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):

 

Director of Translation and Collections Initiatives

The Yiddish Book Center seeks a Director of Translation and Collections Initiatives to provide oversight and guidance of the Center's translation programs, Yiddish literature and culture digital content, exhibitions, and public programs. The Director of Translation and Collections Initiatives will be integral to continuing the Center's mission of celebrating modern Jewish and Yiddish culture by rescuing endangered Yiddish books and opening them to new generations through education and visitor programs.

Position Description:

The Director of Translation and Collections Initiatives is responsible for three major program areas:

  • Oversight, management, and editorial guidance of the Yiddish Book Center’s translation programs, including the translation fellowship, translation publications projects, and the annual digital translation issue of Pakn Treger, the Yiddish Book Center’s English-language magazine;
  • Creation and curation of digital content related to Yiddish literature and culture;
  • Direction of special projects, including exhibitions and public programs.

In addition, the Director will teach in Center programs where appropriate, and work with digital collections staff on issues related to access and discovery.

Responsibilities:

Translation Program

  • Represent the Center’s translation program to the broader translation community and serve as primary contact for the program;
  • Oversee all aspects of the translation fellowship program, including call for proposals, fellowship selection, selection of mentors, organization of fellowship weekend workshops and workshop logistics, communication with fellows and mentors, management of the payment of grants and stipends and the overall fellowship program budget;
  • Serve as editor of the Pakn Treger’s annual digital translation issue;
  • Oversee all aspects of the Center’s publication initiatives, including reviewing and selecting manuscripts for publication, identifying editors for each manuscript, working to identify publishers for manuscripts or oversee e-publication, and managing the program budget.

Digital Content Curation and Creation

  • Curate digital content related to Yiddish literature for all digital platforms including the Center’s website, Facebook page, Twitter, and more;
  • Create new forms of digital content including possible blogs, web pages on books and writers, creation of, and ongoing engagement with, various forms of social media conversations;
  • Collaborate with the education program staff, oral history program staff, and communications program staff on all the above.

Special Projects

  • Collaborate with the Center’s Bibliographer to create exhibitions;
  • Oversee the Center’s new Decade of Discovery program (currently in development);
  • Coordinate special public programs.

Other

  • Teaching in Center programs where appropriate, including the Steiner Summer Yiddish Program; the Great Jewish Books Summer Program; the Great Jewish Books Teacher Workshop; the Tent programs; YiddishSchool; and weekend courses.

Qualifications:

Required:

  • Excellent command of written and spoken Yiddish
  • Strong background in Yiddish literature and culture
  • Strong organizational ability
  • Superior writing and communication skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Sense of humor, entrepreneurial spirit and flexibility
  • Strong appreciation for and commitment to the Center’s mission, values and goals

In addition, a PhD in Yiddish literature or a related field is required.

To apply: Send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to [email protected].

 

Membership and Online Fundraising Manager

The Yiddish Book Center is a non-profit Jewish cultural organization with a national and international membership base. We are seeking a Membership and Online Fundraising Manager to take a leadership role in continued development of 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 tool and communications channels, 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 YBC 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 on-site audio-visual equipment and works with vendors to keep all equipment in working order and up to date to meet programmatic 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].
 

 

Membership and Program (Museum) Assistant

We are seeking to fill several summer staff positions to provide overall support during our busy visitor season. Responsibilities are varied, and include:

  • Greeting the public in our Visitors Center;
  • Staffing the English-language bookstore;
  • Assisting with public programs and events, including annual Yidstock music festival;
  • Member services and data entry;
  • General office support.

Some positions may include A/V support for public events (assisting with sound and video projection in performance spaces and classrooms), candidates with relevant interest and experience please note this in your cover letter.

Positions are 30–40 hours per week.

To apply, send cover letter and resume to Randi Silnutzer at [email protected]. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

 

Education Program Assistant

The Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts, seeks an energetic, experienced, full-time Program Assistant to provide administrative support for its expanding educational opportunities for youth and adults. 

Position Description:

The Education Program Assistant provides essential administrative support to staff and faculty for a full calendar of dynamic educational programs throughout the year. Periodic weekend/evening work required. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Coordinating program admissions and registration
  • Assisting with program marketing and publicity
  • Arranging travel and lodging for students and faculty
  • Responding to inquiries about educational programs
  • Handling program related logistics
  • Maintaining participant databases and files
  • Scheduling interviews and meetings
  • Coordinating events and calendars
  • Other tasks as assigned

Competitive salary and benefits.

Qualifications:

Required

  • BA degree
  • Excellent written and oral communication and organizational skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Commitment to program mission
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and electronic communications
  • Flexibility and sense of humor
  • Valid driver’s license and safe driving record

Preferred

  • Knowledge of educational programs and environment
  • Familiarity with local academic institutions and Jewish community 
  • Familiarity with modern Jewish history and culture

To apply: Send cover letter, resume, and contact information for two references to: Gretchen Fiordalice, director of education administration, [email protected].

