Employment

About

The Yiddish Book Center offers meaningful and challenging positions, a warm, friendly atmosphere, competitive salaries, and excellent benefits. We are seeking applicants for the following positions (see details below):

Metadata Librarian

The Yiddish Book Center seeks a Metadata Librarian for our print and digital collections. The Metadata Librarian will have the opportunity to work with a variety of unique and rare collections, which include rapidly growing collections of print and digitized Yiddish books, digitized archival audio and audiobooks, and born-digital video.

Responsibilities include:

  • Assist with maintaining metadata (MODS, Dublin Core, MARC, and other custom schemas for digital collections in the 5 Colleges library catalog, the Internet Archive, and other repositories
  • Create metadata for new digital collections, including audio, video, scanned books, and other digital items
  • Quality control and training for metadata created by other staff
  • Cataloging print books and other materials
  • Assist with maintaining digital backups
  • Assist with preservation and collection maintenance, including print and digital items
  • Provide reference assistance to the public, staff, and other organizations as needed
  • Other projects as assigned

Qualifications:

  • Master of Library and Information Science or equivalent degree, and/or experience with library cataloging
  • Reading knowledge of Yiddish
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Skill with common library cataloging applications and standard office software such as MS Office and Adobe products
  • The desire and ability to learn new software and computer functions
  • Other Eastern European languages and/or Hebrew are helpful but not required
  • Knowledge of Yiddish literature a plus

To apply: send resume and cover letter to [email protected]

Assistant Video Editor for the Yiddish Book Center's Wexler Oral History Project

The Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project seeks an experienced and committed full-time Assistant Video Editor to provide on-site technical support for the ongoing processing of the Wexler Oral History Project’s rapidly expanding digital collection of one- to two-hour in-depth oral history interviews about Yiddish language and culture.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Process and edit video oral history interviews
  • Manage on-site and off-site storage and back-ups of large and expanding digital video archive to ensure long-term preservation and access
  • Assist in development and promotion of oral history short film series
  • Train post-production oral history interns in video editing and Project-specific workflow
  • Supervise oral history interns in daily work
  • Manage and help to develop oral history internship program
  • Edit, co-direct, and assist in promotion of oral history-based web features and short films
  • Videography and technical support for recording of on-site oral history interviews
  • Coordinate day-to-day priorities within post-production and archival processes, in conjunction with Project’s long-term goals as defined by Project Director

Requirements::

  • Minimum three years of video editing experience
  • Excellent written and oral communication and organizational skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Ability to multitask
  • Proficiency in Premiere Pro
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, GoogleDrive, and electronic communications
  • Experience working in Mac environment
  • Ability to update and maintain integrated tracking system for a complex workflow and expansive project
  • Ability to work independently, with low-level supervision
  • Curiosity about secular Jewish culture and Yiddish
  • Commitment to Project mission
  • Flexibility and sense of humor

Preferred Qualifications::

  • Previous work experience with digital collections or archives
  • Film production experience
  • Supervisory experience
  • Familiarity with Yiddish, Jewish history and culture
  • Proficiency in any of the following software programs employed by the Project: Final Cut Pro 7, FileMaker Pro, Compressor, Handbrake, DVD Studio Pro, ProTools, Avid, Drobo Dashboard, Carbon Copy Cloner, BagIt, DiskTracker, TeamViewer, Amazon Glacier, MPEG Streamclip

To apply, send cover letter and resume to Christa Whitney at [email protected] by September 1, 2019.

For more information, explore the Yiddish Book Center's Wexler Oral History Project.

Membership and Online Fundraising Systems Manager

The Yiddish Book Center is a non-profit cultural organization with a national and international membership base. We are seeking a Membership and Online Fundraising Manager to take a leadership role in our online fundraising and outreach efforts; and in coordinating constituent management, donations processing, and member correspondence. The Membership and Online Fundraising Manager will also support website and technical operations for new and ongoing projects across the organization. 

Responsibilities:

  • Coordinates online fundraising efforts to coincide with direct mail appeals, and additional online-only outreach projects throughout the year. Creates and maintains membership-related web content, including donation forms;
  • Ensures that membership records and communications are handled appropriately following Yiddish Book Center policies and procedures. Specifically: Gift processing, constituent data entry and updates, data-sync of Raiser’s Edge and Luminate records, written and phone communication with members in response to inquiries; 
  • Participates in strategic planning process for the website and other online tools, and helps to implement solutions based on these goals. Acts as a resource to resolve technical problems day-to-day for staff and outside users;
  • Provides training and support for staff users of the bulk email tools, user databases, web forms and other web content;
  • Organizes training and supervision of work study, part time and seasonal employees to assist as needed with membership tasks;
  • Communicates with vendors to maintain tech tools as needed based on organizational strategies and priorities;
  • Trains staff and volunteers in proper use of audio-visual equipment and works with vendors to keep all equipment in working order and up to date to meet program requirements;
  • Answers multi-line phone system, forwarding calls and taking messages as required;
  • Other projects and tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of Raiser’s Edge or similar fundraising software
  • Understanding of non-profit fundraising processes, including industry best practices for online fundraising
  • Experience with audience segmentation for online communication and reporting
  • Excellent organizational skills, and ability to prioritize among multiple responsibilities and projects
  • Flexibility and ability to work in a mid-level leadership role 
  • Technological problem-solving, both immediate and long-range 
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills

To apply: Send a cover letter and resume to [email protected].

