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 Content Editor and Projects Coordinator

The Yiddish Book Center is seeking a Communications Content Editor and Projects Coordinator to provide skilled support to communications efforts in the areas of content curation and creation, social media, marketing, and publication and project coordination. This position will report to the Director of Communications. The Yiddish Book Center offers meaningful and challenging positions, a warm, friendly atmosphere, competitive salaries, and excellent benefits.

Job Description

  • Serve as project coordinator for the Center’s many publications and other communications projects
  • Research, draft, and publish content for the Center’s various editorial and marketing communications vehicles – print, web, and e-communications
  • Generate, curate, edit, publish, and share content across platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
  • Create and oversee editorial calendars for digital/print content
  • Work with Director of Communications and other staff to create and execute social media and digital strategy        
  • Monitor and report social and website analytics/metric
  • Research and secure permissions for archival media, photography, and artwork

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

  • 3+ years related experience
  • BA required
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Experience with social media and SEO 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

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

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 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 oe 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].

 

Residential Assistant

The Yiddish Book Center is seeking a Residential Assistant proficient in Yiddish to facilitate a fun and intellectually stimulating Yiddish-speaking environment for eighteen college students and assist with the daily operations of an intensive summer program in Yiddish language and culture. This is a full-time seven-and-a-half-week position (June 2-July 19, 2019), with evenings and weekends required.

Program Summary:

Now in its fourth decade, the Steiner Summer Yiddish Program offers motivated students the opportunity to immerse themselves in Yiddish language and culture. Participants study with renowned scholars and build a community of yidishkayt in a supportive residential setting.  Even if the RA’s Yiddish speaking level isn’t high, they should still be comfortable. They can attend Yiddish classes when it doesn’t conflict with duties. 

This is a seven-and-a-half-week position, with weekends and evenings required. This year’s program runs from June 2-July 19, and includes a field trip to New York City, July 4-7, 2019.

General Responsibilities:

  • Facilitate a comfortable, fun, and intellectually stimulating Yiddish-speaking environment for eighteen college students
  • Assist with the daily operations of an intensive summer program in Yiddish language and culture
  • Live in a Hampshire College apartment-style dorm with the students
  • Speaking Yiddish, leading activities in Yiddish, and encouraging Yiddish use in the dorms, etc. are all extremely important
  • Even if the RA’s Yiddish speaking level isn’t high, they should still be comfortable
  • They can attend Yiddish classes when it doesn’t conflict with duties
  • This is a seven-and-a-half-week position, with weekends and evenings required. This year’s program runs from June 2-July 19, and includes a field trip to New York City, July 4-7, 2019

Duties will include but not be limited to:

  • Living in dorm with students; helping students with daily living, such as weekly supermarket trips
  • Assisting with student orientation
  • Being the first line of response for students’ questions and concerns
  • Staffing evening activities and events for the program
  • Enforcing program policies in consultation with Program Assistant and Administrative Director 
  • Communicating with Program Assistant and Administrative Director if any concerns about students arise
  • Helping to promote a Yiddish learning community among students
  • Organizing Yiddish-infused extracurricular and social activities 
  • Assisting with driving and picking up faculty, students, or supplies as needed
  • Helping coordinate and participating in New York City field trip, July 4-7, and shorter field trips to be determined
  • Helping Yiddish Book Center staff with logistics in the days prior to the program launch and following program conclusion
  • Assisting with student check-out of dorms
  • Other tasks as assigned by supervisor

Required:

  • Proficiency in Yiddish language, and comfortability leading activities in Yiddish and encouraging Yiddish use
  • Good organizational and interpersonal skills
  • Maturity, flexibility, sense of humor
  • Valid driver’s license and safe driving record
  • Minimum 21 years of age

Highly Preferred:

  • Experience in college residential support

Preferred: 

  • Familiarity with Yiddish Book Center and Five-College area
  • Knowledge of modern Jewish culture and Jewish community

Schedule:

  • Two days set-up
  • Seven weeks on site, primarily afternoons, evenings and weekends
  • Two days wrap-up

Compensation:

$3,500 plu housing in Hampshire College apartment-style dorm

To apply:  

Send to Gretchen Fiordalice, Director of Education Administration at [email protected]

1. Send resume or CV, including Yiddish language background, that describes your relevant interests and experiences and a cover letter that addresses why you want to work in the Steiner Summer Yiddish Program
2. Have two professional references (current or former supervisors) send their letters of recommendation directly to Gretchen
 
If you have questions, email Gretchen at [email protected] or call 413-256-4900 ext.#103.
 

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.