Community Rabbi at GatherDC

GatherDC’s Community Rabbi will anchor the Jewish educational vision at GatherDC and help hundreds of Jewish 20- and 30-somethings in the DMV connect to Jewish opportunities, build lasting friendships, and discover meaningful Jewish identities through alternative Jewish experiences.

We are looking for a personable, curious, caring individual who is early in their rabbinic career and excited to join a creative, grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to building meaningful Jewish life in the DMV. This position comes with a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package. This is a full-time, exempt position.

TITLE: Community Rabbi
SALARY: $90,000–$100,000*
LOCATION: Washington, D.C. (hybrid)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 26 @ 11:59pm PDT (Interviews are rolling; early applications encouraged!)
ANTICIPATED START DATE: July 15, 2024 (flexible)
**Salary range based on Gather, Inc.’s organizational salary bands.*

Frequently cited statistics show that historical biases in hiring lead to less applications from women and underrepresented groups unless they have 100% of the qualifications. Gather is committed to removing bias in hiring; as such, we encourage you to break that statistic and apply. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications! We look forward to your application.

WHO WE ARE:

Growing from the success of hyperlocal GatherDC’s relational engagement methodology, Gather, Inc. is an emergent project that trains change agents in the Jewish community to bring a relationship-centered approach to every aspect of their work. Gather, Inc. is a web of cities, community partners, and networks that is changing how Jewish life happens—one relationship at a time. We support and empower young adults, Jewish professionals, leaders, and organizations to build compelling and sustainable Jewish lives that are relevant, active, and meaningful to them and their communities. Because when relationships are at the center, Jewish life—and the people in it—thrives.

GatherDC is one of two on-the-ground relational projects of Gather, Inc. (with GatherBay as a sibling city in the East Bay) and is the central platform for post-college/pre-family Jewish life across the DMV, building one of the most dynamic and inclusive cities for millennial and Gen Z Jewish life. We strengthen the fabric of Jewish life throughout the DMV, facilitating innovative opportunities for meaningful and relevant Jewish learning and stewarding relationships to help Jews in their 20s and 30s connect to Jewish organizations and to each other. We work with the rich network of Jewish communal synagogues, JCCs, and organizations to help them best serve young Jewish adults, and we champion relationship-based engagement, understanding that a thriving Jewish ecosystem is only as strong as the relationships we build with individuals and with the wider community.

WHO YOU ARE:

Reporting to GatherDC’s Managing Director, the Community Rabbi will work in close partnership with GatherDC’s Engagement Director to help connect hundreds of Jewish 20- and 30-somethings to their people and their place in the Jewish DMV. This person will be the steward of Gather, Inc.’s educational vision in GatherDC, shape GatherDC’s on-the-ground engagement strategy in order to provide critical pastoral and spiritual care to the DMV Jewish community, and represent Gather as an organizational leader in internal and external spaces.

Through your work, Jewish young adults across the DMV will feel and be connected to communities, individuals, experiences, institutions, and organizations that reflect the Jewish lives they want to live; be exposed to opportunities that facilitate relevant, active, and meaningful Jewish lives; be supported in forming/creating/grappling with their Jewish identities; and have the agency to create and pursue their own Jewish experiences.

With that in mind, you are comfortable leading ritual, learning, and services in egalitarian settings and working with individuals and couples of all backgrounds, including but not limited to interfaith couples, individuals with a variety of gender identities, sexual orientations, and political affiliations, and those who have been left out of institutional Jewish life. You’re skilled at facilitating groups with diverse backgrounds, viewpoints and knowledge levels, including the Jewishly-curious and non-Jewish partners of Jewish young adults. A love for and proficiency in teaching traditional and contemporary Torah, and a wide variety of other Jewish texts, will be necessary in supporting individuals and groups to grapple with the big questions of life through a Jewish lens.

