Volunteers and Leaders

The ARJE is governed by a President, First Vice-President, and Vice President for Finance, who together form the organization’s officers.  They are guided by the Past President and any other member of the board whom the President invites to form the Executive Committee (Va’ad).   

The Va’ad makes decisions on behalf of the Board of Trustees between Board meetings, coordinates with the Board president on the work of the Board, takes the lead in planning the Board’s agenda, and serves as a sounding board for the Executive Director. 

In 2021, the ARJE Board of Trustees established four standing committees to oversee the key work required of the Board. These committees are Finance, Development, Governance, and Support & Review.  

• Finance: Guides the Board in ensuring the financial health of the ARJE.  Responsible for developing and reviewing fiscal procedures and annual budget with staff and other Board members and ensuring financial oversight. 

• Development: Develops policies, goals, procedures, and schedules for Board and Committee member’s involvement in fundraising, donor recruitment, and grant acquisition.  

• Governance: Responsible for developing, nurturing, recruiting, and strengthening volunteer leaders and maintaining oversight of the ARJE Governance structure.  

•  Support and Review: Responsible for the ongoing support and guidance of the professional growth and evaluation of the ARJE Executive Director.  

In 2024, the ARJE Board of Trustees established six additional committees to implement the organization's mission and to aid the Executive Director in fulfilling the Board of Trustee’s priorities and the regular functions of the organization. These committees are: 

• Elevating the Field: Draws attention to current issues and trends in Jewish education, raising awareness and respect for the profession and its needs and ensuring that the opportunities for and threats to the field of Reform Jewish education are broadly shared. 

• Job Services Committee: Advocates for our members by sharing standards, best practices, and expectations around the roles of educators with employers and develops resources and webinars in these areas for our members.    

• Member Engagement Committee: Connects members, responds to member needs, and helps members engage more deeply with the ARJE.  

• Membership Recruitment and Onboarding Committee: Identifies, recruits, and integrates new members to the ARJE, communicates the value of membership, and helps form initial connections in the organization.  

• Networking and Career Development Committee: Offers educator-centered professional learning to support Jewish educational leadership.  This committee helps educators navigate their careers, strengthening the ARJE Network.   

• Professional Learning Committee: Plans and coordinates subject-based learning opportunities around the work of Jewish education (i.e., educational content and pedagogy, curriculum design, supporting emergent needs of our learners and families, educational program structure/changing models, trends in secular education, etc.).  

The Mazkirut is comprised of the ARJE Committee chairs and is overseen by the First Vice President.   

The ARJE is also guided by the Past President’s Council, consisting of its distinguished Past Presidents, one of whom serves on the ARJE Board Ex-Officio. The ARJE Board also invites honorary members from the Union of Reform Judaism and the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion’s School of Education.  

At its discretion, the ARJE Board of Trustees establishes Task Forces to help it understand current challenges and developing trends and recommend action to the Board of Trustees and its committees. 

The ARJE Ethics Committee is not part of the governing organizations of the Board of Trustees, and no members of the Ethics Committee may be on the board.  

If you are interested in volunteering to help on an ARJE committee or assist with an ARJE Event please fill out our Volunteer Involvement Form