NATIONAL YIDDISH BOOK CENTER
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION The National Yiddish Book Center is seeking applications and nominations for the position of Director of Education. The Book Center is a 27-year-old Jewish cultural organization whose mission is to bring modern Yiddish language, literature, and culture to a large and diverse audience. Supported by 30,000 members, the Book Center is located on a ten-acre campus in Amherst, MA, adjacent to Hampshire College, and attracts more than 10,000 visitors annually. Since 1980 the Book Center has rescued 1.5 million endangered Yiddish books and catalogued, digitized and distributed volumes to 600 colleges, universities and libraries. With book collection nearing completion, the Center is redirecting its resources to educational programs based on the contents of the titles in its collection. The Director will take charge of a new, $3.5-million Yiddish education center, to be built in 2007 as an addition to the Center's Amherst headquarters. He or she will provide dynamic leadership for all of the Center's educational endeavors, including our highly successful Steiner Summer Internship Program for college students. Over time, he or she will create innovative programs for new constituencies, such as a Yiddish immersion program for adults, an experiential program for high school students, and distance learning. The Director will work with an academic advisory board, and will be responsible for designing curriculum and recruiting visiting faculty, including many of the leading teachers and scholars in the field. This senior staff member will serve as the Yiddish Book Center's primary Yiddish resource. The Director will consult on Yiddish content in the Center's magazine and public programs, and oversee organizational materials written in or translated from Yiddish. He or she will be responsible for outreach to other communities, and will serve as the Center's liaison to academic institutions, synagogues, community centers, libraries, and other organizations. Requirements for this position include genuine fluency in Yiddish; deep knowledge of Yiddish literature and culture; understanding of contemporary American Jewish culture; proven organizational and leadership abilities; and excellent communication skills. Vision, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit are essential, as are a serious commitment to Yiddish culture and a genuine interest in conveying its substance to a largely non-academic, non-Yiddish-speaking public. This is a full-time professional position with excellent benefits. Title and salary will be commensurate with experience. Please submit a letter of interest and resume to: Director of Education Search, National Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002. Or email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put "Director of Education" in the subject line. No phone calls, please.
