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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:

  • Senior Manager for Public Services

    The Center for Jewish History seeks a Senior Manager for Public Services to take a leading role in increasing the accessibility of and advancing public engagement with the collections. The Senior Manager will join a dynamic team of colleagues dedicated to collaboratively advancing the Center’s shared services model and maximizing discoverability of collections that total more than 30,000 linear feet of archival materials, 500,000 volumes, thousands of art and artifacts, and nearly 50 TB of digital assets.

    The Senior Manager fosters consistent, high-caliber service to both researchers and the five partner organizations. The Senior Manager reports to the Director of Archive and Library Services and oversees all operations in the Lillian Goldman Reading Room and the Ackman and Ziff Family Genealogy Institute, which are open to the public and together handle annually over 3,500 researcher visits, as well as the Scholars’ Lounge and the David Berg Rare Book Room.

    Responsibilities

    • Ensure excellent service to researchers in a closed stack environment through the management of a team of 7 full- and part-time librarians and archivists. Team management includes providing direction and mentoring staff; training new staff; determining reference desk scheduling; and continually evaluating and fine-tuning workflows.
    • Update, enforce and/or create policies to further professionalize the Center’s access practices and improve researcher’s experience.
    • Engage with school groups, lead instructional sessions for researchers, and guide staff in developing curriculum guides for educators.
    • Collaborate across Center departments and with partners to design, develop, execute, and analyze new services, pilot projects and programs.
    • Support the planning, curation, and implementation of online and physical exhibitions to promote and increase public engagement with collections.
    • Promote and advocate for the work undertaken by the department, including participating in coordinated outreach efforts, special tours, and maintenance of statistics on output.
    • Complete tasks associated with grant-funded projects, including proposing and helping to shape new projects; assisting in determining funding sources; building and controlling all project budgets; and contributing content to narrative and financial grant reports.
    • Contribute to discussions about user experience and the Center’s systems.
    • Determine and monitor spending in the departmental budgets, including electronic resources management.
    • Participate in professional organizations and represent the Center at relevant conferences and other events as appropriate.
    • Handle other mission-driven projects as directed by the Director of Archive and Library Services.

    Required Qualifications

    • Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library school or similar graduate-level training, such as archival science.
    • Minimum of 2-3 years experience managing staff.
    • Minimum of 2-3 years experience managing projects from planning to completion—preferably in reference, instruction, education, and/or exhibition areas.
    • Minimum of 4 years experience in handling reference inquiries.
    • Familiarity with the current issues and current standards relevant to reference and access services in archives and libraries.
    • Commitment to fostering a collaborative work environment and presenting diplomatic, adaptable and pragmatic approaches to problem-solving.
    • Ability to work creatively in a rapidly changing complex environment, set priorities, and meet tight deadlines.
    • Excellent communication and writing skills.

    Preferred Qualifications

    • Dedicated interest in and awareness of Jewish history.
    • Acquisitions experience.
    • Familiarity with one language represented in the multilingual partner collections, such as Yiddish, Hebrew, German, or Russian.

    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.

    Review of applications will begin immediately. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Send cover letter and resume to Rachel Miller, Director of Archive and Library Services, at rcmiller@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.

  • Metadata & Discovery Services Intern

    Under the supervision of the Senior Manager of Metadata & Discovery Services and often reporting to the Center’s Systems Librarian, the Intern will learn fundamental training on special collections cataloging by assisting with metadata remediation and catalog maintenance. He or she will gain experience working with Ex Libris’ Aleph integrated library system and other Center library systems. The Intern will begin with remediation of existing MARC records; after becoming familiar with the library systems, he or she can pursue a departmental project in line with their interests, such as rare book cataloging, preparation of encoded finding aids for import into ArchivesSpace, or performing digital assets migration.

    Duration: Through December 2018, with possible extension through May 2019.
    Frequency: 10 hours/week
    Hourly rate: $15/hour

    Responsibilities

    • Create new or enhance existing metadata in online catalog and other library systems to promote discovery and access to holdings available at the Center.
    • Apply cataloging standards such as AACR2, RDA, DCRM, LCSH, and MARC21 to cataloging rare and special collections materials, informed by best practices and standards for museums, libraries and archives.
    • Utilize tools such as OCLC Connexion, MarcEdit, and Cataloger’s Desktop to perform original and complex copy cataloging.

    Prerequisites

    • Effective time management and interpersonal communication are essential. Library catalog work alternates creative thinking with repetitive tasks; the Intern should be willing to apply themselves to both.
    • This internship would be ideal for a student who is currently enrolled in or who has already taken cataloging courses and wishes to gain practical experience. The opportunity may be of particular interest to those with a background in Jewish studies or computer science.
    • Helpful but not necessary: reading skills in German or Hebrew; knowledge of Jewish history and culture; familiarity with database structures.

    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 email cover letter and resume to Eric Fritzler, Senior Manager for Metadata and Discovery, at eafritzler@cjh.org. A strong application will explain how this internship aligns with your academic or personal interests and goals, and will include your relevant knowledge, experience and skills.

  • 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.