Seeking B’nei Mitzvah Tutors

KBI is seeking two to three dedicated and enthusiastic B’nei Mitzvah tutors to join our Cantor and our vibrant educational team for the upcoming academic year.

As our community grows, so does the number of students preparing for this significant life-cycle event. To ensure each of our 15-25 B’nei Mitzvah candidates receives personalized and high-quality instruction, we are building a team of tutors to work alongside our Cantor in a new-and-improved B’nei Mitzvah program in conjunction with OTT@KBI, our supplementary Jewish school. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a lasting impact on the Jewish journey of our young people and to become an integral part of their spiritual and educational growth.

Position: B’nei Mitzvah Tutor

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide individual 20-minute weekly tutoring sessions to B’nei Mitzvah students in-person at KBI, especially on Tuesdays from 5:00pm to 6:00pm
• Utilize Cantor Green’s established curriculum, including a library of PDF and audio resources, to prepare students to read Torah and Haftara using the traditional Ta’amei HaMikra/Tropes.
• Maintain and update each student’s personalized B’nei Mitzvah webpage, which serves as their digital “homework journal” and resource hub.
• Espouse our program’s philosophy of “challenge without overwhelming” regarding weekly homework volume, so that each student succeeds according to their potential.
• Foster a positive, encouraging, and patient learning environment for students of varying abilities and learning styles.
• Communicate student progress regularly with the Cantor and parents.
• Submit weekly timesheets every Friday through a KBI online form.

Time Commitment:

A significant portion of the tutoring will take place on Tuesdays between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM as part of a new, enhanced B’nei Mitzvah program of the Ottawa Talmud Torah, our supplementary Jewish school. Additional hours will be available and can be scheduled with flexibility in coordination with student families. The position will also require initial on-boarding/training with Cantor Green; participation in our annual B’nei Mitzvah information sessions in late January; and a small amount of administrative work outside of lesson time. 

The Ideal Candidate Will Possess:

• Experience teaching B’nei Mitzvah lessons.
• Strong understanding of Shabbat morning services (in particular), including prayers, songs, and blessings.
• Fluency in reading Hebrew.
• Expertise with Torah and Haftarah trope (or a strong musical aptitude and willingness to learn).
• Experience working with pre-teens, some with learning differences, and an ability to connect with and motivate them.
• Patience, creativity, and excellent communication skills.
• Reliability, professionalism, and strong organizational skills.
• Comfort with basic web-based platforms for administrative tasks (Google Calendar, WordPress, Trello).

This is a paid, part-time position supervised by Cantor Green. Remuneration is commensurate with experience, and includes lesson time, about 30 minutes per week of preparation time, and training sessions with Cantor Green. KBI will reimburse successful candidates for a vulnerable sector background check.

If you are passionate about Jewish education and believe you can be a positive role model for our students, we would love to hear from you. To apply, please email Cantor Green at cantor@kehillatbethisrael.com. A cover letter and résumé may be requested.