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):

Communications Assistant/Communications Coordinator

The Yiddish Book Center is seeking a Communications Coordinator or Communications Assistant to provide skilled support to communications efforts in the areas of social media, marketing, promotion, and publication. This position will report to the Director of Communications. "Coordinator" or "Assistant" title is dependent on experience and qualifications.

Responsibilities:

  • Build and execute social media strategy
  • Generate, curate, edit, publish, and share daily social media content across platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
  • Provide administrative support
  • Research, draft, and publish content for the Center’s various communications vehicles – print, web based, e-communications, podcasts, and other
  • Create and oversee editorial calendars for web content and print publication
  • Assist with other external and internal communications duties as needed
  • Monitor and report social and website analytics/metrics
  • Some evening and weekend work required.

The ideal candidate for the Coordinator position will have the following qualifications:

  • 3-5 years related experience
  • BA required
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Experience with social media across various platforms
  • Attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and ability to prioritize among multiple responsibilities
  • Copy-editing and proofreading skills
  • Professional, good sense of humor, friendly telephone manner
  • Flexibility and ability to work as a team member
  • Solid computer skills, knowledge of social media, experience publishing web content, and database management
  • Knowledge of Yiddish and Jewish culture a plus

Recent grads are encouraged to apply and will be considered for the Assistant position.

Interested candidates should email resume and cover letter to Lisa Newman, director of communications, at [email protected] No phone calls. 

Membership and Communications Assistant

The Yiddish Book Center is seeking a Membership and Communications Assistant to provide administrative assistance for the Membership and Communications departments, including a variety of database and organizational responsibilities, online outreach, research, and general communications with the Center’s visitors and members.

Responsibilities:

  • Provide administrative assistance for Membership and Communications departments. This is a full-time position divided between the two departments.
  • Assist with data entry and updates in Raiser's Edge, Luminate, and other constituent and marketing databases
  • Assist with mail processing (opening, sorting, documenting, etc.)
  • Post web content and build emails
  • General marketing and audience research; organize and maintain image and design file archive
  • Answer multi-line phone system, forwarding calls as needed, and responding to inquiries
  • Assist with correspondence and member fulfillment
  • Assist at the docent desk and provide backup support for Visitors Services and Public Programs
  • Provide technical support, including audio-visual for public and educational programs
  • Some evening and weekend work required.

The ideal candidate for the position will have the following qualifications:

  • Attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and ability to prioritize among multiple responsibilities
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Professional, friendly telephone manner, and facility in dealing with the public
  • Flexibility and ability to work in a team
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Facility with standard computer applications
  • Experience with data entry principles and procedures

Interested candidates should email resume and cover letter to [email protected] No phone calls please. 

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 technical track, a cultural-content track, specific language tracks, and a special position as part of a NEH grant-funded project.

Technical interns edit and upload video footage of interviews (not available Fall 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 editor or NEH oral history project coordinator and director.

 

NEH Oral History Project Indexing Assistant

Position Description:

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.

Responsibilities:

  • 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

Requirements:

  • Interest in oral history, archives, and/or public history
  • 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
  • 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 

Details:

  • Approximate number of hours per week: 8–10  
  • Hourly Wage: $13

 

Cultural-Content Intern

Job Description:

  • Create interview logs for oral history interviews conducted in English
  • 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 American and Eastern European 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

Details:

  • Approximate number of hours per week: 8-10
  • Hourly wage: $13 

 

Spanish-Language Specialist Intern

Job Description:

  • Create interview logs for oral history interviews conducted in Spanish or in both Spanish and English
  • Identify great stories and excerpts from Spanish-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 Spanish
  • 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

Details:

  • Approximate number of hours per week: 8-10
  • Hourly wage: $15

 

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

Details: 

  • Approximate number of hours per week: 8-10
  • Hourly wage: $15

 

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.

Details: 

  • Approximate number of hours per week: 8-10
  • Hourly wage: $15 

 

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: $13-15 per hour, based on technical and language skills.

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