 

Wexler Oral History Project Internships

The Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project offers internships for college students and recent graduates during the academic year and summers. Interns work at the Yiddish Book Center, adjacent to the Hampshire College campus, eight to twelve hours per week during the academic year, or more during the summer.

The internship has several tracks: a cultural content track; specific language tracks including a Polish-language specialist and a Yiddish-language specialist; and a special position as part of a NEH grant-funded project.

Technical interns edit and upload video footage of interviews (not available Spring 2018). Cultural-content interns time-code full-length interviews, identify interesting clips, and curate video material for our online archive. Applicants with strong backgrounds in both film editing and Jewish history and culture can work on both the cultural and technical aspects of the project. Language specialist interns work on processing, translating, and subtitling interviews that are conducted in Yiddish, Polish, or other languages in the collection. All interns work closely with the Project's technical assistant and director.

 

NEH Oral History Project Transcription Assistant

Position Description:

The NEH Oral History Project Transcription 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 Transcription Assistant will do the initial processing of transcripts of English-language oral history interviews, proofreading and copyediting.

Responsibilities:

  • Audio edit (quality check, proofread, and copyedit) interview transcripts
  • Help to populate lists of locations, proper names, organizations, and Yiddish keywords for the collection’s larger metadata project
  • Track transcription progress in Google spreadsheets

Requirements:

  • Interest in oral history, archives, and/or public history
  • Excellent English grammar and spelling skills
  • Ability to update and maintain an integrated tracking system for a complex workflow
  • Familiarity with GoogleSheets and GoogleDocs
  • Experience with transcription preferred
  • Jewish studies background (or familiarity with modern American/Eastern European Jewish and Yiddish culture and history) a plus

Details:

  • Start Date: January 2018
  • Approximate Number of Hours per Week: 8–10  
  • Hourly Wage: $11

 

Cultural-Content Intern

Job Description:

  • Create interview logs for oral history interviews
  • Identify great stories and excerpts of interviews for use in web, print, and other outlets using Final Cut Pro (professional video editing program)
  • Track interviews and post-interview processing in the project’s customized FileMaker Pro database

Requirements:

  • Jewish studies background (or familiarity with modern Jewish and Yiddish culture and history)
  • Interest in oral history/ethnography
  • Comfort with technology and interest in learning new software/applications*
  • Attention to detail
  • Excellent listening skills
  • Ability to update and maintain integrated tracking system for a complex workflow and expansive project
  • Ability to work independently, with low-level supervision

 

Polish-Language Specialist Intern

Job Description:

  • Create interview logs for oral history interviews conducted in Polish or in both Polish and English
  • Identify great stories and excerpts from Polish-language interviews for use in web, print, and other outlets using Final Cut Pro (professional video editing program)
  • Translate into English and subtitle excerpts for online publication
  • Contribute translations and subtitles to short films
  • Track interviews and post-interview processing in the project’s customized FileMaker Pro database

Requirements:

  • Advanced or native Polish Jewish studies background (or familiarity with modern American and Eastern European Jewish and Yiddish culture and history)
  • Interest in oral history/ethnography
  • Comfort with technology, interest in learning new software/applications* 
  • Attention to detail
  • Excellent listening skills
  • Ability to update and maintain integrated tracking system for a complex workflow and expansive project
  • Ability to work independently, with low-level supervision
  • Transcription and/or translation experience a plus

 

Yiddish-Language Specialist Intern

Job Description: 

  • Create interview logs for oral history interviews conducted in Yiddish or in both Yiddish and English
  • Identify great stories and excerpts from Yiddish-language interviews for use in web, print, and other outlets using Final Cut Pro (professional video editing program)
  • Translate into English and subtitle excerpts for online publication
  • Contribute translations and subtitles to short films
  • Track interviews and post-interview processing in the project’s customized FileMaker Pro database

Requirements: 

  • Advanced Yiddish
  • Jewish studies background (or familiarity with modern American and Eastern European Jewish and Yiddish culture and history)
  • Interest in oral history/ethnography
  • Comfort with technology, interest in learning new software/applications* 
  • Attention to detail
  • Excellent listening skills
  • Ability to update and maintain integrated tracking system for a complex workflow and expansive project
  • Ability to work independently, with low-level supervision
  • Transcription and/or translation experience a plus

*Note: Cultural and language specialist interns will receive basic training in Final Cut Pro video editing software.

Hours: Cultural and technical interns must work a minimum of eight hours per week. Cap on hours per week depends on work-study status and internship track. Schedule negotiable during weekday daytime hours.

Compensation: $11 per hour.

To apply: Send a cover letter and resume to Natalie King, Wexler Oral History Project administrative assistant, at [email protected]. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis until the positions are filled, so apply early.

 

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.