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Our client is a large, well-established, fully egalitarian Jewish congregation located in Newton, MA with more than 1,500 member families. The organization serves as a central pillar of its community, offering a wide range of religious, cultural, social, and educational programming. The synagogue is deeply rooted in tradition, community engagement, and compassionate service. They are seeking a Temp to Hire Ritual Assistant to join their team to assist with administrative support. Details below!
Pay: $25-$26/hour
Schedule:
- Monday-Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Newton, MA
Assignment: Temp-to-hire
Urgency: Looking to interview and start ASAP
Position Overview
The Ritual Assistant supports clergy and ritual operations in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. This role is essential to ensuring that worship life, pastoral care, lifecycle events, and community communications are coordinated with accuracy, discretion, and sensitivity.
This is a hands-on, collaborative position ideal for someone who is highly organized, emotionally intelligent, and comfortable supporting sacred and emotionally sensitive work. The Ritual Assistant works closely with clergy, ritual leadership, development staff, and operations to support the daily rhythms of synagogue life.
Key Responsibilities
Clergy & Ritual Administration
- Maintain and manage the clergy calendar, including service leadership, sermon schedules, minyan coverage, and clergy absences.
- Track and input special Shabbatot and communal observances (e.g., Pride Shabbat, Graduation Shabbat, Teen Shabbat).
- Enter and maintain service times for weekly Shabbat services, holidays, and festivals in the Event Management System (EMS).
- Manage registration and administrative logistics for clergy-led programs, worship-related events, and concerts.
- Provide Zoom setup, monitoring, and basic technical support for clergy-led programs and meetings.
- Organize, update, and maintain clergy templates, documents, and shared resources.
- Provide front desk and phone coverage as needed.
Pastoral & Bereavement Support
- Draft, prepare, and send bereavement and thank-you letters with care, sensitivity, and timeliness.
- Assist with pastoral communications, including community bereavement notices, weekly announcements, and lifecycle lists.
- Monitor and support High Holiday inboxes, helping route inquiries and ensure timely follow-up during peak periods.
- Handle pastoral and lifecycle information with the highest level of confidentiality and professionalism.
Development & Stewardship Support
- Provide administrative support for congregant and foundation giving, including tracking and coordination.
- Manage online registration lists for lectures, concerts, and community-wide programs.
- Review and submit bookplate orders; coordinate receipt, tracking, and placement in Siddurim.
- Support donor stewardship and acknowledgment processes related to ritual gifts, memorials, and special programs.
Administrative & Cross-Departmental Support
- Provide general administrative assistance, including scanning, copying, and document preparation.
- Serve as a flexible support resource during lifecycle-heavy weeks, staff absences, and major communal moments.
- Collaborate across clergy, ritual, operations, engagement, and development teams to ensure accurate information flow and coordinated execution.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in nonprofit administration, Jewish communal work, or a related field.
- 2-4 years of experience in administrative coordination, clergy support, or a nonprofit/synagogue environment.
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
- Familiarity with Hebrew, Jewish ritual cycles, synagogue life, and lifecycle moments strongly preferred.
- Experience with EMS, ShulCloud, CRM systems, or similar platforms a plus.
- Comfort with Zoom and basic event technology.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- 2-4 years of administrative or clergy support experience.
- Background in nonprofit or Jewish communal settings strongly preferred.
- Highly organized, dependable, and detail-oriented.
- Compassionate and emotionally resilient, with comfort supporting conversations around funerals, death notices, and bereavement.
- Professional and thick-skinned, able to work with strong personalities without taking things personally.
- Able to stay focused, calm, and productive in a busy, people-centered environment.
