ABOUT NEFESH
Nefesh is a transdenominational Jewish spiritual community in the multicultural east side of Los Angeles. We welcome all the identities that make up who you are and who you love. We are an open doorway to the wisdom, ritual, and melodies of the Jewish tradition. A place to find and be found, whether it is for a meaningful Jewish experience or an ongoing commitment to a spiritual home. Nefesh is a new model of kiruv (outreach) and community building for urban Jewish renewal located in the ancestral homeland of the Tongva people.
We have a special focus on bringing the margins of Jewish life to the center by engaging in active outreach, radical inclusion, and building a diverse intergenerational community. We create a welcoming, inclusive, open-hearted Jewish community that specifically seeks out and draws in those who are seeking, and have not found, a spiritual and communal connection to Judaism. We are filled with music and enthusiasm, ecstatic and contemplative. We bring the breadth of expansive inclusion and the depth of the prayers, rituals, texts, stories, creativity, and customs of the Jewish people.
Nefesh is a middot driven community. We center the intersection between personal growth and systemic change. In Nefesh we hold four realms at once: personal growth and change, relational connection and growth, community support and growth, and the work of change and transformation in the world around us. Self, other, community, and world. We hold all four and do so grounded in Mussar and social justice.
A NOTE ON APPLYING
Frequently cited statistics show that women, trans, and nonbinary people, and other structurally marginalized groups apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Nefesh encourages you to break that statistic and to apply. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until we find the right candidate for the positions.
Makom Teacher
Makom is a dynamic Jewish education program for elementary age students in TK up through B’nai Mitzvah. The Hebrew word makom means “place” – inside and all around us, every place is alive with Jewish learning and growing as human beings. We open the door wide open for creative exploration of Torah, spirituality and prayer, and middot, our deepest values. We learn together in class, outsidel, on Shabbat and with our families. As much as possible, we learn Judaism through doing Judaism, and we also do our best to have fun along the way.
Makom is designed to instill a love of Judaism through hands-on learning of Torah stories, prayers, and Jewish values. The teacher will be able to instill a sense of joy, curiosity and wonder while imparting to the children their first experience of Jewish concepts and culture.
Please review the Makom calendar for dates Makom meets. Makom meets most Sundays from 10am-12:30pm and on select Saturdays from 9:30-12:00pm (depending on grade level), with certain dates excluded due to holidays. The start date for this position is August 24th, 2025.
QUALIFICATIONS
● Experience teaching or working with children between the ages of 4 and 14 in a group setting.
● Familiarity with Hebrew sucient to teach beginning Hebrew readers to learn the aleph bet, with the ultimate goal of decoding the language of t’filah (prayer), and common Hebrew words.
● Ability to collaborate with other teachers, respond to feedback and instruction from a supervisor, and to communicate with parents.
● A background of study in Jewish traditions and hands-on learning. ● Interpersonal skills: adaptability, resourcefulness, cultural sensitivity, patience and compassion.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Education:
● Support students in what may be their first steps toward forming their own Jewish identities. Work with students to explore aspects of Judaism. ● Facilitate a group of 10-20 students in creating a safe, creative and playful learning environment.
● Follow a curriculum and lesson plans provided by Nefesh for each class, using lesson plans that address content on Jewish prayer, Torah stories, Jewish rituals, holidays and Jewish values.
● Creatively engage the students in dialogue about Jewish themes, wisdom and application to their lives using art, movement, dialogue and song. ● Participate in a t’filah service during class time, with each class concentrating on a new prayer.
● Introduce basic Hebrew learning utilizing provided materials, workbooks, and other creative strategies.
● Design learning activities for school-wide programs, including holidays, Shabbat, orientation, and end of the year reflection and celebration.
Health and Safety
● All teachers will be required to participate in an online abuse prevention training and will be paid for their time.
● Review all student medical and learning needs including diet restrictions and special needs.
● Maintain records for all activities, including approved parents/guardians sign in/out sheets and reports of any behavioral issues.
Family Engagement/Administration
● Participate in planning and implementing holiday and community service-oriented experiences that integrate parents and family members. ● Weekly communication with parents regarding each week’s lessons, and at-home prompts and projects for at-home engagement.
● Track and report attendance for each class meeting.
● Participate in teacher orientation, monthly teacher meetings, professional development and training, as well as occasional curriculum feedback sessions. ● Support parent representatives with planning and executing class-wide family meet ups and field trips.
● Serve snacks to each class, being mindful to avoid allergens. ● Track hours worked and log hours bi-weekly in provided tracking software.
Compensation:
Salary starts at $35/hour and is negotiable depending on past experience and education. Benefits including Nefesh Kin Membership. Each teacher will be paid for 4.5 hours of total work for each class meeting, including 3.5 hours of teaching time (including arrival, setup and wrap up), plus 1.0 hours of prep, class communications – plus additional scheduled meetings, and as assigned required training, and any additional time requested (and approved).
To apply: Please send a cover letter and resume to Rabbi Yechiel Homan, Director of Makom, makom@nefeshla.org.
Frequently cited statistics show that women, trans, and nonbinary people, and other structurally marginalized groups apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Nefesh encourages you to break that statistic and to apply. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until we find the right candidate for the position.