Overview
We seek a Director of Liturgical Music (rabbis and cantors are encouraged to apply) who will lift our hearts and spirits in song. We seek a collaborative leader who will work in partnership with our clergy, staff team, lay leaders and musical volunteers to explore the transformative power of music for prayer, education, and spiritual growth. As a member of the clergy team, the Director of Liturgical Music will be a full participant in the leadership of congregational life, including worship, life cycle events, teaching in our Religious School and Preschool, pastoral responsibilities, program planning, mentoring and encouraging volunteer participation in our music program. As a teacher of music and liturgy, the Director of Liturgical Music will imbue a love of prayer in both children and adults, having a presence in both our Traditional Service and Shir Hadash (a contemporary musical service). This position requires one to be collaborative, innovative and creative while showing a true understanding of, and respect for, traditional Judaism. We look forward to working with a Director of Liturgical Music who is passionate about Jewish life and creating community, and who possesses the interpersonal skills to thrive in a congregational environment that is both complex and highly collaborative. We seek a musician who will bring energy, artistic skill and a compassionate heart to the advancement of our congregation’s vision of sacred time, holy relationships and a just world.
The duties of the Director of Liturgical Music shall include but are not limited to the following:
Lead, organize, and/or assist at Shabbat, High Holiday, and Festival Services providing leadership at the Traditional Service and Shir Hadash.
Engage meaningfully with the community and inspire and facilitate a participatory and spiritual experience for all congregants wherever they may be on their religious or educational journey emphasizing singing and music as a Spiritual Practice.
Assist and/or officiate at congregant life-cycle events.
Support the clergy team in providing pastoral care to congregants.
Collaborate with rabbis to expand attendance and participation in adult and youth Shabbat services.
Organize special outreach services off site such as Friday Night in the Park and other innovative music programs.
Organize and train lay leadership for Torah/Haftorah reading, leading of services and to read Torah/Haftorah when necessary.
Attend weekday services in coordination with the rabbis.
Collaborate with staff to plan and lead musical holiday programs.
Develop innovative life cycle rituals customized and personalized for families.
Attend and participate in Ritual Committee Meetings throughout the year.
Develop and maintain Ritual budget for music purchases, instrument upkeep and sound systems updates.
Teach music as needed in synagogue educational programs, including preschool, religious school and Junior Congregation.
Establish education and music curriculum for all ages.
Participate in the B’nai Mitzvah preparation program in consultation with rabbis and Director of Education.
Synagogue Engagement
Organize cultural programs, concerts and other outreach programs.
Initiate music programs for young adults.
Recruit, mentor and encourage musical volunteers.
Work with the Engagement Team to connect members to the synagogue and to each other based on the model of “Relational Judaism.”
Assist in raising funds for the congregation to support the continued financial health of the synagogue.
Write articles for the monthly Highlights from time to time.
HEA is an 850-family independent traditional-egalitarian synagogue led by Conservative Movement rabbis. We are a warm and welcoming, forward-looking community with an innovative spirit. Every Shabbat morning we offer two distinct services: a traditional-egalitarian service (repetitions of the Amidah for both Shacharit and Musaf as well as a full Torah reading) and Shir Hadash, an innovative musical service with percussion and participatory singing (triennial reading, no haftarah or musaf).
The HEA’s Religious School has approximately 135 students, the preschool has over 90 students, and about 35-45 youth become bar/bat mitzvah each year. The Denver Jewish community is the 16th largest in the nation with a population over 100,000; there are two kosher restaurants, excellent public schools, and a college preparatory pluralistic K-12 Jewish Day School. Denver continues to have a growing economy with abundant career opportunities and offers a high quality of life with extraordinary natural beauty and outdoor lifestyle.
Qualifications:
Extensive music skills.
Facility in chanting both traditional and contemporary/innovative liturgy.
Significant experience leading High Holiday and Shabbat morning services.
Proficiency with a musical instrument preferred.
Strong organizational skills.
Ability to show warmth and relate well to both adults and children.
Proficiency in Hebrew and English
Strong computer and communication skills.
Competitive compensation and benefits package based on qualifications.
We anticipate interviewing candidates in January/February 2020 to begin on or before June 2020
Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, disability, vacation, and retirement
cantorsearch@headenver.org
About Congregation HEA
Congregation HEA is dedicated to inspiring lives of meaning, purpose and belonging through the wisdom of Judaism.