Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle - Leader for Tot Shabbat and/or Mini Minyan in 2023-2024
Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle, NY (Westchester) is seeking a fun, singing-inclined leader for Tot Shabbat and/or Mini Minyan in 2023-2024!
About the Synagogue
Beth El is a joyful, welcoming, and warm community in Westchester, New York. We thrive on learning, singing, and connecting with one another. We celebrate together and support one another through challenging times. We offer many avenues to spiritual connection – from daily minyan to contemplative Shabbat services to traditional Shabbat & holiday services.
To learn more about our community, watch this video: https://youtu.be/lQqBZBDTMGo
About Tot Shabbat and Mini Minyan
Tot Shabbat and Mini Minyan are our Shabbat morning tefillah experiences for our youngest members.
Tot Shabbat: geared towards children under 5 and their families (often includes parents, siblings, grandparents, etc.). Children must be supervised by their family/designated adult. We regularly have 30+ people attending Tot Shabbat.
Mini Minyan: designed to be for our early-elementary children, ages 5-7ish. Can be a drop-off program, but sometimes families come together. We regularly have around 10-15 people attending Mini Minyan. This service uses a siddur each week.
Each service runs for 30-40 minutes on Saturday morning, beginning at 10:30 am. Tot Shabbat focuses on lots of singing in English and Hebrew with some “light” prayers mixed in, whereas Mini Minyan focuses on prayers and stories. Both programs focus on creating a nurturing environment so that Beth El becomes a second home, instilling a sense of belonging to our community and the Jewish people.
Each service runs for 30-40 minutes on Saturday morning, beginning at 10:30 am. Tot Shabbat focuses on lots of singing in English and Hebrew with some “light” prayers mixed in, whereas Mini Minyan focuses on prayers and stories. Both programs focus on creating a nurturing environment so that Beth El becomes a second home, instilling a sense of belonging to our community and the Jewish people.
We also offer a 10-15 minute Parsha discussion for older elementary kids, directly after Tots/Mini Minyan, for anyone interested. This is an informal gathering to briefly discuss the weekly parsha or an upcoming holiday for a few minutes. We often use Hadar’s D’vash magazine as inspiration for these conversations.
Available Position:
We are looking to hire someone who can work 2-3 Saturdays per month, leading Tot Shabbat and/or Mini Minyan, depending on the scheduling needs. The schedule will be set in advance, so this pairs well with other part-time Saturday morning programs.
You will arrive by 10:15 am to make sure that the room is ready, you have your supplies, etc. Both services begin at 10:30 am and end around 11 am, although this is not a precise time limit. If you are also doing that week’s parsha conversation, add another 10-15 minutes. You are welcome to stay for our weekly Kiddush luncheon, as well as to join our main services before and/or after leading.
This position requires knowledge of early childhood Jewish and Shabbat songs, as well as comfort and familiarity to lead basic songs and prayers in Hebrew, with the guidance of a siddur. This position also requires regular singing–you should be comfortable singing both alone and with the group. Our service leader will come prepared to lead each session, to interact in a positive, fun and engaging way with both our children and their families, and to build community and Jewish connection through our Shabbat services.
Compensation:
Compensation ranges from $125-$200 per session, based on experience and background.
How to Apply:
Please send your resume and an introductory email to Alyssa Schwager, Director of Youth and Family Engagement at aschwager@bethelnr.org. Feel free to also reach out with any questions.