Overview

Congregation Shir Libeynu is a liberal, egalitarian congregation, unaffiliated with any particular stream of Judaism, established over 20 years ago. Our goals are to celebrate and experience joyfully all aspects of Jewish life and spirituality within an environment of inclusiveness, innovation and intellectual challenge. We welcome new rituals and liturgy while recognizing and affirming the many paths our tradition offers.

Our diverse community welcomes all people, including interfaith, LGBTQ+, traditional and non-traditional individuals and families. We are centrally located in Toronto, with Shabbat services at the MNjcc. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been offering our services and programs virtually via Zoom.

We are looking for an innovative, compassionate rabbi to provide leadership, enrich our Jewish spiritual practice, and help us grow and strengthen our community.

Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada.

Duties

·       Conduct monthly Shabbat morning services, Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalah, and holiday/festival events

·       Plan and lead all High Holy Day services

·       Collaborate with the cantors, singers and musicians to incorporate music into services

·       Officiate at congregation members’ lifecycle events (B’nei Mitzvahs, weddings and funerals are part of the duties, but are paid separately)

·       Counsel ill community members; comfort and advise congregants on death and dying

·       Work with staff and volunteers to plan and implement children and youth programming, both in the classroom and at services

·       Work with families and youth to prepare, plan and conduct simchot (bar/bat mitzvahs)

·       Lead adult education workshops, as determined, in collaboration with the board/education committee

·       Work with the board and membership to develop strategies and conduct outreach to grow our congregation, particularly to attract young individuals and families

·       Liaise with other Jewish organizations and institutions, NGOs and community groups on religious, cultural, political and social issues

·       Contribute to anti-racism/social justice work, including initiatives of the shul’s social action committee

·       Write articles for our publications

·       Attend board meetings, as required

Work Remotely: no
Qualifications:

·       Ordained rabbi (or experienced lay leader) with pulpit, educational, organizational and community development expertise

·       Adept at exploring the relevance of traditional Jewish texts to contemporary life

·       Ability to engage with a wide range of congregants, including LGBTQ+, interfaith and non-traditional individuals and families, as well as those from secular, liberal and Orthodox backgrounds

·       Pastoral ability to support, celebrate and comfort our members through myriad Jewish life cycles and milestones

·       Skilled at developing children’s, youth and adult educational programming

·       Experience at outreach to broader Jewish community, as well as other religious, spiritual and cultural groups

·       Experience developing and presenting virtual services, given the current health crisis

Position Start Date: Spring 2021
Salary Range: Salary: $30,000 - $35,000 CAN Additional fees will be negotiated for conducting lifecycle events.
Send resumes and cover letter to:

Please send your resume and cover letter to slboard@shirlibeynu.ca before November 20, 2020 at 5:00 pm. We thank you in advance for your application but can only respond to applicants who are selected for an interview.

About Congregation Shir Libeynu

Our congregation comes from a variety of backgrounds—Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative, Orthodox and secular—with varying degrees of Jewish education and experience. Our new rabbi will find a community open to ideas and opportunities that will make a difference in the lives of our congregants.

As the longest-standing LGBTQ+-inclusive shul in the city, our rites and rituals reflect the diversity within our community. We are open to interfaith families celebrating at our simchot. We strive to accommodate people with disabilities.

In 1997, five committed women founded Shir Libeynu. Seventy people came to our first High Holy Days services. Since then we have grown to a community of about 300 people that pray, celebrate, mourn, learn, sing and dance together. We currently hold monthly Shabbat services that draw about 60 people. We have a B’nei Mitzvah program, a speakers’ series and other programs for adults. We are focussed on deepening our congregational life, increasing volunteerism and growing our congregation.

Visit our website: https://shirlibeynu.ca