Senior/Solo Rabbi

Temple Ohav Shalom is a vibrant and inclusive Reform Jewish community that provides religious, spiritual, educational and social enrichment for the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh. Temple Ohav Shalom is: Inclusive, Warm and Welcoming. We are accepting, open, tolerant and without judgment including interfaith marriages, LGBT, and diverse ethnic groups, Spiritual: We are guided by the Torah and follow the values of Reform Judaism, Educational: We value opportunities for lifelong learning and growth in a place where we can explore and strengthen our Jewish knowledge, Engaging: We are part of the greater Jewish Community and are passionate, energetic, involved, dedicated, aware and committed to social action. We are the only reform synagogue in the North Hills of Pittsburgh with immense growing potential, a very strong religious school, and financial stability (e.g., the mortgage on our building is paid off). We have a high percentage of our members involved in committees and functions, demonstrating our strong commitment to the continued growth and sustainability of our Jewish home. This is an exciting time to be a part of our vital Reform congregation. This is Temple Ohav Shalom.We are excited to welcome a new, inspirational leader to our congregation! In addition to the role of leading us from the bimah, the solo rabbi will support the religious, spiritual, educational and emotional needs of our members. We seek a candidate who is excited to take on this role and will be ready to work hand-in-hand with our executive board and members to help strengthen and energize our community. The three qualities most important to our congregation in a new rabbi include: Progressive leadership, such that our new rabbi is comfortable providing spiritual guidance, education and engagement to all individuals and families within the TOS community regardless of family make-up, background, or where they are in their spiritual journey,  Exceptional communication skills, including being an empathetic listener, an engaging story-teller and comfort connecting with members of all ages (particularly our youth) both on and off the bimah & Innovative and forward thinking while also being able to collaborate with and engage our diverse group of board members, volunteers, and other lay leaders. We seek an engaging, welcoming and approachable rabbi who prioritizes: Providing spiritual guidance and connectedness to a Jewish identity within a diverse congregation and community (i.e., single faith and interfaith families, diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, diverse family structures), Building upon the momentum we have established over the past 5 years (e.g., updated bylaws, updated board function, engagement with the community, financial stability) & Engaging the growing North Hills Pittsburgh Jewish community [around 4,500 Jewish people live in the North Hills (10% of Pittsburgh Jewish community), yet we only have 2-3% of them as members in our congregation, suggesting a great opportunity for growth]. Primary goals: Recruit, integrate and retain active members, leaders and volunteers to sustain and strengthen our congregation for the future, Engage with and connect to our community, including Jewish families not yet involved with our congregation and also non-Jewish organizations that serve the community & Operate in a strategic and fiscally responsible manner to maintain our financial stability. We recognize the importance of having a strong and collaborative partnership with our Rabbi and staff. The challenge lies within finding a Rabbi comfortable working with many volunteers (i.e., our board, committee members) and paid staff (e.g., religious school director, early childhood education center director) with diverse perspectives on how best to operate our congregation. Our goal is to foster a supportive, effective and collaborative environment for our Rabbi, our leadership and congregants alike. Our state of the art technology is a blessing; but it can also cause some hardships, such as making it easier to engage in spiritual practice from afar while diminishing a sense of fellowship that can only be fostered in-person. In a post-covid world, attendance is down. We are hopeful our new Rabbi can help increase in-person attendance. We are optimistic that increasing attendance at Shabbat services and other spiritual and social events will better connect members to each other, Judaism and Temple Ohav Shalom. We also believe that in order to keep our post b’nai Mitzvah engaged, we must connect with them through youth groups, social action, and when possible, as early as preschool through our Shalom Tots program. We look forward to collaborating with our new Rabbi to address these areas and develop creative solutions together. Proposed base compensation (salary and parsonage): $90,000 – $130,000 depending on experience level Percentage of pension in addition to base compensation: Standard benefits of a rabbi in addition to salary (not included above), Health insurance, Income-Disability insurance, Convention allowance, Sabbatical,, Professional Expenses, Books and periodicals, Organizational Dues, Social Security Reimbursement & Family Leave Policy. Car allowance and Life insurance are Negotiable. Housing: Included in salary. Start date:  July 1, 2024. Search Committee Contact: Brian Goldman, [email protected], (412) 897-0760. Return electronically as an attachment to [email protected]. Website: www.TempleOhavShalom.org. 

(11/13/23)