Now Hiring: Operations Manager

About Us:

The New Synagogue Project (“NSP”) is a membership synagogue located in Petworth, D.C. Our mission is to build a spiritually vibrant, radically inclusive Jewish community that reflects our vision for a world of justice, equity, and liberation. Our community is built by and for religious, secular, and atheist Jews, families with kids, partnered and single people, queer and trans people, disabled and chronically ill people, D/deaf and hard of hearing folks, interfaith families, Jews of color and white Jews, and anyone interested in exploring and experiencing Jewish life. We are a multiracial community committed to dismantling racism and white supremacy.

As the Operations Manager, you will work closely with the Synagogue Director as well as the Rabbi and many lay leaders to drive the administrative and facilities functions of NSP, to ensure NSP continues to offer high quality programs with smooth operations to support our 700+ members. 

About You (You have most of the following traits):

  • You are able to carry projects forward with minimal supervision, and have a knack for detail, data, and logistics.
  • You’re dead set on crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ to make sure events run smoothly and joyfully from start to finish, and you’re flexible and adaptive to unexpected circumstances.
  • You’re eager to take initiative; when you see a problem, you think through a solution and implement or propose it swiftly.
  • You have excellent communication skills and are able to communicate clearly and transparently with both individuals and groups through email and over the phone. And you go out of your way to foster connections between people, help solve problems, and work collaboratively.
  • You are comfortable managing the operations of a facility, including keeping managing supply inventory, managing relationships with contractors, and keeping the building organized.
  • You’re comfortable learning and teaching yourself new technology platforms, such as Breeze, our database tool.
  • You’re familiar with G Suite (GoogleDrive, Gmail, Google Meet, etc.) and have experience with spreadsheets (Excel/Google Sheets), Microsoft Word, including mail merge, Zoom, a database/CRM tool, a website editor such as WordPress, and an email communications platform such as MailChimp.
  • You have at least 3 years of professional experience in fields such as administration, logistics, facilities management, planning, or events coordination. Experience in volunteer-driven settings is a plus.
  • You have experience managing staff and volunteers, particularly in the context of events.
  • You are familiar with Jewish religious life and culture or are interested in learning. (You do not need to be Jewish.)
  • You are passionate about furthering the mission of NSP, as a radically inclusive, liberation-focused synagogue, and committed to anti-racism and accessibility values.

About the Role:

This is a full-time role requiring 40 hours/week, reporting to the Synagogue Director. It is currently a remote position with some in-person responsibilities in Washington, DC but will transition to a full-time in-person position in the Petworth neighborhood of DC in early 2027. This role requires in-person presence at the Jewish High Holidays and regular special events and other holiday programming. 

The position will require occasional weekend and evening hours. The position will have flex hours during the week to accommodate the evening and weekend work. 

This role requires the use of a cell phone and laptop, as well as access to the internet and a driver’s license. The role requires regular lifting of up to 40 pounds, as well as occasional driving if the candidate has a car. The position includes a technology stipend of $20/month.

NSP mandates COVID vaccination for all staff, as well as any attendees of in person events. Learn more about NSP’s COVID policy here.

The person in this position will be responsible for: 

