Overview
The Cantor is an integral part of sustaining and growing our community and the Congregation’s Jewish identity. The Cantor is a part of our clergy team, tending to the spiritual life of the Congregation through music and song. As a teacher of Torah, Hebrew and liturgy, the Cantor will imbue the love of language and text in both children and adults. The Cantor should be collaborative, innovative and creative, while showing a true understanding of and respect for our evolving Jewish civilization.
The Cantor reports to the congregation Co-Presidents.
General Responsibilities
• Collaborate with clergy in creating and leading innovative and meaningful worship
• Lead or co-lead Shabbat (Friday and Saturday) High Holy Day and other holiday and festival worship
• Torah reading and/or supervision
• Participate in life cycle events of congregants
• Perform interfaith wedding ceremonies for members
• Perform pastoral and life cycle duties and visits to the sick
B’nai Mitzvah Program
• Tutor B’nai Mitzvah students to lead the service including reciting/singing prayers and chanting Torah and Haftorah (6 students 7/22-6/23)
• Work with Rabbi to ensure students are fully prepared for their B’nai Mitzvah
Musical Direction
• Supervise and direct all congregational music programs, including choir activities
• Musical programming for youth, such as children’s/teen choirs, Shabbat Shalom Band
• Hire and coordinate accompanists
• Play guitar or other musical instrument, desired
Education Responsibilities
• Willingness to teach a variety of ages and interest groups. This includes:
o Adult education classes
o Youth and adult Hebrew classes
o Classroom visits in the Hebrew school
Tot Shabbat activities
Synagogue Leadership, Administration and Community Responsibilities
• Work within an established budget
• Participate in monthly professional staff meetings
• Create and participate in community events and concerts (Jewish and interfaith)
• Staff synagogue committees as needed
• Work collaboratively with the Rabbi, other synagogue staff and congregational leadership
• Collaborate with the Jewish Federation of Howard County, other congregations that share space with us at Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, and other religious and non-religious organizations in the community.
• Will report to the Co-Presidents
Columbia is part of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Our location gives us access to both the Baltimore and Washington area museums, art institutes and symphonies. We are also located near Annapolis, the state capital.
Columbia itself offers: the Jim Rouse Theatre for the Performing Arts, the Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods’ Chrysalis Amphitheater, Merriweather Post Pavilion, the Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center. Annual concert series are available through Howard Community College Candlelight Concerts. The mid-Atlantic Chalice Concerts Series are presented in the Owen Brown Interfaith Center. Sunset Serenades Concerts at Centennial Park are free to everyone from June through August. For theater lovers, Columbia offers the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company In-the-Ruins, the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, Howard County Summer Theatre, Rep Stage Company and Toby’s Dinner Theatre. We also have a number of musical groups like The Columbia Jazz Band, The Columbia Orchestra, Columbia Pro Cantare, Howard County Concert Orchestra, Peabody Children’s Chorus, and Voices 21 chamber chorus. We are home to the Columbia Art Center, the Howard County Center for the Arts, Howard County Center of African American Culture, Columbia Association International Book Club, Howard County Poetry and Literature Society and various dance companies and ballet groups. The congregations in Oakland Mills Interfaith Center support art installations that are changed each quarter
Columbia is consistently recognized as one of the best places to live in the country. https://patch.com/maryland/columbia/columbia-ranks-among-best-cities-live-america.
QUALIFICATIONS
• Knowledge of nusach and prayers
• Knowledge of trope
• Knowledge of prayer books (Kol HaNeshamah Series, desired)
• Knowledge of liturgy of life cycle events
• Ability to read Hebrew and Torah
• Ability to sing and lead congregants in singing
• Ability to read music
• Ability to lead choirs
• Ability to teach children and adults
• Knowledge and competency in computer usage (including Microsoft Office, recording audio files, using Zoom and other communication tools)
Columbia Jewish Congregation offers a competitive salary range of $65,000 - $72,000 which includes medical, dental, vision and disability insurance, parsonage and vacation.
robin@columbiajewish.org
About Columbia Jewish Congregation
The congregation was founded in 1970 by a handful of Jewish families who were recent “immigrants” to Howard County and the recently established community of Columbia. Today, CJC is a progressive Jewish community, welcoming to all who share our common values of study of Torah (Learning), Acts of TikkunOlam (Repairing the World), Gemilut Chesed (Acts of Loving Kindness). We value the wisdom of our community elders, support the education and sharing of a rich Jewish cultural history with our youth, and encourage the participation of families and individuals.
We are housed in the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, and share our worship space with 4 other religious organizations.
We strive to apply and project Torah values in our congregation and our community. We are a welcoming and intentionally inclusive community. We have a strong and involved lay leadership.