Rabbinic Couple (Orthodox Rabbi) at Cohen Hillel at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Rabbinic Couple (Orthodox Rabbi)

Hillel at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Role Overview

The Orthodox Campus Rabbi at Illini Hillel serves as a co-leader of Orthodox life at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). The Rabbi acts as a community builder, teacher and Halachic authority for Orthodox and observant Jewish students and community members in Champaign-Urbana.

The role is dual-faceted: providing high-level Torah education and Rabbinic leadership for students from Orthodox backgrounds, while simultaneously offering an accessible, warm entry point for any observant or Jewishly-curious students at UIUC.

As an integral member of the Illini Hillel team, the Orthodox Rabbi ensures that the infrastructure of Orthodox life-including our Kosher dining, daily prayer services, the Eruv, and the Mikvah - is maintained and utilized to enhance the student experience. The salary range for this role is $75,000-$85,000.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Mentorship and Rabbinical Care: Build substantial relationships with at least 120 undergraduate and graduate students (both Orthodox and non-Orthodox) through Rabbinical care, chevruta learning, teaching, and mentorship.
• Orthodox Minyan: Lead and promote daily and weekend prayer services at Hillel for the Orthodox minyan. Engage students to form a community around the minyan experience.
• Holiday Services and Meals: Lead and facilitate Jewish holiday services including but limited to the High Holidays, Purim, Passover, Shavuot, and Tisha B'av. Host and facilitate holiday meals at the Hillel building or at a home location.
• cRc Kosher Hashgacha: Serve as the cRc representative for Hillel's Kosher kitchens, train students to be Mashgichim for Hillel's kitchens and other Kosher opportunities in town.
• Bridge for Day School Graduates: Provide sophisticated, high-level learning opportunities tailored specifically for graduates of Orthodox day schools and those returning from a gap year in Israel, ensuring their religious growth continues during their university years.
• Halachic Guidance: Serve as the on-campus authority for Halachic questions, ranging from daily ritual practice to complex modern dilemmas faced by college students.
• Hospitality: Host students for Shabbat and Holiday meals in a warm, welcoming home environment.
• Recruitment & Networking: Proactively reach out to incoming freshmen and transfer students from Orthodox communities and youth movements (NCSY, Bnei Akiva, etc.) to recruit and integrate them into the Illini Hillel community.
• The Eruv: Monitor, maintain and communicate the status of the Champaign-Urbana Eruv, with help from students and community members, facilitate an annual visit from Rabbi Jachter from the OU to inspect the Eruv.
• The Mikvah: Be involved with the Champaign Urbana Mikvah Association in a leadership role whether as a board member, or part of the Rabbinical team of the Mikvah.

Additional Responsibilities

• Empower students to take leadership roles in Jewish life on campus including internships and board positions at Hillel and beyond.
• Work with staff on Shabbat dinners, holidays, and other large programs.
• Participate as a full member of The Hillels of Illinois Staff in local, regional and national Hillel programs and programs of the Jewish Federation as may be appropriate.
• Support JUF Campaign and mandatory campaign-related activities on an ongoing basis.

Qualifications

• A rabbinical ordination (smicha) from an orthodox institution.
• Ability to connect with Gen-Z students and understand the unique pressures of a high-achieving academic environment like UIUC.
• 1-2 years of post-college experience preferred.
• Passion for Jews, Judaism, and Israel and proud to be a Jewish role model.
• Strong public speaking, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be willing to work nights and occasional weekends.
• Recognition and respect of Hillel's pluralist nature as a Jewish organization that serves Jewish students of all backgrounds, experiences, and genders.

Benefits

• Time off: 22 days of paid time off, 11 sick days, 8 paid federal holidays, up to 13 paid Jewish holidays. Time off is pro-rated for Jewish Educator.
• 6 weeks paid parental leave.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan with match and a 403(b) plan.
• Additional health and wellness benefits, financial benefits, professional training, tuition reimbursement, and much more.
• Great professional development, mentoring, and skill-building opportunities as part of the global Hillel movement.
• Working with a great team of dedicated professionals who support one another.
• A dynamic and young environment in a fast growing micro-urban area.