Overview
We seek an engaging Associate Rabbi or Cantor to serve our Conservative congregation, focusing on Jewish education and spiritual leadership. The ideal candidate will combine deep Torah knowledge with teaching abilities, emotional intelligence, and a love of using song to enhance prayer to nurture both individual and community growth.
Educational leadership is vital as this new clergy will oversee our religious school and adult education programs, shaping curricula that inspire a love of Judaism and spiritual connection. Religious school responsibilities will include staff supervision through collaboration, and with the Educational Director, co-creating and implementing curricula to infuse knowledge of Jewish traditions and prayer, especially using project-based learning and storytelling. For our adult congregants, this Rabbi or Cantor will be responsible for developing and nurturing innovative learning experiences (lay-led study programs, interfaith learning, contemporary Jewish life, etc.), to inspire congregants to embrace Jewish learning and enhance their own connections.
Fostering spiritual engagement is equally important, as our congregation continues our initiative to grow in its connection to prayer and spirituality, mainly through song and music. Along with the Senior Rabbi and lay leaders, our new Rabbi or Cantor will be responsible for continuing to guide us along this path, serving as a prayer leader as needed, but especially fostering a culture of lay leadership for our services (daily, Shabbat, and holiday). Our goal is to balance traditional nusah with participatory singing, encouraging congregants to lead and connect with their own spirituality.
Additionally, the Rabbi or Cantor will have the opportunity to provide pastoral care and spiritual support to our community, under the guidance of our Senior Rabbi. This new clergy will also collaborate with other local organizations and may represent Ahavath Achim Synagogue and community events. We welcome a partner who will share their own spiritual journey with leadership, staff, and families, inspiring and deepening relationships within our congregation and the broader community.
Atlanta is home to a thriving and diverse Jewish community, with 102,300 Jews residing in the metro area (Atlanta Jewish Population Project). Our community is enriched by a wide array of cultural and religious institutions, including the Atlanta Jewish Federation, a vibrant Jewish Community Center, Jewish publications, and dynamic festivals celebrating Jewish life, film, and music.
Ahavath Achim is one of several Conservative synagogues in the greater Atlanta area, alongside numerous Reform, Orthodox, Reconstructionist and independent congregations, reflecting the city's broad spectrum of Jewish practice and belief.
The community also supports Jewish education at all levels, from our own Ahava preschool to multiple Jewish day schools. Additionally, Atlanta is home to the Southeast USA Israeli Consulate, playing a pivotal role in fostering connections to Israel.
In times of need, our Jewish community comes together in solidarity, as demonstrated by the recent gatherings and initiatives to honor and remember the victims of the October 7 tragedy and support the State of Israel.
This position requires a dynamic individual who can balance multiple responsibilities and connect with congregants of all ages. The ideal candidate will be passionate about Jewish education, committed to creating meaningful prayer experiences for our community, and will have a foundation in pastoral care. Specific qualifications include:
- Strong knowledge of Torah, Jewish traditions and Hebrew language
- Previous experience in Jewish education, with previous leadership experience preferred
- Shabbat and holiday service leading skills, ability to balance traditional nusah with innovative approaches and communal singing
- Creative and collaborative approach to Jewish learning
- Ability to deliver meaningful and relevant drashot
- Passion for fostering community engagement
- Commitment to Jewish practices including kashrut and Shabbat observance
- Engagement in ongoing professional development
- Emotional intelligence and empathy
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
Parsonage - housing available approximately 0.3 mi from synagogue
Major Medical Insurance
Hospitalization
Disability Insurance
Convention Allowance/Continuing Education
Rabbinical Assembly Annual Dues
Synagogue or Day School Tuition Reimbursement for Rabbi's Children
Sarah Cohen and Randy Weinstein, Search Committee Co-Chairs:
aa-rabbi-candidates@googlegroups.com
About Ahavath Achim Synagogue
Ahavath Achim’s mission statement is: Ahavath Achim (AA) cultivates a Jewish community of purposeful belonging. We inspire and support spiritual journeys by deepening relationships with one another. We believe it is at the crossroads of our spiritual paths that life's purpose and God might be found. AA creates a vibrant, inclusive, spiritual community that empowers individuals to connect Jewishly beyond themselves.
AA is rooted in traditional Jewish observance, while also embracing novel approaches to prayer and practices. We have a rich history, including many multi-generational families, while also attracting many newcomers. AA is inclusive. We revised our Shabbat practices so interfaith parents and grandparents can participate in Shabbat services and b’nai mitzvot. We welcome LGBTQ+ and non-binary individuals. We also designed our building to increase access for those with disabilities.
Through prayer, study, and lifecycle events, AA nurtures individuals at every stage of life, and encourages active participation. We offer 2 daily minyanim, Shabbat, and holiday services, Shabbat Torah study and post-Kiddush Beit Midrash, a youth education program, and the Ahava Early Learning Center. We honor our volunteers during special Shabbat services and celebrate members’ simchas by offering Shabbat aliyot and special blessings.
We care for our ill, hospitalized, and homebound members by delivering food, calls and notes. We support our bereaved by attending shiva minyanim, condolence notes, High Holiday, Mother’s and Father’s Day letters. Our annual Arnovitz Leadership Institute identifies and cultivates emerging leaders. We offer a wide range of interest groups, social action activities, programs, committees, and initiatives so our members can connect with others, develop purposeful faith and belonging, embody and reflect our Jewish values of Chesed, social and environmental justice, and Tikkun Olam.