  • Managing NSP’s new facility (soon to be under renovation, estimated move early 2027)
    • Hiring and coordinating with third-party service providers and contractors, including for construction, regular maintenance, and emergency repairs
    • Overseeing access controls and other building systems, and troubleshooting facilities and technology problems
    • Managing building staff, including scheduling
    • Managing facilities rental process
    • Organizing supplies and maintaining supply inventory
  • Administering daily operations and logistics that support fundraising, financial operations, human resources, and membership, including:
    • Data management including keeping membership dues and donation information current, managing the annual pledge renewal process, and running regular database reports
    • Processing checks and checking the PO Box (located in Park View, DC) weekly (until our mail moves to the new location)
    • Contractor/vendor onboarding, invoice processing, and expense tracking
    • Managing NSP’s human resources and benefits platforms
    • Training & supporting volunteers’ and staffs’ use of the database, and managing NSP’s G Suite programs
    • Identifying needs, priorities, opportunities, and pathways to continually improve NSP’s systems and policies as we continue to grow, and partnering with other NSP staff and leaders to design and implement solutions, as time allows
  • Managing events and programming planning and logistics, including:
    • Overseeing NSP’s calendar of events, tracking event planning timelines and ensuring milestones are met to ensure well-attended programs with clear communication and smooth logistics
    • Managing Event Staff (PT position) to ensure onsite logistics run smoothly
    • Event planning and coordination for special events, such as High Holidays, Purim, Hanukkah, Annual Retreat, and Annual Membership Meeting, in partnership with volunteers
    • Working with staff, leaders, and volunteers to ensure volunteer roles for in-person events are filled and volunteers are supported with instructions and training as needed 
    • Administrative support and oversight for volunteer-led programs
    • Responding to individual access requests and coordinating ASL interpretation, CART captioning, ramps, and other access equipment & personnel needed to make Synagogue programming and operations accessible to all who wish to join
  • Coordinating communications, including:
    • Managing the email communications calendar and coordinating with social media manager to promote upcoming events and programs 
    • Responding to member inquiries via email or determining who should respond
    • Designing and sending twice weekly events newsletters
    • Keeping MailChimp email lists up-to-date 
    • Updating NSP’s website

Pay and Benefits:

  • The position pays $80,000 per year and is a full-time role requiring approximately 40 hours/week (some weeks may require more, and there is comp time when that occurs)
  • 401k plan with a 3% employer contribution that vests immediately
  • Technology stipend of $20/month while position is remote
  • Healthcare reimbursement
  • 16 days of paid vacation per year, 13 days of sick leave, 11 federal holidays plus additional Jewish holidays when our offices are closed, and 16 weeks parental leave.

Application Process:

To apply, please submit an application here. Note: NSP members are not eligible to apply. We will review applications on a rolling basis with priority given to applications received by June 21. Candidates who advance after an initial interview will be asked to complete an exercise before a second round interview. Finalists will be asked to submit 2-3 references. We hope to fill the position by mid-late July. 

NSP is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to racial equity, accessibility, and social justice. Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, Black and Indigenous people, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA people are strongly encouraged to apply. NSP does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, sex, age, gender identity or expression, or other status protected by applicable law.

Annual Membership Meeting & Picnic – May 12 & June 14

Our Annual Membership Meeting will be a 2-parter this year. There will be a virtual Membership Meeting with an update on the state of the synagogue on Tuesday, May 12 from 8-9 pm (on Zoom) and a Community Picnic to celebrate the year on June 14 from 11am-1pm (this will be in Rock Creek Park). Please RSVP to join us at either or both of the events!

Part 1: State of the Synagogue – Tuesday, May 12, from 8-9pm VIRTUAL

The Annual Membership Meeting is a chance to reflect on who we are, where we are right now, and where we’re heading together. This will be a one hour zoom call where to share updates about the synagogue’s space, financials, leadership, and more. This will also be a chance to thank and appreciate all the work that goes into making NSP what it is! 

Part 2: Community Picnic – Sunday, June 14 from 11am-1pm in Rock Creek Park

The Community Picnic will be a time to connect and enjoy each other’s community! The picnic will be a space of connection, schmoozing, and of course, eating. It will be a chance to explore how you want to continue to be part of this community! This event is for all ages–kids are welcome and encouraged to join!

Register below!

Now Hiring: Operations Manager

About Us:

The New Synagogue Project (“NSP”) is a membership synagogue located in Petworth, D.C. Our mission is to build a spiritually vibrant, radically inclusive Jewish community that reflects our vision for a world of justice, equity, and liberation. Our community is built by and for religious, secular, and atheist Jews, families with kids, partnered and single people, queer and trans people, disabled and chronically ill people, D/deaf and hard of hearing folks, interfaith families, Jews of color and white Jews, and anyone interested in exploring and experiencing Jewish life. We are a multiracial community committed to dismantling racism and white supremacy.

As the Operations Manager, you will work closely with the Synagogue Director as well as the Rabbi and many lay leaders to drive the administrative and facilities functions of NSP, to ensure NSP continues to offer high quality programs with smooth operations to support our 700+ members. 

