Careers

Temple Israel of Boston is known for offering an array of cutting edge Jewish experiences: spiritual, cultural and social, including interfaith and racial inclusion and social justice activism; and is seeking a warm, enthusiastic, and engaging executive assistant to join our team. This individual will work in two specific areas of justice and music in our congregation as the Executive assistant to our Cantor, who ensures our community’s musical vision and B’nei Mitzvah program, and to our Assistant Rabbi who oversees the justice
work of our congregation. The ideal candidate is motivated, organized with work flow, and possesses an ability to interact and connect with our TI community in order to sustain impactful relationships with our clergy. A kind and helpful communication style, and a working knowledge of Jewish life and Hebrew is desired but not necessary.

As a part of the staff team, entrusted by our community members to embody the spirit and enliven the mission of Temple Israel, the Executive Assistant to the Cantor and Social Justice Coordinator will constantly strive to maintain a helpful, supportive attitude toward the work, the organization, and the community. This person will embody the values of openness and inclusion, welcoming people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, spiritual traditions, and abilities. Finally, they have an appreciation for the diverse roles that a synagogue plays in a Jewish community.

This position is full time and exempt.

Executive Assistant to the Cantor:

The main responsibilities in assisting the Cantor are supporting the B’nei Mitzvah program, facilitating ongoing member engagement, Temple Israel’s musical presence throughout the week and in the larger community, and supporting initiatives for special musical programs and guests.

B’nei Mitzvah Coordination

1. Coordinating and tracking religious school students within the B’nei Mitzvah program: including events, communication, mailings, and preparing materials and certificates.
2. Facilitate communication, correspondence and appointments for B/M students with their tutors, and with the Cantor. Manage the Mitzvah Tools database to monitor students and their information – as they move through the program

Administrative

1. Upkeep of member information in the Temple Israel Database.
2. Manage Cantor’s calendar, including scheduling meetings and appointments.
3. Oversee the hiring and payroll administration of B’nei Mitzvah teachers and tutors
4. Oversee the payment of musicians, vendors, and guest artists
5. Manage J Licence, our licensing program for music usage
6. File management and organization on Dropbox and Soundcloud

Music Team

1. Organize logistics and communication with musicians, choir members, adult and junior, and help prepare materials for singers and musicians
2. Help keep music organized, neat, accessible for our library as well as musicians
3. Communicate with religious school music program
4. Help to organize/reorganize/catalogue all TI music.

Social Justice Coordinator:

The Social Justice coordinator works closely with our Assistant Rabbi who is the Director of Social Justice as well as our Assistant Director of Social Justice Engagement. The main responsibilities of this role include providing support for major social justice related events, managing the Assistant Rabbi’s schedule, and attending meetings with the chairs of Tikkun Central.

Tikkun Central/ Social Justice Portfolio

1. Participate in weekly Tikkun Central leadership meetings. Take meeting notes, assess the next steps involved.
2. Develop an in-depth knowledge of the congregation’s current justice campaigns, and have an understanding of how they work together.
3. Provide logistical support before and during social justice events, the primary event being Shabbat Tzedek (held annually on MLK Weekend). Work with lay leaders and staff to ensure that all organizational needs are met. If a program is virtual, this may also include “teching” the event itself (screen sharing, spotlighting).

Administrative

1. Manage Assistant Rabbi’s calendar, including scheduling meetings with other Temple Israel staff members, civic leaders in the Boston-area, and members of the Temple Israel community.
2. Assist in coordinating the communications and activities of various groups and projects.
3. Manage receipts and maintain a knowledge of budget lines associated with the Assistant Rabbi’s roles.

Confirmation Class

1. Updating and creating communications to interact with the 10th grade Confirmation Class and their families.
2. Help to create and gather materials (written, video, etc.) for the Confirmation Shabbat Service (Shavuot)
3. Assistance with other Confirmation related activities which may arise (scheduling, reservations, etc).

Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Excellent interpersonal skills, written and verbal communication and phone skills
• Tenacious attention to detail, even under tight deadlines
• High computer literacy: adept in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); Google Suite, and familiarity with databases (particularly Salesforce)
• Ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize tasks even under shifting deadlines
• Professional, mature, and discreet with confidential matters
• Minimum 5 years work experience in an administrative role.

This position works fully onsite. Hours are generally 9:30am-5:30pm, Monday-Friday, with occasional evening and weekend hours, including major Jewish holidays and some weekend events.

Starting salary: $65,000

 We are seeking a senior development professional to help us advance our mission and the development program that enhances, advances, and supports it. 

