Job Description: Religious Education Coordinator & Instructor
Position Type: Temporary Fixed-Term (Up to 24 Months)
Visa Sponsorship: Temporary Work - Religious Worker Visa Eligible
Sponsoring Organisation: Wimbledon Synagogue
Work Location: Wimbledon Synagogue, 1 Queensmere Road, London SW19 5QD
Salary: £21,800 per annum (£26.20 per hour for 16 hours per week)
Closing Date for Applications: 24 July 2026
Position Overview
The Religious Education Coordinator & Instructor will support the synagogue's faith-based mission by designing, coordinating, and delivering our youth religious education programme (which takes place primarily on Sundays) and assisting with liturgical Hebrew studies for our adult learners (which takes place primarily on evenings during the week). Working under the spiritual direction of our Rabbi, the post holder will focus on the classroom transmission of Jewish text, history, ethics, and Hebrew literacy.
This is a non-pastoral, educational support role dedicated to assisting our faith community in passing down religious traditions to the next generation. The post holder will not perform rabbinical, ministerial, pastoral or sacramental functions and will not lead the congregation in religious rites or services. Religious authority remains with the Rabbi and synagogue leadership. The role is limited to educational instruction, curriculum coordination and support of religious learning programmes.
Core Religious & Educational Duties (Minimum 80% of Time)
- Religious Instruction & Teaching (45%): Directly teach classrooms of children in Biblical text (Torah), Jewish ethics (Middot), holy days, and traditional prayers primarily on Sundays during term time. Lead classroom-based educational activities that teach children how to read and understand liturgical Hebrew. Additionally, lead foundational Hebrew language and liturgy modules during weekday evenings for adult learners within the synagogue's adult education programmes, focusing on mechanical reading proficiency, grammatical structure of prayer texts, and phonetic accuracy for service participation.
- Curriculum & Resource Development (20%): Act as the principal religious education instructor to coordinate the delivery of the youth programme. Provide peer support, mentoring, and guidance to classroom teachers and volunteers to ensure all lessons align with the synagogue’s specific theological tenets. Review weekly lesson plans, coordinate teaching schedules, and ensure educational standards are maintained across all classrooms.
- Assisting with Youth Faith Activities (15%): Support the Rabbi by organizing the logistics for children's educational workshops, festival celebrations (e.g., Purim, Sukkot), and youth educational assemblies. Provide logistical supervision, behavior management, and safeguarding support while children are participating in traditional prayer practices.
Supporting Administrative Duties (Maximum 20% of Time)
- Teacher & Volunteer Support (10%): Briefing and supporting volunteer classroom helpers on the chosen religious curriculum and lesson plans.
- Parent Coordination & Safeguarding (10%): Communicating term dates, lesson tracking, and ensuring full compliance with the synagogue’s safeguarding policies for working with children.
Candidate Requirements
- Experience: Demonstrable experience working as a religious teacher, tutor, or educational assistant within a Jewish community setting. An advanced degree (e.g. Master’s degree or PhD) in a humanities subject and/or a teaching certificate (e.g. PGCE) would be considered a plus.
- Religious Literacy: Strong literacy in liturgical Hebrew, standard prayer books (Siddurim), and core Jewish texts and traditions. Experience of living and working in a Jewish religious setting (especially in Israel) preferred.
- Safeguarding: Must pass the required UK Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (or equivalent overseas criminal record check) to work with children.
To Apply
Please send your CV and a brief cover letter.
Pay: £21,800.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