About You (You have most of the following traits):

  • You are able to carry projects forward with minimal supervision, and have a knack for detail, data, and logistics.
  • You’re dead set on crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ to make sure events run smoothly and joyfully from start to finish, and you’re flexible and adaptive to unexpected circumstances.
  • You’re eager to take initiative; when you see a problem, you think through a solution and implement or propose it swiftly.
  • You have excellent communication skills and are able to communicate clearly and transparently with both individuals and groups through email and over the phone. And you go out of your way to foster connections between people, help solve problems, and work collaboratively.
  • You are comfortable managing the operations of a facility, including keeping managing supply inventory, managing relationships with contractors, and keeping the building organized.
  • You’re comfortable learning and teaching yourself new technology platforms, such as Breeze, our database tool.
  • You’re familiar with G Suite (GoogleDrive, Gmail, Google Meet, etc.) and have experience with spreadsheets (Excel/Google Sheets), Microsoft Word, including mail merge, Zoom, a database/CRM tool, a website editor such as WordPress, and an email communications platform such as MailChimp.
  • You have at least 3 years of professional experience in fields such as administration, logistics, facilities management, planning, or events coordination. Experience in volunteer-driven settings is a plus.
  • You have experience managing staff and volunteers, particularly in the context of events.
  • You are familiar with Jewish religious life and culture or are interested in learning. (You do not need to be Jewish.)
  • You are passionate about furthering the mission of NSP, as a radically inclusive, liberation-focused synagogue, and committed to anti-racism and accessibility values.

About the Role:

This is a full-time role requiring 40 hours/week, reporting to the Synagogue Director. It is currently a remote position with some in-person responsibilities in Washington, DC but will transition to a full-time in-person position in the Petworth neighborhood of DC in early 2027. This role requires in-person presence at the Jewish High Holidays and regular special events and other holiday programming. 

The position will require occasional weekend and evening hours. The position will have flex hours during the week to accommodate the evening and weekend work. 

This role requires the use of a cell phone and laptop, as well as access to the internet and a driver’s license. The role requires regular lifting of up to 40 pounds, as well as occasional driving if the candidate has a car. The position includes a technology stipend of $20/month.

NSP mandates COVID vaccination for all staff, as well as any attendees of in person events. Learn more about NSP’s COVID policy here.

The person in this position will be responsible for: 

  • Managing NSP’s new facility (soon to be under renovation, estimated move early 2027)
    • Hiring and coordinating with third-party service providers and contractors, including for construction, regular maintenance, and emergency repairs
    • Overseeing access controls and other building systems, and troubleshooting facilities and technology problems
    • Managing building staff, including scheduling
    • Managing facilities rental process
    • Organizing supplies and maintaining supply inventory
  • Administering daily operations and logistics that support fundraising, financial operations, human resources, and membership, including:
    • Data management including keeping membership dues and donation information current, managing the annual pledge renewal process, and running regular database reports
    • Processing checks and checking the PO Box (located in Park View, DC) weekly (until our mail moves to the new location)
    • Contractor/vendor onboarding, invoice processing, and expense tracking
    • Managing NSP’s human resources and benefits platforms
    • Training & supporting volunteers’ and staffs’ use of the database, and managing NSP’s G Suite programs
    • Identifying needs, priorities, opportunities, and pathways to continually improve NSP’s systems and policies as we continue to grow, and partnering with other NSP staff and leaders to design and implement solutions, as time allows
  • Managing events and programming planning and logistics, including:
    • Overseeing NSP’s calendar of events, tracking event planning timelines and ensuring milestones are met to ensure well-attended programs with clear communication and smooth logistics
    • Managing Event Staff (PT position) to ensure onsite logistics run smoothly
    • Event planning and coordination for special events, such as High Holidays, Purim, Hanukkah, Annual Retreat, and Annual Membership Meeting, in partnership with volunteers
    • Working with staff, leaders, and volunteers to ensure volunteer roles for in-person events are filled and volunteers are supported with instructions and training as needed 
    • Administrative support and oversight for volunteer-led programs
    • Responding to individual access requests and coordinating ASL interpretation, CART captioning, ramps, and other access equipment & personnel needed to make Synagogue programming and operations accessible to all who wish to join
  • Coordinating communications, including:
    • Managing the email communications calendar and coordinating with social media manager to promote upcoming events and programs 
    • Responding to member inquiries via email or determining who should respond
    • Designing and sending twice weekly events newsletters
    • Keeping MailChimp email lists up-to-date 
    • Updating NSP’s website