WHAT YOU’LL DO *:

Hold rabbinical relationship-based engagement portfolio

• Conduct 1:1 coffee dates with individuals in the DMV to learn more about them, and help them discover and build relevant, active, and meaningful Jewish identities.
• Support community members on their unique Jewish journeys, fostering and cultivating meaningful and ongoing individual relationships.
• Connect individuals to Jewish life, initiatives, and organizations in the greater Washington, D.C. area that are a fit for what they are seeking on their Jewish journey.
• Partner with GatherDC Engagement Director to design, communicate, and implement experiences steeped in relationship-based engagement frameworks to cultivate relevant, active, and meaningful Jewish identities.
• Foster relationships with other local rabbis, clergy, and educators to strengthen the fabric of Jewish life in the DMV and help build a culture of mutual support and collaboration.

Steward GatherDC’s Jewish education vision

• Create and facilitate a range of meaningful, creative educational experiences (classes, text studies, discussions, retreats) for Jewish young adults that engage them in Jewish learning and help them understand and deepen their own connection to Judaism.
• Lead legacy and emergent alternative Jewish experiences for 20- and 30-somethings and engage diverse and underserved segments of the Jewish DMV.
• Host year-round meaningful alternative holiday experiences for 20- and 30-somethings and engage diverse and underserved segments of the Jewish DMV.

Provide pastoral care and spiritual direction

• Provide pastoral care and spiritual direction to Jewish and Jewish-adjacent young adults in the community through individual conversations and group gatherings.
• Navigate difficult conversations, supporting community members in times of transitions, and/or discussion of life cycle events with grace, discretion, and support.
• Refer community members to other resources or counseling services as needed.

Team collaboration

• Act as chief educator on various GatherDC-led initiatives.
• Partner and collaborate with the GatherBay Community Rabbi to share and enact Gather’s education vision and ensure alignment of approach and vision.
• Provide education support for internal Jewish holiday and life-cycle celebrations.
• Lead staff in thoughtful dialogues about the intersection of Gather’s relationship-based engagement methodology and Jewish educational vision.
• Generate engaging online content as needed and in collaboration with the communications team managing Gather’s digital presence.
• Support the development of grants that are specifically focused on Jewish engagement, education, and experiences.
• Maintain regular data entry to track, evaluate, and evolve engagement efforts.
• Execute office tasks as needed, including logistical preparation for events, sending life cycle gifts to community members, etc.

*These are considered the essential functions of this role. Please note that this role will require a fair amount of in-person meetings across the DMV, in addition to Zoom/virtual meetings.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• You have 1 to 3 years of professional experience (outreach, community organizing, communications, or related work a plus).
• You have received (or will have received at date of hire) Rabbinic Ordination from a recognized seminary/institution (or smicha from a recognized individual).
• You have at least 1 unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and/or equivalent training in pastoral care, counseling, social work, or related field.
• You have comfort and skill in working with Jews from a variety of identities and backgrounds, including the Jewishly-curious and non-Jewish partners of Jewish young adults in our community.
• Experience and/or familiarity with the DMV Jewish community is a big plus.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• You’re a savvy connector. You are able to build and maintain strong relationships with both peers and colleagues. You bring genuine energy and enthusiasm to your interactions and relationships and are able to propel dynamic conversations to connect with anyone you meet.
• You “get” the Gather approach. Gather prioritizes people over programs and understands that cultivating genuine one-on-one relationships is the key to building connection, community, and meaning-making. You’re able to shift your paradigm to our people-first philosophy and let that guide every aspect of your work.
• You’re a creative thinker. You’re great at thinking outside of the box and are able to not only conceptualize new ideas that don’t yet exist, but understand the steps that need to happen to bring them to life.
• You’re an independent self-starter. You are able to ideate and take action with minimal direction, and are highly motivated by successfully achieving your objectives. You’re comfortable with sitting in discomfort while you work through problems, and you’re able to move past roadblocks or difficulties to find alternative solutions to reach your goals.
• You manage complexity. You're great at quickly understanding new concepts and integrating complex information to identify strategies and solutions appropriate to the task or problem at hand. You demonstrate keen insight into complicated sets of problems or concepts and are able to articulate the core idea or issue, breaking them down into clear and manageable components to find a successful solution.
• You’re comfortable with ambiguity. You’re an eager learner and are comfortable sitting with ambiguity as you work through a problem—but are not afraid to ask for guidance when you get stuck. You don’t mind putting on different hats to help move the team and the work forward, and are able to adjust to changing circumstances with a positive attitude and willingness to dive in.
• You have a strategic mindset. You’re able to zoom out of the daily grind and understand how the different components of the work fit together in the larger picture. You’re able to hold the macro and the micro simultaneously and are energized by the puzzle of how they all fit together, both in the present moment and in looking toward the future.

