Overview

The duties our Rabbi will be expected to fulfill include:

  • Actively supporting the long-term visioning and growth of the congregation
  • Leading engaging religious services for Erev Shabbat, Shabbat morning, holidays, and life cycle events
  • Participating in a religious school leadership team, collaborating with talented staff and committed parents, and building meaningful relationships with children and teens in the congregation
  • Inspiring congregants in their understanding of the how and why of religious practices and traditions
  • Connecting teens to their Jewish identity and heritage through creative programming
  • Participating in our preschool’s Jewish enrichment programming
  • Providing pastoral care
  • Leading congregants in tikkun olam and social action in our community
  • Empowering and sustaining lay leadership
  • Collaborating as part of a small-staff team
Community Description:

Congregation Adat Reyim is a welcoming, caring congregation in wooded Fairfax County, Virginia, 15 miles from Washington, D.C. From our name — which means a “community of friends ”— to our inclusive approach to Judaism, this is a place you can feel at home. Our independent congregation of 250 households draws on the richness of Jewish tradition and respects the many ways our diverse community members connect to each other and the Divine.

Join us on a Friday night, and you will be personally welcomed. Come on Saturday morning, and you will be offered an honor and invited to lunch. Bring the kids to our religious school, our preschool, a Shabbat Family Jam, a Family & Friends Service, or any service – and they will be part of our family. Enjoy a pot-luck dinner or Adult Education program and share your ideas and perspectives; we will listen. We are committed to social action to support our broader community and our world. Whether you enjoy the traditional harmonies of a choir, or the ruach of our Spirit of Shabbat service with guitars and more, or a moving string quartet sharing Kol Nidre, there is music to inspire you. We are small enough to know each other and large enough to be a thriving community!

Work Remotely: no
Qualifications:

Our goal is to hire a full-time rabbi with the following qualifications:

  • Engaging spiritual leader who makes Judaism relevant to congregants of every life stage, background, or Jewish journey
  • Jewish educator in all ways to all ages, with special emphasis on nurturing younger children and teens
  • Compassionate listener
  • Ability to foster connections among congregants of diverse backgrounds including interfaith families, LGBTQ members, members with differing abilities, those with various cultural backgrounds and members in the military
  • Interest in becoming a part of our Adat Reyim – “community of friends” – guiding us through life cycle events and supporting us in good times and challenging ones
  • Experienced in pastoral care
  • Embodies the spirit of ivdu et Hashem b'simcha – “serve Hashem with joy”
  • Collaborative and supportive of a highly participatory congregation
Position Start Date: July 1, 2020
Benefits:

Competitive Benefits Allowance

Salary Range: $90,000 to $125,000
Send resumes and cover letter to:

RabbiSearch@AdatReyim.org

About Congregation Adat Reyim

Our congregation was fortunate enough to have a full two years to prepare for the retirement of our current rabbi of 29 years. Insights and opinions from congregants have been collected in a variety of ways. More than 100 members gave thoughtful responses to our survey; nearly 250 members provided insights at our focus groups; and some 75 members provided reactions to three guest rabbi visits. The congregational values and rabbi characteristics identified through this process have formed the foundation of the job description and the questions that will be asked of rabbi candidates.

Here are some key values that emerged:

Today, our community at Adat Reyim is a  caring, connected congregation reflective of a diversity of Jewish practices and welcoming of interfaith families. We are a participatory, innovative congregation.

In the future, we want to be even more welcoming to all individuals.  We want to improve the religious education for our children from preschool through teens and create a learning home for all members.  We want to provide a spiritually fulfilling home to all members and provide the supports needed so all can comfortably participate in the spiritual and community life at Adat Reyim.

The characteristics we want most for the next Rabbi include someone who is an approachable, compassionate leader – working to building community within Adat Reyim.  An engaging spiritual and religious educator for all members, particularly children and youth. We want someone who is a collaborator and someone who has a strong presence in congregational life.

You can read the executive summary of what we learned through the congregational input process here.