Who We Are

The Orthodox Union Department of Synagogue Initiatives’ objective is to elevate the level of spiritual connection in the Jewish people by supporting the shul as a core institution of the community.

What We Do

We support and empower Rabbis and Shul leaders through providing them access to experts, best practices and one another. Secondarily, we serve as an operational resource hub for shuls by supporting their administrative functions and responding to their queries.

On a regular basis, we convene Rabbis, Lay Leaders and Shul Administrative Professionals to engage on topics of communal importance. We also serve as a hub for operational knowledge on Shul operations where we field hundreds of queries from Shuls on all aspects of their operations with a focus on training and supporting Shul boards.

What You Will Do

We are looking for a highly motivated fellow who will be able to support our core functions by playing an integral role in 3 core departmental projects.

• Rabbinic and Shul leader gatherings
  • The fellow will assist departmental staff in coordinating logistics as well as developing the curriculum for our gatherings.
• Timely and relevant communications with Shul leadership
  • The fellow will take a lead role in the curation of a departmental communication that will provide timely and relevant information and best practices to Shul administrative, lay and professional leaders.
• Shul Consulting
  • The fellow will assist the Department director in the triage and support of a wide range of operational queries and potentially accompany the department head for board training and consulting visits.

Why This is a Great Opportunity

This fellowship will offer a front-line view of a wide variety of extremely important issues in our community.  The fellow will be at the table for high level discussions of the most important issues that face broader North American Jewry.  The fellow will work closely and be mentored by the department head and have access to the highest level of OU and communal leadership.

What We Are Looking For

• The successful candidate will need to display the following skills and competencies:
  • Self-Starter who can take a task and think independently to bring it to fruition.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong working knowledge of the nuances of Orthodox Jewish life.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and ability to quickly onboard to new technologies.
  • Willingness to travel to support departmental activities across the country.