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Employment Opportunities

The Center for Jewish History is home to five partners—American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. The partner collections total more than five miles of archival material and span nearly a thousand years of history. When the Center opened its doors as the new "Library of Congress of the Jewish people" 16 years ago, it made a commitment to preserve the treasures that live within its walls and make them accessible to scholars, students, and diverse audiences. The Center relies on philanthropic support to do this work.

The Center is currently looking to fill the following position/s:

  • Administrative Assistant

    The Administrative Assistant will be an enthusiastic self-starter, who is well organized and comfortable with multi-tasking. S/he will be capable of fulfilling a wide range of administrative and executive support responsibilities, and will have experience organizing a dynamic office in a fast paced environment. Attention to detail is a key component of the position. The right candidate will demonstrate ability to weigh competing requests and prioritize tasks, skill for integrating seamlessly into communication flows, and gravitas to negotiate with the Center’s multiple stakeholders while displaying professionalism, grace, humor and calm under pressure.

    The Administrative Assistant will support the CEO/President and the senior staff team of Directors. This indiviudal will be primarily responsible for strategic relationship management, communications and logistical support, as well as serving as a key liaison for communication with all Center staff, Board of Directors, partner organizations, and other members of the CJH community.

    Responsibilities

    • Arrange and ensure the seamless run of the day to day schedules of the President/CEO
    • Update all essential information for external meetings, including organizing meeting details, confirming with attendees and coordinating logistics
    • Coordinate and communicate with senior management and team member schedules to ensure monthly management meetings, weekly check-ins and other internal meetings
    • Serve as primary point of contact for the President/CEO to prioritize and escalate issues on an ongoing basis
    • Receive inbound calls for the President/CEO and route the calls appropriately
    • Field inbound hard copy mail for the President/CEO
    • Act as internal resource and liaison for various operational needs (technology, insurance, security, general office administration, etc.)
    • Assist in coordination and preparation of Board and Board Committee meetings, including scheduling, RSVP tracking, material preparation and catering/day of meeting logistics.
    • Attend Board and Board Committee meetings; create and distribute minutes following all meetings.
    • Copy and edit documents pertaining the Board and the Center; manage updated versions of documents
    • File and update information on board members
    • Schedule and plan meetings for board committees, prepare and distribute materials for these meetings
    • Process donations using Raiser’s Edge and maintain database of donors.
    • Create acknowledgment letters and membership cards to be distributed to donors.
    • Assist Center’s Development team with answering of calls and drafting of correspondence
    • Enter and update contacts into Outlook and Raiser’s Edge
    • Obtain the necessary information and signatures for documents touching the President/CEO
    • Track donations and coordinate with event production team for the Center’s annual fundraising Gala dinner

    Required Qualifications

    • 2+ years of executive support or administrative experience
    • Bachelor's degree (or enrollment in an accredited four-year degree-granting institution)
    • Permanent authorization to work in the United States
    • Strong project management and analytical skills; demonstrated ability to take primary responsibility for a diverse number of projects and to complete them in a timely manner with limited supervision.
    • Excellent written and oral communication skills
    • Exemplary interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate effectively with culturally diverse staff
    • Proven mastery of Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint

    Preferred Qualifications

    • Ability to manage multiple tasks effectively, and to work productively in a fast paced, rapidly growing organization
    • Commitment to accuracy, attention to detail and follow-through
    • Strong interpersonal skills: courtesy, tact, patience and strong team orientation; assertive team player with a sense of humor
    • Commitment to, and enthusiasm for, the organization's mission and business model, and respect for our core values: generosity, accountability, humility, audacity, listening, leadership, and respect.

    The Center for Jewish History is committed to diversity and inclusion. Qualified individuals who bring diverse perspectives to the workplace are especially encouraged to apply.

    Please submit a cover letter, resume and writing samples, to Jordana Renick, at jrenick@cjh.org.

    No phone calls, please.

Internship Opportunities

The Center for Jewish History is seeking interns to assist with research, communications, development, and library and archival services. We seek applicants who are reliable, organized, detail oriented, and comfortable interacting with the public. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals looking for experience in special collections based research, the library and archival profession, or the administrative aspects of the non-profit sector.

  • Research Intern

    Under the supervision of the Senior Manager for Communications.

    Responsibilities

    • Utilize the collections, internet, and subscription databases to research a wide range of topics, including those of interest to the intern.
    • Research and fact check for publications, reference inquiries, and exhibits.

