Musical Clergy / Cantor (Part-time)
Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, White Plains, New York www.betamshalom.org
Description
Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, a Reconstructionist-affiliated, pluralistic synagogue in White Plains, NY, is looking for a part-time musical clergyperson or cantor to join our rabbi. This vital member of our community will join our Rabbi to plan, lead, or co-lead services on Friday nights, Saturday mornings, holidays and festivals. They will collaborate closely with our Rabbi to carry out BAS’ musical vision of innovative, meaningful, and engaging services. This will include developing, training, and leading our davening team to incorporate monthly “Renewal”-style Friday night services.
The 12-15 hours per week of core responsibilities will include the following:
Shabbatot:
- 2-3x monthly Saturday morning Shabbat services (with additional rehearsal time budgeted)
- 2-3x monthly Friday night Shabbat services, including special monthly musical “Nava Tehila”/ ”Renewal”-style Friday night (with additional rehearsal time budgeted)
Holidays, including:
- High Holidays (Erev RH, RH Day 1 & 2, Kol Nidre, YK Day, Neilah)
- Festivals (Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah, Hanukkah, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot, etc.)
- Special occasions (eg. Shirat HaYam)
Capacity Building:
- Convene and musically-direct our davening team, a group of musicians and vocalists who help with our monthly “Nava Tehila”-style Friday night service
- Convene, train, and lead rehearsals for the davening team
- Help us build out our in-house sound engineering capacity
Listed above are the job’s core elements. Depending on interest, skill, and availability, additional opportunities may be possible, including:
Lifecycle
- Support the rabbi with lifecycle events (Baby-naming/brit milah, b’nei mitzvah celebrations, weddings, funerals, etc.)
- Leading lifecycle events solo when our rabbi or Rabbi Emeritus are unable to lead
Shirat Ha’am (our choir) Collaboration
- Collaborate with our Cantor Emerita and/or member leadership to support the activities of our choir, which performs semi-regularly on the High Holidays and special occasions
B’nei Mitzvah
- Sanctuary preparation with our b’nei mitzvah students
- Trope training and b’nei mitzvah tutoring
Characteristics of the Ideal Candidate
- Kind, collaborative, and humble interpersonally, with a proactive and transparent communication style
- Engaging as a service leader with a davening style that encourages congregational participation rather than individual performance
- Skilled singer whose voice inspires and uplifts our congregation in prayer
- Deeply knowledgeable of and passionate about traditional and contemporary Jewish music, prayer, and nusach ha’tefilah
- Proficient on guitar or on another accompanimental instrument
- Experienced at building and convening davening teams (preferred)
Qualifications
- Minimum of three years prior experience leading High Holy Days and Shabbat services and mastery of High Holy Day, Shabbat, Weekday, and Festival nusach
- Liturgical knowledge and fluency (experience with the Kol HaNeshamah mahzor is desirable)
- Extensive experience leading congregational singing
- Cantorial or Rabbinic ordination or enrollment in a Jewish seminary is preferred, and we are open to people with significant Jewish educational background who are not training/trained to be clergy (e.g. extensive experience as a lay leader, background in Jewish music, etc.)
- Hebrew proficiency
Salary Range
- $45-55,000 depending on negotiated job responsibilities and commensurate with experience
Start Date: Summer 2026, or as negotiated
Reports to: In her/his/their clerical roles, including leading prayer, teaching, and evolving our ritual practice, the cantor will report to the rabbi. In other matters related to employment, the cantor will report to the synagogue president.
Request for Materials
Please email the following materials to [email protected]:
- One page cover letter
- Your resume/CV
- Relevant samples leading Jewish congregational melodies
- Relevant samples of nusach, including samplings of Shabbat, HHD, and festival nuschaot
About Us
Bet Am Shalom synagogue is a vibrant, egalitarian and inclusive Jewish congregation with a deep respect for tradition and a thoughtful, progressive approach to Judaism. We value participatory musical services which lean toward the traditional, though our new rabbi is experimenting with more accessible and innovative prayer and ritual options. The creative spirit of our members fuels our community as together we pray, study Torah, share lifecycle events, support each other, educate our children, and commit to repairing the world (tikkun olam). For further information about our congregation, visit www.betamshalom.org.