Executive Director

Who We Are

Kehilla Community Synagogue is a vibrant, justice-driven Jewish community located on the Lisjan Ohlone territory of Huchiun (Piedmont, California). We are co-creating a space that embraces joy, shared liberation, and justice—rooted in Jewish spiritual teachings and practice and sustained by interdependence and mutual care.

Over the past 40 years, Kehilla has grown from a small group of spiritually rooted, activist Jews into a thriving, multigenerational community of over 1,000. We blend traditional Jewish wisdom with spiritual innovation, integrating our Jewish roots with personal and collective liberation aspirations. Our community is a living laboratory for spiritual growth, compassion, and deep relationships. In times of fear and backlash, Kehilla offers spiritual strength, creative Jewish resistance, and joyful connection. Our leaders believe Kehilla is poised to play a vital, sustaining role for members and the wider community.

Kehilla is affiliated with Aleph / Jewish Renewal, practicing joy, embodied spirituality, and cultivating awe, humility, and attentiveness to the mysterious source of Life.

Job Title: Executive Director

Ideal Start Date: May 12th, 2025

Reports to: Kehilla Board of Trustees

Location: On-site at our synagogue in Piedmont, CA

Classification: Full-time, exempt

Job Summary

Kehilla is seeking a collaborative and strategic Executive Director to guide our vibrant, justice-driven Jewish community into its next chapter. In deep partnership with our clergy and lay leadership, the Executive Director will shepherd organizational change and implement long-term planning to ensure Kehilla’s well-being.

This role will be central to Kehilla’s values-driven organizational development process, helping to build systems that support transparent decision-making and financial sustainability. We’re looking for an executive who can develop and implement systems that support our vision while maintaining the flexibility to balance big-picture change with day-to-day management.

The Executive Director reports to and collaborates closely with the Board of Trustees and manages a team of operations staff members. If you’re passionate about community-building, collective action, and leading with a justice-centered approach, we’d love to hear from you!

Essential Responsibilities

Financial Management

• Manages the congregation's finances: owns annual budget planning and management, ensures sustainable use of resources, and maintains Kehilla in a favorable financial position.
• Operates with fiscal integrity through the long-range financial planning cycle for the congregation.
• Oversees the synagogue’s financial operations, including accounting, payroll, and revenue, and supervises the Senior Accountant.
• Collaborates closely with the Finance and Investment Committees.
• Oversees the membership dues processes.

Leadership

• Provides organizational vision and leadership in collaboration with senior spiritual leadership to ensure Kehilla is engaging opportunities for innovation and improvements.
• Walks our community values while coordinating multiple areas of responsibility and accomplishing annual goals and objectives.
• Supports Kehilla’s Organizational Development process and the implementation of recommendations.
• Facilitates the planning and events surrounding the May Community Meeting.
• Resolves or contributes to the resolution of key issues both internally and externally to the synagogue.
• Serves as an effective spokesperson for Kehilla and our members and represents our community to other organizations and the greater community in collaboration with senior spiritual leadership.

Development and Fundraising

• Identifies new giving and funding opportunities that align with Kehilla’s values and vision for justice.
• Enhances and optimizes existing dues and gift streams to strengthen Kehilla’s future.
• Owns Kehilla’s annual fundraising campaigns and events.
• Analyzes fund development to inform the Board of prioritization decisions, strategic planning, and evaluation.
• Engages congregants in fundraising operations efforts, providing our members with learning and leadership development opportunities.
• Manages donor relations and maintains the highest level of contact with key congregants.
• Oversees production of Kehilla’s annual report.

HR and Staff Supervision

• Hires, trains, and supervises administrative and operations staff, including the Operations Manager, Senior Accountant, Technology and Engagement Manager, and Communications and Events Manager.
• Provides professional development opportunities for staff and shares constructive feedback with staff regularly.
• Works with Kehilla HR consultants to ensure personnel policies are up-to-date as required by law
• Ensures compliance with all relevant nonprofit laws and regulations on the city, county, state and federal levels.

Facility Management

• Oversees facility operations to ensure our building functions safely and sustainability to code.
• Partners with the operations manager to ensure all current service and equipment contracts meet Kehilla’s facility needs.
• Manages facility renovations and improvements.
• Maintains proper liability insurance on the property.

Congregants & Membership

• Connects with potential members, providing information on dues, committee opportunities and guidelines, and other matters of interest.
• Works to ensure positive and collaborative relationships with essential community partners, external stakeholders, and congregants.
• Serves as a point of contact for member concerns, troubleshoots, and triages as needed.
• Oversees staff responsible for Kehilla communications, including the weekly email, dedicated event emails, member communications, website, and social media; supervises and works closely with communications staff.

High Holy Days and Other Holidays

• Oversees all High Holy Days planning; manages staff who handle marketing, ticketing, staffing, technology, facilities, safety and security, accessibility, and all other logistics.
• Ensures that key communal programs are planned and administered, such as the Community Retreat, Passover Seders, and other holiday celebrations (Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Shavuot, Purim, and Hanukkah).

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is a skilled and organized manager who can move from dialogue to decision-making and effectively manage the congregation's complex operations.

• 5+ years of executive leadership experience in a non-profit setting.
• 3+ years of financial management experience, including budgeting, analysis and reporting, and fiscal decision-making, ideally in a non-profit setting.
• Synagogue management and Jewish communal experience are a plus.
• 2+ years of supervisory experience in a small workplace.
• 3+ years experience in running fundraising campaigns; experience fundraising within a membership dues model is a plus.
• Proven experience creating and improving operational systems, protocols, and structures to support efficiency and effectiveness.
• Program management expertise demonstrated by experience introducing new programs and maintaining existing programs.
• Past success working with a board of directors/trustees.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate and support the unique needs of a multi-racial and multi-generational community.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills.
• Strong computer skills, with experience in Word, Excel, Google Suite, fundraising CRM, and database management; knowledge of Shulcloud is a plus.
• Ability and desire to take an active leadership role in congregational life.
• Commitment to progressive Jewish values, social justice, dismantling white supremacy, and the ability to communicate those values effectively.
• Passion, vision, integrity, values-driven, and self-directed.
• Ability and willingness to work some evenings and weekends.

We know it is unlikely for someone to meet all our desired qualifications. If most of the qualifications describe you, we encourage you to apply.

Compensation and Benefits

This full-time position provides paid vacation, holidays, sick days, medical and dental insurance, retirement matches, and other benefits and perks.

The salary range is $90,000 - $96,000 DOE. The final offer will be determined commensurate with experience.

To Apply

To apply, please send a PDF of your resume and cover letter to edsearch@kehillasynagogue.org with the subject line ”'Kehilla Executive Director.” Please format all documents as “LastName_FirstName_ Kehilla ED.”

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to those submitted by April 20th. The position will remain open until filled.

Hiring Non-Discrimination Policy

Kehilla Synagogue does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived legally protected classes, such as race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, ability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.