or flipped learning technologies. 
• Classroom Management: Skilled at effective classroom management strategies. 
• Teamwork: Collaborate with colleagues to reflect on practice and develop curriculum. 
• Must reside in the State of California at the time of hire and work on campus during regularly scheduled hours. 

Why Join The Kehillah School? 

The Kehillah School is a progressive, inclusive, and innovative independent high school that values creativity, intellectual curiosity, and community engagement. We provide a supportive teaching environment where educators are empowered to bring their expertise and passion into the classroom.

Diversity & Belonging

We believe we best prepare our students to make the world a better place when we embrace diversity. Kehillah is committed to creating an environment where all members of our community truly value themselves and others, evoking a communal sense of belonging. We are committed to teaching students that the interconnectedness and value of all human beings also compel us to work collectively toward equity and social justice. Daily, we build a community that appreciates and celebrates differences as well as a society that empathetically confronts the ways individuals, institutions, and systems have oppressed others based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, and other aspects of identity. By clearly understanding the past and the present of these dynamics, students will develop the capacity to help create a better future for all. We acknowledge that this work is ongoing and ever-evolving. 

Compensation & Benefits

Kehillah offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits, including health insurance, retirement contributions, and professional development opportunities.

How to Apply

Interested candidates must submit an application along with their resume and cover letter.

The Kehillah School is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and providing a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Kehillah are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social, or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, ancestry, or any other status protected by Federal, State, or local laws or regulations. Kehillah will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics in the administration of its employment practices.