PLEASE APPLY IF:

• You have a passion for creative approaches to Jewish ritual and holiday experiences.
• You genuinely love connecting with people in authentic ways.
• You’re passionate about co-creating and weaving communities.
• You’re excited to embrace and support Jewish pluralism in all of its forms, including diversity of background, observance, opinions, and interests.
• You’re a self-described “people person” and believe in the power of community.

BENEFITS & SALARY:
We offer a competitive salary ranging from $90,000–$100,000, commensurate with experience based on Gather, Inc.’s organizational salary bands, plus the following benefits:
Health

• Company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance (Gather pays 85% of the premium of the offered base plan and 55% of any dependent premiums).
• Company-paid short-term disability and life insurance.
• Pre-tax flexible/health spending accounts (FSA and HSA).

Rest

• 20 vacation days, 15 days of sick leave.
• 12 weeks of parental leave at 100% salary.
• Paid time off for all major Jewish holidays and most federal holidays.
• Office closures for Winter and Summer breaks (December 25–January 1, week of July 4).

Other

• 401k program including a 4% employer match after 1 year waiting period.
• Pre-tax commuter benefits.
• Monthly utilities reimbursement.
• One-time work-from-home stipend.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

We know the job application process is never a walk in the park, but we try to make our hiring process as transparent and painless as possible. While we cannot have a conversation with every applicant, we commit to reaching out to every single person who crosses our screen to let them know where they stand in the process within a timely manner (this usually looks like one business week). We recognize the time and effort it takes to prepare and submit this application, and we appreciate your consideration of this role.

Here’s what our general process will look like:

• Monday May 13: Role is live and accepting applications through May 26, 2024. Early applications are encouraged—interviews scheduled on rolling basis!
• Early-Mid May: Candidates with applicable experience will have a 15-minute phone call with Gather, Inc.’s internal screener.
• Mid May: Candidates who advance to the interview stage will have a 60-minute Zoom conversation with the GatherDC’s Managing Director.
• Mid-Late May: Candidates who advance to the second stage will have 2-3 45-minute Zoom conversations with Gather staff members. Candidates will share 2-3 references at this time.
• Late May-Early June: Interview with Gather, Inc. Senior Leadership.
• Early June: Final candidates will be asked to facilitate a 45-60 minute text study for a small group of 20- and 30-somethings.
• Early-Mid June: Hiring Manager will check references for finalists. Offer will be extended!
• July 15*: First Day!

**Start date flexible for the right candidate*

So, you’ve made it to the bottom. Ready to apply!?

Please submit your resume and cover letter by May 26. Contact post-6642cfd294dc445bb50a6722-1715655581@apply.jewishstaffing.com with any questions or if you need any specific accommodations during the hiring process. Please note: we are unable to receive applications outside of the above submission form.

NOTES:

• We appreciate the excitement—but in an effort to increase equity in our hiring process and mitigate the “bump” sometimes given to applicants with relationships with “insiders,” Gather does not accept informal recommendations or referrals from individuals with personal connections to our staff or Board members.
• In accordance with Gather’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known and preventable hazards, all employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 per official CDC guidance. Barring reasonable accommodations for documented medical exemptions, proof of vaccination is a condition for employment.

We deeply value the diversity of insight, perspective, and experience brought by people from backgrounds typically underrepresented in Jewish organizations. This includes Black, Latinx, and Asian people, Black Jews, Jews of Color, Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities. We also welcome applications from people of diverse religious, spiritual, and cultural backgrounds.