SACRED SEARCHES Placement in the URJ: for rabbis, cantors and educators

Presented by

Rabbi Alan Henkin, Central Conference of American Rabbis

Rabbi Stan Schickler, National Association of Temple Educators

Cantor Kay Greenwald, American Conference of Cantors

Why use the URJ Placement Services?

  CCAR rabbis, ACC cantors and NATE educators are committed to Reform Judaism and the Reform Jewish Movement

  Our rabbis, cantors and educators are knowledgeable about Reform Jewish practice, philosophy and music

  Placement with the CCAR, the ACC and NATE is governed by placement commissions that include representatives from the URJ and HUC-JIR

The Rabbinical Placement Commission —the policy-making body

•  Central  Conference  of  American  Rabbis  •  Hebrew  Union  College–Jewish  Ins;tute  of  Religion  •  Union  for  Reform  Judaism    

Rabbi Randi Musnitsky, Temple Har Shalom, Warren NJ Chair, RPC

Sacred Search 3

Sacred Search: A Guide to the Rabbinic Search

The Rabbinical Placement Commission – the representatives

CCAR URJ HUC-JIR

Rabbi Randi Scheinberg Rabbi Michael White Rabbi Ronne Friedman

Shirley Gordon Susan Feldman Peter Winik Andy Goodman

Michael Bamberger Laurence Tarica Rabbi Samuel Joseph

The Joint Cantorial Placement Commission •  American  Conference  of  Cantors  •  Hebrew  Union  College–Jewish  Ins;tute  of  Religion  •  Union  for  Reform  Judaism    

Cantor Chanin Rosen, Scarsdale Synagogue, Scarsdale, NY Chair, JCPC

Sacred Search 5

The Joint Cantorial Placement Commission – the representatives

ACC URJ HUC-JIR Cantor Lori Corrsin Cantor Roy Einhorn Cantor Jill Abramson Cantor Jodi Schechtman, ex officio Cantor Mark Goldman, ex officio

Dennis Gilbert, Vice Chair Helene Spring Myra Ostroff Tom Abelson Rabbi Dan Freelander, ex officio

Cantor Bruce Ruben, PhD Dana Anesi, Student Placement Director Jack Levitt

The Joint Placement Commission for Educators •  Na;onal  Associa;on  of  Temple  Educators  •  Hebrew  Union  College–Jewish  Ins;tute  of  Religion  •  Union  for  Reform  Judaism            

Robin Eisenberg, RJE Temple Beth El, Boca Raton, FL Chair, JPCE

Sacred Search 7

The Joint Placement Commission for Educators – the representatives

NATE URJ HUC-JIR

Joan Carr Cory Hermann Shari Isserles

Bill Blumstein Dennis Gilbert Marilynn Yentis Rabbi Dan Freelander, ex officio

Patty Beck Rabbi Samuel Joseph Dr. Michael Zeldin

A CCAR Rabbi

  Receives the finest education in the world at an accredited seminary   Especially the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion

  Continues lifelong learning in the CCAR’s outstanding programs of Torah study, professional development and spiritual growth   Through in-person seminars, webinars, teleconferences,

international conventions and regional kallot

  Remains subject to the most stringent code of rabbinic ethics and the highest standards of Jewish behavior

An ACC Cantor

  Has spent years of post-graduate study along with student rabbis, educators and communal service professionals, at the Hebrew Union College in New York, or someone who has been certified by the Hebrew Union College and the ACC to have the requisite skills and knowledge required to be a full clergy team member

  Has studied Jewish text, Modern Jewish Thought, Hebrew, and Pastoral skills

  Has knowledge of a wide range of musical traditions from the sacred melodies of our High Holy Days to the music of Jewish camping

  Sings in order to lead prayer

  Is bound by the ACC Code of Ethics

  Has made the conscious decision to devote his or her life to serving the Jewish people.

A NATE Educator

  Is familiar with and knowledgeable about the Reform Movement

 Has experience in a Reform setting

  Is passionate and knowledgeable about Jewish education

 Generally has training in Jewish education

For CCAR Rabbis, ACC Cantors and NATE Educators

Teaching your children and your families is sacred work; standing with you through good times and bad times is a sacred honor and a privilege.

The Rabbinic Placement office offers a variety of rabbis:

  Senior rabbis

  Solo rabbis

  Associate rabbis

  Assistant rabbis

  Rabbi-educators

  Interim rabbis

  Part-time rabbis

Similarly, the ACC Placement Office offers a variety of different cantors:

  Full-time Cantors

  Limited Service Cantors

  Assistant or co-Cantors

  Interim Cantors (from time to time)

  Cantor Educators

  Cantors-in-Residence

And NATE offers Educators who can comfortably wear a variety of titles

  Director of Lifelong Learning   Oversees virtually all education in the congregation

  Director of Congregational Learning   Oversees congregational school, potentially including youth

programming, adult ed, and/or early childhood

  Religious School Director

  Assistant Religious School Director

  School Administrator

What are the most important principles to consider when undertaking a search for a new Jewish Professional for your congregation?

