Reporting to the College Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life, the Assistant Director of Religious and Spiritual Life plays a crucial role in fostering understanding, collaboration, and respect among people of different religious and spiritual backgrounds.
Religious and Spiritual is one of the offices within the newly-formed Division of Inclusion. Along with the Office of Intercultural Development (which includes international student advising, multicultural support, and gender and sexuality resources), Religious and Spiritual Life supports students, faculty, and staff of all religious and spiritual backgrounds and is part of developing an equitable campus environment for religious and intersectional identities.
The Assistant Director will also provide primary leadership and support to Lafayette’s vibrant Hillel Society as their Advisor.
The Assistant Director & Hillel Advisor will report to and provide collaborative leadership with the College Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life in order to oversee the broad array of programs within the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.
The chaplain’s office provides primary leadership and support to the Hillel Society, Newman Association, Muslim Students’ Association, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, DiscipleMakers Christian Fellowship, Buddhist Meditation, Stress Less Spiritual Yoga, Lafayette Christian Community, Refugee Action, along with other as well as leadership of interfaith programming. Spiritual care and mentoring of students are also a primary responsibility and will comprise a considerable aspect of daily work.
The successful candidate should be prepared to lead opportunities for interfaith engagement in a religiously diverse community, providing leadership development, program development, and administrative support, and be a thought partner in the development of the chaplain’s office vision and strategy
● Provide leadership for the community at the College, overseeing religious, spiritual, and cultural initiatives.
● Work within the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life to develop interfaith programming
● Serve as a resource and advisor on Jewish life, religion, and culture for the Jewish community on campus.
● Work with student residents and the Office of Residence on maintaining the physical Hillel House property.
● Develop and implement programming, advise students, foster campus partnerships, and contribute to college committees.
● Support Jewish student communities with leadership development, educational guidance, and community engagement, including creative weekly Shabbat and innovative Jewish holiday programming with the student board of the Hillel Society and its faculty advisors.
● Contribute to the mission of the ORSL office by fostering student-centered programming, developing student leadership, promoting interreligious understanding, and cultivating partnerships across campus and in the religious community in Easton.
● Participate in campus-wide activities in order to enhance understanding of spiritual, religious, and secular diversity.
● Work with campus partners to provide religious accommodations for various student needs
● A Master’s degree in Jewish studies, divinity, theology, religious education, Student Affairs, counseling, or a related field.
● Articulation of a motivation and vision for interfaith engagement.
● Possess outstanding organizational skills and strong abilities in oral, written, and interpersonal communication.
● Candidates should demonstrate energy, intelligence, imagination, and a sense of humor in problem-solving and mentoring students.
● Additionally, candidates must exhibit the ability to work effectively with a diverse student population and a dedication to fostering inclusive communities and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
● Commitment to the mission and environment of a residential liberal arts college.
● At least 2 years of experience and demonstrated effectiveness in religious leadership.
● Experience working with Jewish young adults in a higher education context.
Lafayette College is committed to creating a diverse community: one that is inclusive and responsive, and is supportive of each and all of its faculty, students, and staff. The College seeks to promote diversity in its many manifestations. These include but are not limited to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and place of origin. All members of the College community share a responsibility for creating, maintaining, and developing a learning environment in which difference is valued, equity is sought, and inclusiveness is practiced.
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.
