Rabbi Careers

Overview

Seeking Interim Rabbi in the Land of Enchantment

Congregation B’nai Israel, a vibrant Conservative egalitarian Jewish community in Albuquerque, New Mexico, seeks an experienced interim rabbi for 1-3 years to serve our spiritual, communal, and educational needs in the heart of the Southwest.  After a few years without consistent rabbinical leadership, our community seeks an individual to guide our lay membership. We are looking for a steady hand who can help us heal from past divisions and guide us toward a unified future.

Job Responsibilities:

The interim rabbi that we seek combines the pastoral skills of an experienced community rabbi with the organizational skills that we need to navigate this period.  This position requires:

Service attendance and leadership:  Although our community has a high degree of lay participation in Jewish ritual life, we seek someone to lead our religious services (including Shabbat, weekday, and holiday). As we do not presently have a cantor, musicality is desired.
Education:  Our congregation has an active Hebrew school to which we want the rabbi to contribute both knowledge and direction.  Also, the community hungers for more adult education opportunities, and a Rabbi to engage with the Education Committee to provide resources and teaching.
Pastoral care:  In addition to officiating at Simchas (B’nai Mitzvot, weddings, baby namings, etc.), the position will require administering to the off-hour needs of our home-bound congregants, of grieving families and funeral preparation.
Broader community engagement: We seek a rabbi who will represent us in interactions with the larger community in Albuquerque and New Mexico, reaching out to other congregations, community and interfaith organizations, and unaffiliated Jews. Participation in RACAA (Rabbis and Cantors Association of Albuquerque) is also expected.
Administrative skills: We are looking for someone with self-direction, as well as organizational skills and training. Although we have an extensively dedicated corps of volunteers, it should be noted that our congregation’s only paid administrative staff is a part-time office manager and a part-time religious school director.
Special to the interim position: We need a rabbi who can work with the Board of Trustees and the congregation to create a vision for the future that will help us to find our settled rabbi for the longer term.

Above all, Congregation B’nai Israel seeks a kind and intuitive leader who embodies the welcoming and inclusive spirit of our community to guide us toward more settled rabbinic leadership.