Director of Development 

The Director of Development will serve as a key member of the TI leadership team. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role works closely with the Senior Rabbi, along with the clergy team, senior staff, Board of Trustees, and other Temple Israel leaders. The Director of Development is responsible for leading and managing all aspects of development, including membership and annual giving, member/donor-relations, stewardship, and gift planning which accounts for over $3 million annually, over half of Temple Israel’s annual revenue. The Director will partner with senior leaders, engage in future strategic visioning, and take the lead to develop and implement multi-year campaign plans as required. As a key member of the senior staff of Temple Israel, managing two (2) direct reports (Development Associate and Membership & Data Specialist) the Director of Development will also oversee the membership program, including welcoming, engagement, and stewardship of new and continuing members and donors. This role is responsible for managing relationship-building with potential new members, including new member onboarding. All of this work is centered around constituent relations through outreach, engagement, relationship-building with the community towards increasing our connection with our stakeholders. 

The Director of Development is responsible for setting and implementing the overall strategic direction, leadership, and management of all philanthropic activities inclusive of the Friends Annual Fund, special annual and multi-year programmatic, endowment, and/or capital fundraising initiatives. This is a distinctive opportunity for the Director to join the TI team at a critical, important, and impactful time in TI’s history. Early stage, ambitious, multi-year comprehensive campaign planning is underway to enable transformational vision and strategic goals. The Director will play a key leadership role in campaign planning, with both front-line and behind-the-scenes responsibility for implementation. 

Development Responsibilities 

Strategy: Develop strategies, tactics, and procedures to ensure overall and individual family cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. This includes direct front-line relationship-building with congregants and guiding, supporting others (i.e., professional staff, clergy, lay leaders) for solicitation and stewardship success. 

Stewardship: Oversee our stewardship and cultivation efforts directly and in collaboration with the board and staff. Manage relationships with all donors and create and track relationship assignments for members of the clergy and lay leadership. Produce reports for the special funds that comprise the bulk of Temple Israel’s endowment, including for memorial/tribute gifts, capital campaigns, special initiatives, and planned giving. 

Annual Fund: Manage and further develop our Friends Annual Fund toward $1 million annual achievement. Responsibilities include all direct appeals, customized solicitations, and coordination of solicitation and stewardship activities for senior staff and the Board of Trustees. Create and implement an annual fundraising plan, calendar, and budget. This includes developing and carrying out strategies to retain past contributors, increase member participation in all campaigns, and encourage new donor participation. 

Grants: Identify foundation grant opportunities and work with members of clergy and senior staff to develop proposals to fund initiatives and special programs at Temple Israel. Report on all grants to donors and funders annually or as requested. 

Communications: Oversee gift acknowledgements and develop collateral including campaign materials for use throughout the year, case statements, fund reports, digital content, and brochures. Oversee creation and execution of the annual member continuation brochure each spring, dues acknowledgement thank-you cards each fall, and ensure all members receive appropriate print/email updates from TI. 

Management: Oversee appropriate staff efforts and coordinate board members on donor cultivation events and fundraising. Supervise Development Associate on all aspects of administrative support, including gift processing and acknowledgement, creation of donor profiles, and all back-end gift processing for our annual gala. 

Database (Salesforce): Oversee the entire development process from donor identification to collection to acknowledgement. Ensure timely and accurate recording of all gifts, pledges and financial transfers in a timely manner to assist our accounting staff with statements and tax letters. Ensure accurate maintenance of records and donor information, share weekly gift reports with Senior Staff. 

Events: Develop and implement our signature annual fundraising gala (“Stepping Out”); plan several VIP receptions throughout each year. 

Membership Responsibilities 

Membership dues: Oversee the annual collection of $2.5 million in dues payments from across our congregation. In coordination with other team members, work directly with members determine abatement rates and payment plans to ensure Temple Israel is accessible to all. 

Accounts Receivable: Work closely with the accounting team to be sure all accounts are up to date, and follow-up with all members who have not paid dues in a timely manner (“zero payers”) on a rolling basis. 

New Member Orientation: Maintain direct contact with all potential new members through the various engagement channels long established into Temple Israel, including the religious school, Riverway Project (20s & 30s), our preschool, and Village. 

Event Organization: Oversee new member events, membership cocktail parties (onsite and online) in coordination with clergy, lay leadership, and engagement strategy team. 

Management: Supervise Membership & Data Specialist on all aspects of member support, including forecasting for next fiscal year, new member and resignation reporting trends for the board and senior staff, abatement approvals, onboarding of new members in our database, High Holy Day ticketing, and registrations. 

General Responsibilities 

Member of Senior Staff: Attend weekly Senior Staff meetings to collaborate with clergy and administrative staff on community events, holidays, and execution of the vision of Senior Rabbi.