NEH Oral History Project Language Specialist

The Yiddish Book Center seeks a native or advanced Yiddish speaker for a one-year, full-time position to process the Yiddish-language interviews in our Wexler Oral History Project’s collection.

Position Description:

The NEH Oral History Project Language Specialist will assist in a new aspect of the Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project, a growing collection of over 900 video oral history interviews about of in-depth video interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity. This one-year full-time position is funded through a grant by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Language Specialist will create carefully and individually curated bilingual indices for 300 Yiddish-language interviews. Each index, which acts as a table of contents of sorts, will ultimately increase the accessibility of our collection, allowing viewers to click through each interview thematically as well as search through our collection by keyword in Yiddish or English. 

On-site preferred, but remote work possible.

Responsibilities:

  • Create a unique index (in Yiddish first, and then a translated English equivalent) for each Yiddish-language interview, including:
    • descriptive index titles,
    • relevant keywords for each segment,
    • geo-tagging, and
    • links to relevant photographs, documents, and other artifacts
  • Track indexing progress in Google spreadsheets

Requirements:

  • Excellent Yiddish oral comprehension (including a variety of dialects)
  • Advanced Yiddish writing skills (using YIVO standardized orthography)
  • Interest in oral history, archives, and/or public history
  • Outstanding attention to detail
  • Ability to listen carefully and synthesize long, complex interviews
  • Ability to update and maintain an integrated tracking system for a complex workflow
  • Familiarity with GoogleSheets and GoogleDocs
  • Experience with organizing metadata preferred
  • Translation experience preferred
  • Experience with OHMS: Oral History Metadata Synchronizer software a plus

To apply: Send a cover letter and resume to [email protected].

NEH Oral History Project Indexing Assistant

Role and Responsibilities

The NEH Oral History Project Indexing Assistant will assist in a new aspect of the Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project that is funded through a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts. The Indexing Assistant will create carefully and individually curated indices for our English-language interviews. Each index, which acts as a table of contents of sorts, will ultimately increase the accessibility of our collection, allowing viewers to click through each interview thematically as well as search through our collection by keyword. Specifically the Assistant will:

  • Create a unique index for each English-language interview, including descriptive index titles, relevant keywords for each segment, geo-tagging, and links to relevant artifacts
  • Track indexing progress in Google spreadsheets

Qualifications and Education Requirements

  • Interest in oral history, archives, and/or public history
  • Jewish studies background (or familiarity with modern American/Eastern European Jewish and Yiddish culture and history) a plus
  • Familiarity with Yiddish a plus
  • Experience with OHMS: Oral History Metadata Synchronizer software a plus

Preferred Skills

  • Excellent English grammar and spelling skills
  • Outstanding attention to detail
  • Ability to listen carefully and synthesize long, complex interviews
  • Ability to update and maintain an integrated tracking system for a complex workflow
  • Familiarity with GoogleSheets and GoogleDocs
  • Experience with organizing metadata preferred

To apply: Send resume and cover letter to [email protected].

Volunteer Field Trip Docent

The Yiddish Book Center is seeking volunteer docents to provide support to our Field Trip Program staff. Volunteers will assist in leading student groups on visits of the Center and will facilitate interactive activities and tours.

Requirements:

  • Excellent oral communication skills
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Able to work independently
  • Sense of humor and flexibility
  • Ability to engage with students and subject matter
  • Comfortable working with middle and high school students 
  • Energetic and enthusiastic
  • Jewish studies background (familiarity with modern Jewish history and Yiddish language and culture)
  • Ability to work weekdays

Availability: Field trip visits are typically scheduled Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Occasional availability on Sundays is also desired but not required. Field trips typically run for two to four hours and are scheduled upon request during the school year. 

Training will be provided. 

Interested candidates should email resume and cover letter to Gretchen Fiordalice at [email protected] 

About the Yiddish Book Center’s Field Trip Program:

On a field trip to the Yiddish Book Center—the world’s first Yiddish museum—students explore universal themes such as immigration and cultural preservation through one group’s unique story.

Dynamic, interactive activities engage students in the rich history of Yiddish culture and the ways that culture has been preserved and remains relevant to people’s lives.

Volunteer Docent

The Yiddish Book Center is seeking volunteer docents to greet and orient visitors, answer questions about events and membership, provide support to our staff, and process donations. Volunteers should be comfortable working with groups, speaking with visitors, using a cash register, and should have an interest in Yiddish culture. Training provided. Docents typically work one three-hour day per week. No prior knowledge of Yiddish is necessary. If interested, please email Sarah Bleichfeld at [email protected] or call 413-256-4900, ext. 124.

The Yiddish Book Center is an equal opportunity employer.