Ritual & Development Assistant (Full-Time)
Do you thrive in fast-paced environments where your organizational skills, attention to detail, and sensitivity directly support meaningful community and sacred work? Are you passionate about Jewish life and helping a synagogue function smoothly, thoughtfully, and compassionately?
Temple Emanuel, an egalitarian congregation with over 1,500 member units affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, is seeking a highly organized, service-oriented, and detail-driven Ritual & Development Assistant to support clergy, ritual life, and development operations. This full-time role plays a critical role in ensuring that pastoral care, worship life, donor stewardship, and community programs are coordinated with care, accuracy, and professionalism.
This is a hands-on, collaborative position that requires discretion, flexibility, and comfort working across departments. The Ritual & Development Assistant works closely with clergy, development staff, operations, and senior leadership to support both the sacred and administrative rhythms of synagogue life.
Duties and Responsibilities
Clergy & Ritual Administration
- Maintain the comprehensive clergy calendar, including sermon schedules, minyan coverage, service leadership, and clergy away dates.
- Input and track special Shabbatot and communal observances (e.g., Pride Shabbat, Graduation Shabbat, Teen Shabbat, Brotherhood Shabbat).
- Enter and maintain service times in the Event Management System (EMS), including weekly Shabbat Mincha services and all festivals and holidays.
- Manage registration and administrative logistics for clergy-led programs and concerts, including cantor concerts and worship-related events.
- Provide Zoom management and technical support for clergy-led programs and meetings.
- Support organization, maintenance, and updating of clergy templates, documents, and shared resources.
- Provide front desk and phone coverage support as needed.
Pastoral & Bereavement Support
- Draft, prepare, and send clergy bereavement and thank-you letters with appropriate sensitivity and timeliness.
- Assist with pastoral communications and coordination, including:
- Bereavement notices to the community
- Weekly Shabbat announcements
- Manage life cycle lists including those for healing and who have passed away.
- Provide High Holiday inbox monitoring and coordination support, helping route inquiries and ensure timely follow-up during peak periods.
- Handle pastoral and lifecycle information with the highest level of confidentiality, care, and professionalism.
Development & Stewardship Support
- Provide prospect management support for foundation and congregant giving, including tracking, coordination, and administrative follow-through.
- Manage online registration lists for community-wide events, lectures, and concerts (e.g., Jonathan Sarna programs, cantor concerts).
- Review and submit bookplate orders to Fenway Group.
- Coordinate receipt, tracking, and placement of bookplates in Siddurim upon arrival.
- Support donor stewardship and acknowledgment processes related to ritual gifts, memorials, and special programs.
- Administrative & Cross-Departmental Support
- Provide general administrative assistance, including photocopying and scanning as needed.
- Serve as a flexible support resource for clergy, ritual, and development teams during busy periods, staff absences, lifecycle-heavy weeks, and major communal moments.
- Collaborate closely with clergy, operations, engagement, and development colleagues to ensure accurate information flow and coordinated execution.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in nonprofit administration, Jewish communal work, development, or a related field.
- 2–4 years of relevant experience in administrative coordination, development support, clergy support, or a synagogue/nonprofit environment.
- Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
- Familiarity with Hebrew language, 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 support.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365.
Additional Information
Full benefits include health insurance, dental, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, 403b retirement with match, and PTO. We support flexible work hours to accommodate personal schedules.
The position will be in-person with some flexibility to work remotely.
Equal Opportunity Employer
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.