Guidelines for writing your listing

What should the job title say?

The title should name the role as specifically as you can. “Rabbi” alone covers very different jobs, while “Part-Time Rabbi and Educator,” “Hospital Chaplain,” “Hillel Campus Rabbi,” or “High Holiday Cantor” tells candidates at a glance whether to read on. Specific titles also help the right people find your listing in search.

What should I say about my organization?

Tell candidates who they’d be serving and who they’d be working with. Useful details include:

• Size: member households for a congregation, patient load for a hospital or hospice, enrollment for a school or Hillel, or campers per session for a camp. An estimate is fine.
• Who you serve: age ranges, family makeup, and anything distinctive about your community.
• Programs: a religious school, adult learning, or other programs the role touches.
• Orientation: your denomination or movement, or that you’re unaffiliated or nondenominational. Mention your heritage or liturgical tradition if it matters to the role.
• Colleagues: other clergy, educators, staff, or lay leaders the person would work with.

Size shapes the job. A 60-household congregation and a 250-household congregation need different things from their rabbi, and a chaplain on a single unit works differently from one covering a hospital system. Your organization profile holds these details and appears with every listing, so you only write them once. [CONFIRM: organization profiles at launch]

How much should I share about pay and benefits?

Share the salary or pay range, and say whether the role is a staff position or an independent contract. Pay is the first thing many candidates look for, and some won’t consider a listing without it. Indicate if the pay range is fixed or negotiable based on the candidate’s experience. Also note benefits and anything that helps someone relocate or visit, such as housing or a housing allowance, relocation help, or travel reimbursement for interviews. For typical ranges by role and region, [see pay ranges in the Compensation Summary]. [CONFIRM: page live at launch]

How do I describe the hours?

Say what the role actually asks of someone each week, not only the official hours. Many congregational roles are paid as part-time but run closer to full-time once services, teaching, pastoral care, and lifecycle events add up. Other settings have their own patterns: chaplains may take on-call shifts, camp roles are seasonal, and school roles follow the academic calendar. Name what’s expected and what isn’t, so candidates can make an informed decision before they apply, and you get a stronger pool of candidates.

What should I say about the work itself?

List the main responsibilities and the skills that matter most. For a congregational role, that might be leading services, teaching, officiating lifecycle events, and pastoral visits, with sermons, musical leadership, or chanting Torah as key skills. For a chaplain, it might be bedside spiritual care, interfaith work, and working within a care team. If fundraising, board work, or representing your organization publicly is part of the job, say so. A short list of top priorities is easier for candidates to scan than a long paragraph.

How do I help the right people want this job?

Tell candidates what makes your community distinctive: its story, what you’re building, and what you’re working toward. This is the part of a listing that draws people who want this role, not just any role. Candidates also value honesty about where your organization is now, including its challenges.

Who will the person report to and work with?

Name the reporting line and the day-to-day colleagues. In a congregation, that might be the board, an executive director, or a senior rabbi. In a hospital, it’s often a director of spiritual care, and at a Hillel or nonprofit, an executive director. Say who provides supervision and support, and who makes which decisions.

How do I write requirements without discouraging good candidates?

Separate true requirements from preferences. A long list of must-haves can discourage qualified people, including candidates changing careers or returning from retirement. If a credential is truly required, such as ordination or Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) units for a chaplaincy role, name it plainly. Everything else can go under “preferred.”

Should I say anything about inclusion?

Yes. Candidates want to know how your community approaches pluralism and inclusion before they apply. You might describe how you welcome people across denominations, LGBTQ+ members, or interfaith families. A few sentences are enough.

What should I say about location and start date?

Say whether the role is on-site, remote, or hybrid, where it’s based, and when it begins. For roles outside the US, name the city and country, such as Toronto, Canada. If you’re in a remote or rural area, mention what candidates will ask about living there, such as housing, travel, or access to kosher food.

How should candidates apply?

Tell candidates what to send, where to send it, and by when. List the materials you want, such as a resume, a cover letter, or a link to a sermon or music sample. Name a contact person, and say whether there’s a deadline or you’re reviewing applications as they arrive. It also helps to say roughly when candidates will hear back.