Collaboration and being a part of our community: Be present at major milestones of our calendar year in collaboration with our community and staff. 

High Holy Days: Under the supervision of the Executive Director, assist with staffing the High Holy Days to support our congregation. 

Board of Trustees: Attend regular meetings of the Board of Trustees and the Leadership Council and participate in discussions and activities when appropriate. Prepare a monthly membership and development report for the Board. 

Qualifications 

• BA or BS required 
• Significant experience in development and fundraising with the ability to design, implement, and manage an effective development program to maximize annual and  long-term membership and donor retention, growth, and philanthropic participation
• Proven track record of major gift development success and increasing philanthropic revenue
• Demonstrated creativity and success in cultivating and stewarding new and existing donors 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Flexibility, passion, and the ability to work within a vibrant and diverse congregation
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM 
• Preferred knowledge of the Greater Boston Jewish community 

Base salary will be starting at $130,000. Interested candidates should send a thoughtful cover letter and resume to Dan Deutsch at ddeutsch@tisrael.org. 

Who are we?

Temple Israel is looking for enthusiastic, imaginative, and skillful teachers to join our team of educators for the 2023-2024 school year. There are positions available in grades preschool – 7^th grade for Sunday mornings, with potential to teach in our grades 8-12, pluralistic teen program too.

In our religious school, kids 3 years old through 7^th grade can learn, grow, and find their own meaningful Jewish communities. We strive to build a community where everyone — kids, families, and our educators — can find their places in our ancient and ever evolving tradition. Our school is joyful, kid-centered, and flexible. Read more about us and our values.

Following our broader community’s commitment to Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI), our religious school is engaged in a culture-shift of our own. We are working towards a community where everyone can experience a sense of belonging. We are committed to building a faculty where the diversity of the Jewish community is well represented. Candidates of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply as we hope to build a teaching team that is reflective of the diversity in our community. We strive to be an inclusive learning community where diversity is welcomed and differences are embraced.

Following our broader community’s commitment to Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI), our religious school is engaged in a culture-shift of our own. We are working towards a community where everyone can experience a sense of belonging. We are committed to building a faculty where the diversity of the Jewish community is well represented. Candidates of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply as we hope to build a teaching team that is reflective of the diversity in our community. We strive to be an inclusive learning community where diversity is welcomed and differences are embraced.

Our REDI work is a communal commitment that includes mechanisms for feedback, accountability, and processes for teshuvah (restorative justice). When something comes up, we would like to know about it. Folks looking to provide feedback should contact Roberta Axeloons or Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, or another member of the TI clergy team, or Executive Director Dan Deutsch.

Qualifications of Interested Candidates

• Candidates to teach in our school should enjoy working with children and have prior successful experiences with kids. Formal teaching experience is not a requirement; folks interested in learning how to teach who are seeking training as new teachers are encouraged to apply.
• Familiarity with second language pedagogy, technology applications, curriculum development, and student assessment is desirable, but not required. Good command of Biblical Hebrew also a plus.
• Candidates should be comfortable adopting the curricular vision of the religious school as we seek to construct powerful educational experiences that are inclusive, joyful, and inspiring.
• Temple Israel Religious School has a commitment to professional development and offers a unique and yearlong learning opportunity to all its faculty. Ideal candidates will be collaborative teachers who relish the idea of working, growing, and learning alongside their colleagues.
• Bachelor’s Degree or relevant experience required.

We know that not all applicants will have all of the same experience or desired qualifications, and systemic inequities often discourage folks from marginalized identities from applying. If you are passionate about our mission and believe you have applicable and transferable skills from other industries, we encourage you to apply for this job. We’d love to hear from you. In your application, be sure to explicitly highlight how your experience, skills, and personal qualities have set you up to succeed in this role.

This position is part time. We offer competitive pay with teaching rates ranging from $55-85/per hour. Rates vary depending on experience and longevity at Temple Israel.

Schedule

Sundays 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. are the general Sunday hours, though individual schedules may vary based on assigned classes. Our teen program meets on Monday nights 5:45 – 8:30 p.m., and our religious school meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

How to Apply

Please submit a letter of interest and resume to Roberta Axeloons, Director of Elementary Education, at raxeloons@tisrael.org.

About Temple Israel

Temple Israel is widely recognized as the largest reform temple in New England, and it is one of the most prominent synagogues in the greater Boston area. With over 1,400 member families, our impact within the Boston Jewish Community runs deep. Temple Israel is known for offering an array of Jewish experiences and cultural and social programming, including interfaith inclusion and social justice activism. Our historic building is home to a K-12 Religious School and Teen Program, and a well-renowned preschool.