Rabbi

Role and Responsibilities

The rabbi serves as the primary leader of Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives, guiding our spiritual, political, and communal practices and programs by identifying community needs and leading us in meeting them with creative ideas informed by deep Jewish learning.

Specifically, the rabbi is responsible for:

Ritual

The rabbi brings their deep spirituality to Shabbat and holiday services, drawing on an intimate familiarity with tradition, while also demonstrating the interest and talent to create new prayers and practices. Their own sense of connection to the Divine comes through and inspires the congregation to move into a spiritual place along with them. Kolot provides spiritual solace for members through life cycle events, grief, joys, and the challenges of daily life. The rabbi, in partnership with the cantor, develops and leads engaging rituals. Embracing Kolot’s participatory approach to worship, the rabbi seeks to develop it with their own vision and energy, especially towards antiracist, pro-queer, feminist Judaism in conversation with, and alongside, more established traditions. The rabbi shares their own teachings and inspirations, welcomes to the bimah diverse teachers from within and beyond our congregation, and draws out contributions from members as students, chanters, and interpreters of Torah, leaders of ritual, and musical performance.

Community Building

In keeping with our founding ethos, the rabbi actively supports and celebrates the participation and leadership of Jews too often excluded from synagogue life and beyond. (The congregational profile contains more detail.) The rabbi, together with the community, confronts and works to transform structural systems of oppression as they exist within the synagogue as well as the world around us. The rabbi supports the Board and membership in working constructively to address issues and policies where there may be pain or division inside our community, including racism and Israel/Palestine.

Through inclusive and collaborative leadership, the rabbi strengthens our community by identifying members’ strengths and encouraging our contributions of initiative, time, and talents–recognizing that indeed, “all hands are needed.”

The rabbi contributes to Kolot’s financial vitality by working with lay leadership to examine membership dues policies and accountability, and assisting in efforts to raise funds to support the community’s endeavors, including around High Holy Day services.

Pastoral Care

Both rabbi and cantor officiate ritual observance for members and members’ family, including funerals and shiva gatherings, baby namings, weddings, divorces, gender transitions, and more. The rabbi builds relationships across the community and with the cantor and a lay-led committee for care and mutual aid (Gemilut Chasadim) to ensure members receive consistent ritual and spiritual guidance during life transitions. With the cantor and staff, they assess and improve Kolot’s capacity to meet these needs of our membership.

Study and Education

With advice and facilitative leadership, the rabbi supports the work of the Board, staff, and volunteer members to promote and nurture a comprehensive, lifelong Jewish experience. Please see the Congregational Profile for more about our educational programs as they are and as we hope them to be.

Other Responsibilities

The rabbi represents the congregation in connection with movements and campaigns for justice aligned with the congregation’s values, and is free to engage separately in efforts meaningful to the rabbi personally.

Kolot is governed by a Board of 15 elected congregants. As spiritual authorities and senior leaders of the community, our clergy are responsible for supporting and partnering with the Board and executive director in matters of policy, governance, and administration. The rabbi and cantor work in close partnership, and each builds close partnership with Board members and staff by serving as an advisor, attending Board meetings, and fostering the participatory and transparent leadership Kolot aspires to model.

Compensation

Salary Range: $155,000-$195,000

(commensurate with experience) along with a competitive benefits package.

The Congregation recognizes that the job of a pulpit rabbi is extraordinary and demanding. At Kolot, the cantor shares all pastoral responsibilities, including life cycle rituals and holidays and – in collaboration with the rabbi – has long led the work of planning and guiding services. Of special note, Kolot has a longstanding and robust practice of lay leaders sharing duties on the bimah, including drashing, leyning, and leading services in the clergy’s absence. They are trained or supported by the clergy to do so. The Board is an active partner with the clergy in setting and managing expectations of both rabbi and cantor so that the individuals in these roles can have the work-life balance that supports a long-term commitment to and presence in these leadership roles.

Who You Are

You have these formal qualifications:

• Have received smicha or ordination from a recognized institution or source;
• Have at least 5 years professional experience in a leadership role preferably at least 3 years as a rabbi in a congregation, with additional experience in rabbinic or non-rabbinic work that has prepared you to: teach; offer pastoral care; and work well with a board, staff, and/or volunteers;
• Have lived, organizational and/or educational experience in antiracist efforts.

You have a demonstrated ability and commitment to:

• Developing and leading creative approaches to Jewish ritual and prayer, including making them accessible and meaningful for Jews with a range of prior experiences and levels of familiarity regarding Jewish customs and practice;
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with leaders of color, including supporting their leadership and working effectively in multiracial communities;
• Working effectively with people of all genders, and supporting the leadership of LGBTQ+ people;
• Providing pastoral care across a wide spectrum of needs;
• Working and/or leading collaboratively across differences general to American society (such as race, gender identity, sexuality, class, age, immigration status, ability, and so forth) and particular to Jewish communities (family background, level of observance, knowledge base, opinions about Israel/Palestine, etc.), especially around fostering community cohesion and addressing community conflict;
• Lifelong learning.

Recognizing access to leadership roles is limited by structural inequality, we encourage applicants to be expansive in their definition of leadership. Moreover, it is not necessary to meet every criterion completely – we encourage all interested applicants to apply. Kolot is an equal-opportunity employer. People of color, trans and gender-queer people, and women are especially encouraged to apply.