Come Work with Us

When you begin your career at Temple Emanu-El, you become part of the rich history–and the future–of our congregation, which has served and led the New York Reform Jewish community for more than 175 years. While rooted in our legacy, Temple Emanu-El is also fueled by a sense of purpose, justice, and innovation to invigorate Jewish life today.

Temple Emanu-El is a 501(c)3 religious organization, which employs approximately 250 full- and part-time staff across variety of departments and functions, including Clergy, Administration, Membership, Marketing & Communications, Development, Finance, Music, Lifelong Learning, Religious School, and the Nursery School, as well as Bernard Museum of Judaica, Stettenheim Library, and the Streicker Center. Temple Emanu-El provides generous benefits and paid-time off–including Jewish holidays–to our employees. We are an equal opportunity employer. 

Open Roles

To apply for any of the open positions below, please submit a resume with a cover letter to the email address in the job description with the position title in the subject line of your email.

Religious School Teacher

Job Title:        Religious School Teacher
Department:  Lifelong Learning
FLSA Status:  $45 – $70/hour Faculty – In-Person
Schedule:       2 – 10 hours per week
Reports to:    Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning

About Us

Congregation Emanu-El, the first Reform Jewish synagogue in New York City, is hiring part-time religious school faculty members for our 2024-25 school year. Our innovative and unique religious school is committed to Jewish learning that is relevant, inspirational, and transformative. Visit emanuelnyc.org/school to learn more about our school and our congregation, our educational vision, and the programs we offer.

Openings:

  • In-person classroom faculty (Grades PreK-8, Hebrew and Judaic Studies curricula)

Core Responsibilities:

  • Preparing creative, interactive lessons as part of a well-structured curriculum
  • Collaborating with school administration and other faculty members to create innovative and meaningful Jewish learning experiences, both in and out of the classroom
  • Regularly communicating with families outside of school hours
  • Assisting in the planning and preparation of special programs, including family education and holiday celebrations
  • Attending paid professional development sessions for faculty outside of school hours
  • Providing a sense of caring and concern that enables our students to support one another and challenge themselves to grow as individuals

When and Where:

  • Sunday (9:00 am – 12:00 pm) in person at our main Upper East Side campus
  • Monday (4:00 pm – 6:00 pm) in person at our main Upper East Side campus
  • Wednesday (2:30 pm – 5:15 pm) in person at our Emanu-El Downtown in Chelsea
  • Sunday-Thursday (3:00 pm– 7:00 pm) remote via Zoom (need not be available every day

The Ideal Candidate:

We encourage those with varied backgrounds and experiences to apply. Do not hesitate to apply even if you do not meet all the listed qualifications! 

  • Person(s) with experience in classroom or informal education, such as Jewish camp or afterschool programs in grades Pre-K through 8
  • Strong communication and organizational skills
  • Ability to teach Hebrew, Bible, Jewish history, and holidays incorporating arts, drama, movement, or media
  • Comfortable teaching in a Reform Jewish congregation to a diverse student body
  • Candidates must reside within the New York City tri-state area

Compensation, benefits, and why it’s great to work here:

  • Pay begins at $45/hour (In person only)
  • Up to two paid sick days per school year
  • Generous (paid) professional development opportunities

Click here to apply.

Lead Teacher - Emanu-El Downtown

Job Title: Lead Teacher
Department: Emanu-El Downtown
Status: Salary Exempt, Day Rate: $225 
Schedule: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Reports to: Director of Emanu-El Downtown

About Us

Congregation Emanu-El offers a warm and majestic environment to congregants while also acting as a bold leader in the greater New York Jewish community. The synagogue features a top-rated nursery school, an award-winning religious school, the Stettenheim Library, the Herbert & Eileen Bernard Judaica Museum, and the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center with Judaic, cultural, and socio-political adult educational programming.

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York is the oldest Reform synagogue in New York City, grounded in a rich history of Jewish communal leadership in the city and beyond. Our congregation is dynamic and forward-looking, and as our current membership of 2,200 families grows, we remain committed to ensuring that new and current members alike, of varied ages, backgrounds, and interests, continue to have the highest quality experience in all aspects of synagogue life.

In Fall 2022 the Temple launched Emanu-El Downtown, a space for families with young children to play, explore, and learn. A hallmark of our program is the Let’s Play! class for children ages 18 months-26 months that will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Lead Teacher Position

  • Seeking a candidate who loves working with young children. Candidates must be empathetic, kind, energetic, and engaging
  • Candidates should demonstrate organization, patience, even temperament, flexibility, initiative, spontaneity, and enthusiasm. Candidates will participate in all aspects of the classroom
  • Collaborate with Emanu-El colleagues, both uptown and downtown
  • Familiarity with or interest in learning about Jewish community and culture

Core Job Functions:

  • Teaching within the classroom to support the cognitive, social, and emotional growth of the students. Adapt teaching methods and materials to meet the interests and learning styles of children
  • Write lesson plans and collaborate with fellow teachers and Emanu-El Downtown director to implement lesson plans
  • Understanding and supporting the program’s play-based educational philosophy
  • Developing warm and caring relations with students, colleagues, and parents
  • Maintaining the classroom and create a positive environment for learning
  • Ensuring the physical safety of the students
  • Create an adaptable curriculum
  • Keeping medical forms and professional development certifications up to date
  • Ability to play music/sing, a plus

Physical Job Requirements:

  • Bending
  • Standing
  • Stretching
  • Lifting (minimum 40 lbs)

Requirements:

  • Master’s Degree, or master’s degree in process in a field related to child development including but not limited to Early Childhood Education, Speech Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, etc.

Click here to apply.

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. The Congregation does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.

Full-time employment benefits include:

  • Generous PTO (paid time off), as well as all major federal and Jewish holidays
  • Paid parental leave*
  • Paid Family Leave*
  • Retirement plan with employer matching*
  • Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
  • Flexible spending account (FSA) for unreimbursed medical expenses*
  • Life insurance*
  • Short-term disability
  • Tuition Reimbursement*
  • Free temple membership and free religious school
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Discounts to temple and Streicker Center programs
  • Great colleagues who share a passion for making a difference

* Subject to waiting period

Equal Opportunity Statement

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. The Congregation does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.