  Vision for the future – where will your congregation be in 5 years? In 10 years?

  What are your congregation’s core values?

  What are your congregation’s key strengths?

  What are your congregation’s areas of weakness? Where do you want/need to grow?

  How do the professional team and the lay leadership interact with each other?

How Does Placement work for Congregations?   Each Placement Commission has an “application” for

congregations to fill out   Placement services are free to URJ congregations – the

application contains information about your congregation and the position for which you are hiring

  The application is submitted to the Placement Office of the respective organization (contact info to follow)

  The Placement Director is available for consultation, advice, on-site visits, and any questions along the way

  Congregations choose their own professionals – their choices are not dictated by the Placement Commission   A certain number of years of applicant experience may be

required, however, depending on congregational size

Search Committees

  A good search committee has 9-12 members   Small enough to be nimble, large enough to be a good cross-

section of the congregation

  Search Committee members should be smart, open-minded, mature, good listeners, have no special agendas to pursue and have the ability to work well in a committee

  Search Committee members must be able to keep confidences

First tasks Put yourself on a timeline

Jan., Year I

Search  CommiCee    formed  

January to June Self-study conducted and rabbinic profile created

June to August Self-study conducted and rabbinic profile created

August to November Resumes received, first round of telephone/ Skype interviews conducted

November to December On-site visits by final candidates

January to February, Year Recommendations made, brit clearly articulated, negotiations occur, contract signed

July, Year II

First Day for new rabbi!

Timeline: the Rabbinic Search

Timeline: the Cantorial Search

Oct-Jan Dec-March

Jan-March

Feb/March – April

March-May

March/April – May

March/April – May

July

Form Committee Focus Groups Prepare Application

Review Resumes

Phone or Skype Interviews

In-Person Interviews

Second In-Person Interviews (optional)

Decision/Offer

Negotiation/Closure

New Cantor Starts

Timeline: The Educator Search

  Revolving Process – continues year round   A congregation can list at any time

  Busiest time of year is early Jan-March/April

  “Peak” of season is mid-Feb – mid-March

Resources to help you in your search – CCAR website

  Book suggestions and guidelines

  Handbook on rabbinic placement process

  Timeline suggestions

  Self-study in congregations

  Questions for rabbinic interviews

  Letters for use after interviews

Available Resources – CCAR cont.

  Questions for the reference check

  Experts in the field of rabbinic placement

  Covenant for search committee

Resources to help you in your search – ACC website

  Phone or Skype Interview Guide

  Human Resources questions

  In-Person Interview Feedback Questionnaire

  Sample Intake Forms

  Sample Interview Questions

  Sample Schedule for a Cantor Visit

Available Resources - ACC cont.

  Sample Questions for References

  Tips for Search Committees

  Tips for High Holy Day Search Committees

  Travel Expenses – how to share them and when

  Transition Team Tasks

Resources to help you in your search – NATE   Placement Kit for the Institution

  Contract Sampler

  Sample Job Descriptions

  Guidelines for Educator Congregational Relations (Blue Book)

  Educator Evaluation Tools

Important Things to Remember

  Just as you are interviewing, you are also being interviewed

  Sell your community – what makes your position unique and distinctive?

  Ongoing Communication with your candidates is very important!

  Don’t “settle” – be prepared to wait for the right person, even if it means an interim or taking an extra year for your search

Contact Information

Rabbi Alan Henkin, CCAR

Cantor Kay Greenwald, ACC

Rabbi Stan Schickler, RJE NATE

355 Lexington Avenue, 18th Floor New York NY 10017 212.972.3636 ext. 234 ahenkin@ccarnet.org

650.963.9722 kgreenwald@accantors.org

633 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017 212.452.6510 sschickler@natenet.org

ADDENDUM: CANTORIAL AUDITIONS – What to expect

  Don’t ask cantors to sing during a Skype interview

  Kol Nidrei is not an audition piece

  There must be time to rehearse with the accompanist

  The accompanist should be good   Provide the cantor with the accompanist’s contact info

  Have a glass of water available

  Have a stand, podium or amud available for music and text notes

CANTORIAL AUDITIONS – CONT.

  Let the cantor make her/his own musical choices

  According to JCPC guidelines, auditioning and interviewing cantors may not lead Shabbat or Festival services for your congregation