Our Shul:

The Young Israel of Jamaica Estates is a Modern Orthodox synagogue founded in the 1979, and situated in Jamaica Estates, Queens. It serves the communities of Jamaica Estates, Holliswood, Cunningham Park and Fresh Meadows. We strive to instill an abiding commitment to halacha and mitzvot in a warm and welcoming environment. The synagogue also believes that it is a part of a larger community: a community of our neighbors in Queens, the State of Israel and the Jewish community at large.

Our Community:

Jamaica Estates has the conveniences of a major metropolitan Jewish community with the out-of-town warmth and care of a small town shul. For the past 30 years, Rabbi Shlomo and Karen Hochberg have brought their personal touch to every single member. Every child’s name is known and every family’s needs are considered. We are a membership of nearly 200 families within a larger community. We are not just congregants and neighbors, we are friends too. We believe that is something unique for a big city community. Our greater neighborhood is expanding rapidly, with many young couples of Sephardic heritage moving in. Our goal is to expand our offerings and attract a more diverse membership.

Our Values:

We are deeply committed to our religious traditions, the study of Torah, the observance of mitzvot, the love of and support for our fellow Jews, and an unbreakable bond with the State of Israel and its people. At the same time, our members are an integral part of a modern secular society, with social and civic responsibilities.

We pray as a community and welcome all Jews to join us. We learn as a community with a host of dynamic educational opportunities taught by both professional and lay leaders. We flourish as a community with a much admired and emulated youth department. And we celebrate as a community, with an active social and chessed-oriented calendar of events. YIJE’s extremely dynamic programs encourage participation from YIJE members as well as from the synagogue’s professional staff. It is precisely this type of communal dedication and involvement that defines the congregation’s understanding of its role in the lives of its members and the community at large.

Position Description:

The Young Israel of Jamaica Estates is looking for its next spiritual leader. We are seeking a candidate who embodies Modern Orthodox Torah values in both his rabbinical position and daily interaction with the community at large. The candidate must be well versed in halacha and, at the same time, must be sensitive and nuanced in his approach to the diversity and broad spectrum of our membership. We expect our Rabbi to possess teaching skills and strength in sermon presentation, pastoral skills for lifecycle events, Jewish outreach and staff management. It is also imperative that our Rabbi have a love for and commitment to the State of Israel. 

The Rabbi will be responsible to ensure that the congregation remains a makom limmud for its members. He must display strong and effective oratory skills in order to maintain and enhance the spirituality of our religious services. The Rabbi must be actively engaged in activities targeted to different constituents of our community, with particular focus on our youth, young adults, outreach families, seniors and both men and women seeking to expand their educational and spiritual opportunities.

We are looking for a rabbi who is a talmid chacham with experience as either a senior rabbi or assistant rabbi of a large congregation. Ideally, we are also looking for a Rebbetzin who will partner with her husband and be available to the members of our community on a regular basis. The Rabbi and Rebbetzin will enjoy opening their home as a means of connecting with all populations and demographics of our shul community.

The following is a list of traits we are seeking in our future rabbi:

Strong and Effective Leadership

- He should be welcoming and non-judgmental

- He has strong people skills

- He reaches out and connects with diverse parts of the community

Well versed in Torah and secular knowledge

- He should have Orthodox Semicha and a college education

- He should have the depth of learning to provide Psak Halacha on communal and personal issues

- He should use his sermons and teaching opportunities to speak of how a Torah perspective informs our approach to 
  understanding the complexity of modern-day challenges

Role model for religious observance and practice

- He should be a Halachic and spiritual leader who sees the importance of integrating Jewish identity and practice with our
  role in the modern world

- He should be an inspiring teacher and role model who can reach people with different educational and religious
  backgrounds

- He should be an example of impeccable middot in his interactions with all people

- He should inspire the pursuit of education and deepening religious involvement, and work to encourage adult
  participation in educational opportunities and consistent attendance at Minyanim

Caring, sensitive, flexible, tolerant, outgoing and approachable

- He should be a relationship-based individual who will offer comfort to those facing hardship

- He should be available to provide counseling, guidance, and visits to the sick

- He should serve as a pastoral leader helping the congregants through lifecycle events, showing sensitivity to their
  individual situations and needs

Foster a sense of inclusion in the community

- He should foster cohesion and inclusion by motivating people to get involved in shul and community activities

- He should engage with the congregation to encourage leadership, scholarship and educational opportunities led by both
  women and men within synagogue life

- He should engage the youth within the community and help foster their connection to Torah as a relevant force in their
  life. He should build and maintain relationships with children from their participation in Shabbat groups, to preparation for    Bar and Bat Mitzvah, and throughout their experiences during their high school years in forming their Jewish identity as
  young adults

Communal leader

- He should support the local religious day schools and other local religious institutions as vital to the growth of the
  community

- He should be a strong advocate for Israel, with involvement in communal Zionist activities

- He is interested in participating in a leadership role in the broader Jewish community

Applying for the position

We are no longer accepting applications for this position. For more information please send an email to search@yije.org.