    Prerequisites

    • Strong research and writing skills are required.
    • Knowledge of and interest in modern American, European, and Jewish history is preferred.
    • Proficiency in foreign languages, particularly German, Polish, Russian, Hebrew, or Yiddish is helpful but not required.

    All interested in the social sciences (specifically history) and library science are welcome to apply. Please submit a cover letter and resume to David Rosenberg, Senior Manager for Communications, at drosenberg@cjh.org. Along with your other application materials, please include multiple writing samples.

  • Communications Intern

    Under the supervision of the Senior Manager for Communications.

    Responsibilities

    • Assist with communications efforts including press releases, event alerts, social media and email blasts. This includes original writing as well as editing and formatting.
    • Submit event listings to online outlets
    • Contribute to special projects, often surrounding public programs and exhibits

    Prerequisites

    • Strong writing skills are required.
    • Command over the English language.
    • Knowledge of and interest in journalism and public relations preferred.

    Current college students or recent graduates are welcome to apply. Please submit a cover letter and resume to David Rosenberg, Senior Manager for Communications, at drosenberg@cjh.org. Along with your other application materials, please include multiple writing samples.

  • Development Intern

    Under the supervision of the Senior Manager for Communications.

    Responsibilities

    • Obtain familiarity with Raiser’s Edge fundraising software
    • Update records as required
    • Attend meetings with development staff regarding initiatives, projects, and events
    • Make phone calls soliciting information and to thank donors
    • Assist with preparations for major fundraising gala
    • Represent the Center at public programs: staffing a membership/information table

    Prerequisites

    • Personable and friendly
    • Command over the English language
    • Knowledge of and interest in the non-profit sector preferred
    • Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge a plus

    Current college students or recent graduates are welcome to apply. Excellent opportunity to explore careers in fundraising. Please submit a cover letter and resume to David Rosenberg, Senior Manager for Communications, at drosenberg@cjh.org. Along with your other application materials, please include multiple writing samples.

Volunteer Opportunities

  • Tour Guides (docents)

    A tour consists of a visit to the exhibitions of the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (Yeshiva University Museum has a separate docent program) and the public areas of the Center (usually the auditorium, Great Hall, Reading Room, Genealogy Institute, Collection Management and Conservation Wing). Guides who lead these tours are knowledgeable about the facilities and the mission and scope of activities of the Center for Jewish History, and they are able to describe the exhibitions in the Partner’s exhibition cases. Tour guides give approximately one 2-hour tour each week, and attend frequent training sessions.

  • Translators

    The Center maintains a list of translators who are willing to help Reading Room and Genealogy Institute patrons translate documents. Staff members give the name of the patron to the translator, who then reaches out to the patron to make arrangements. Translations may be done here at the Center or remotely. Translators are needed in almost any language, but the most commonly requested translations are from Yiddish, Hebrew, Russian and German.

  • Ushers

    Ushers work at special events held at the Center. They take tickets and give out programs and may perform other tasks, as needed. The usher is welcome to stay and view the performance. Most events requiring ushers are held weekday evenings or on Sundays. Each usher is responsible for being available 45 minutes before the event to several minutes after the event begins.

  • Office/Library/Genealogy Assistants

    Office assistants work in various offices throughout the Center. Tasks may include coordinating mailings, addressing and stuffing envelopes, filing, answering phones and making phone calls, handling RSVPs to events, data entry and related office tasks. Some offices are seeking researchers and assistants for special projects. The Genealogy Institute needs volunteers who are experienced with family history research to assist patrons. Librarians may need volunteers to catalog books and related tasks. Required hours are worked out with the individual departments.

Requirements For Volunteers

  • Time commitment level: either on a project/event basis, or consistently, with at least one shift per week, ideally same day each week.
  • Attire: professional/casual, unless otherwise specified.
  • Communication skills: must have excellent speaking skills; knowledge of foreign languages a plus, though not required.
  • An interest in Judaism, education, culture, the arts and history.

Benefits For Volunteers

  • Complimentary tickets to concerts, films and other events when available.
  • Free admission to museums in New York City and elsewhere for the volunteer and a guest.
  • Invitation to our annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon and other special events.
  • Contact with a broad spectrum of individuals and groups.

If you are interested in volunteering at the Center, please contact Julie Kaplan, Volunteer Coordinator, at cjhvolunteer@cjh.org or call (917) 606-8226.