Rabbi Careers

Overview

Jewish Center of the Hamptons Rabbi Job Description
Overview
The Jewish Center of the Hamptons seeks a thoughtful, learned, visionary, and compassionate Rabbi to serve as our spiritual leader and partner to inspire, teach, guide, and support our existing membership and attract new members in shaping the next chapter of our congregation’s story. Rooted in the beauty and openness of East Hampton, JCOH is a vibrant, inclusive community that welcomes all who seek meaningful Jewish connection, spiritually, intellectually, and socially.

The JCOH congregation is composed of members from the entire metropolitan area and New York City as well as the East End. The role requires engagement and relationship-building with congregants both locally and in the city, fostering a strong sense of community across geographic distance.

The Rabbi will guide the congregation in worship, education, pastoral care, and community engagement, while upholding the values of Judaism and fostering a deep sense of belonging among members of diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Primary Responsibilities
1.  Spiritual Leadership

•                Lead engaging and inspiring Shabbat, festival, and High Holy Day services, including outdoor services on the JCOH grounds and East Hampton beach.

•                Deliver sermons/D’Var torahs and teachings that are relevant, thoughtful, and rooted in Jewish wisdom and contemporary life.

•                Encourage creativity and participation in worship, blending traditional liturgy with modern expression.

•                Work collegially with Cantor in serving the congregation.

2.  Pastoral Care

•             Provide comfort, counseling, and presence to members in times of joy, illness, loss, or transition.

•             Officiate at all member life cycle events, be they baby naming, b’nai mitzvahs, weddings, funerals, and conversions, with sensitivity and inclusivity.

•             Extend pastoral care to the wider Jewish community as the beacon of Judaism on the east end reflecting our commitment to communal responsibility i.e. national or international occurrences when appropriate.

•             Open rabbi’s home to members and scholars for various Jewish calendar events

3.  Education

•             Serve as a teacher and lifelong learner with adults and children, inspiring curiosity and connection to Jewish life.

•             Collaborate with educational staff to strengthen the religious school, family education, and teen engagement.

•             Lead adult learning opportunities, Torah study, and community discussions throughout the year that encourage reflection, curiosity, and dialogue at every level.

•             Ensure that Jewish learning bridges the questions, values and experiences of Jewish text with current events.

4.  Community Building and Engagement

•                Foster a welcoming and inclusive environment that celebrates diversity of age, background, and belief.

•                Strengthen intergenerational relationships among members.

•                Encourage volunteerism and active participation in congregational life.

•                Build connections between JCOH and the broader Hamptons and New York Jewish communities, representing the synagogue in interfaith, civic, and cultural settings.

•                Inspire and engage the younger families of our congregation and community to establish and foster a deepening connection to Judaism and the Jewish Center of the Hamptons as the center of their Jewish lives.

•                Encourage young people and young families outside our congregation to become members, and as such, attend services, and inspire a meaningful and enthusiastic sense of what it means to lead a Jewish life and participate fully in our community.

•                Build personal connections and relationships with all members,including holiday, Shabbat, and community events in your home, thereby strengthening congregational relationships and inspiring commitment, dedication, and support of the work of our clergy, membership, the greater community, and Israel.

5.  Leadership and Collaboration

•             Work effectively with the officers and Board of Trustees (lay leadership), Cantor, and staff to realize the full potential of our synagogue as the voice of Judaism on the East End of Long Island, in order to advance the mission and vision of the JCOH

•             Assume a leadership role in fundraising, membership growth, and congregational outreach through active presence, partnership, and personal engagement.