Pay and Benefits:

  • The position pays $80,000 per year and is a full-time role requiring approximately 40 hours/week (some weeks may require more, and there is comp time when that occurs)
  • 401k plan with a 3% employer contribution that vests immediately
  • Technology stipend of $20/month while position is remote
  • Healthcare reimbursement
  • 16 days of paid vacation per year, 13 days of sick leave, 11 federal holidays plus additional Jewish holidays when our offices are closed, and 16 weeks parental leave.

Application Process:

To apply, please submit an application here. Note: NSP members are not eligible to apply. We will review applications on a rolling basis with priority given to applications received by June 21. Candidates who advance after an initial interview will be asked to complete an exercise before a second round interview. Finalists will be asked to submit 2-3 references. We hope to fill the position by mid-late July. 

NSP is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to racial equity, accessibility, and social justice. Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, Black and Indigenous people, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA people are strongly encouraged to apply. NSP does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, sex, age, gender identity or expression, or other status protected by applicable law.

Hear from members

“Jews of Color are a growing portion of the Jewish community that has always existed, but we are consistently alienated from Jewish spaces because of these same misguided assumptions about who makes up a Jewish community. NSP has worked to create dedicated space and resources to uplift Jewish voices like mine and has committed itself to learning and acting on antiracism.”

— Emma Rafaelof, NSP board member and JOC Space co-lead


“As a parent in a queer interfaith relationship with a genderqueer partner, I can relax into the confident knowledge that my young children will see our family and our values celebrated and embraced, and that my children have a supportive space as they explore their own gender identity. College activism helped me find my way back to organized Judaism and workers’ rights and other justice struggles have been central to my work and community in DC. Twenty years after graduating, it feels both nurturing and exciting to be part of a Jewish community centered around justice.”

— Jess Champagne, NSP member


We are building a community that is spiritually vibrant, radically inclusive, and reflects our vision for a world of justice, equity, and liberation. Be a part of it! Our community is built by and for religious, secular, and atheist Jews, families with kids, partnered and single people, queer and trans people, disabled and chronically ill people, D/deaf and hard of hearing folks, interfaith families, Jews of color and white Jews, and anyone interested in exploring and experiencing Jewish life. To learn more about getting involved and to join as a member, click here. Want to talk to a real human about how to plug in or to answer questions you have about the community? Contact our Membership Team at membership@newsynagogueproject.org. 

Here’s what our members and volunteer leaders have to say about being part of NSP:

(more…)

What’s in a name?

Reflection by Rabbi Yosef on our community’s name:

The daily morning liturgy contains the phrase “blessed is the one who spoke and the world came into being.” The idea is that the world was created through words. As it says in Genesis in the creation story, “And God said ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Embedded in this teaching is the profound understanding that words have power to create. Just think about words that have hurt you. Now think about words that have healed you. Words have the power to shape reality. So too when it comes to names: the words by which we call ourselves matter.  And we just gave ourselves a new name. Or, more like we made our old name our new name, or something like that. So now that it’s a official I’ve been thinking about the meaning of our name.

NEW Synagogue Project

Our tradition has a lot to say about the idea of doing something new. It says in Psalm 96 (part of Friday night liturgy) “Shiru l’Adonai shir chadash, shiru l’adonai kol haaretz” Sing to Adonai a new song, sing to Adonai the whole earth. Sometimes we think of religion and tradition as already set and established, but in this Psalm is an imperative to pray, to praise, to connect with all of creation through a new song. (If you hadn’t already guessed, I was the one who suggested “Shir Chadash: A New Synagogue Project”, but the majority has spoken!)Not only is newness not anathema to Judaism, I learned from my teacher Dr. Judith Kates that change itself is actually embedded in the tradition. In the 5th book of the Torah, Devarim (Deuteronomy), Moses gives the longest sermon EVER in which he retells the stories of B’nai Yisrael’s 40 year wandering through the desert. But here is the thing, he rewrites the story. He changes it. In some very important ways. And this is all in the Torah. In our focus on liberation and engagement in both the political and the spiritual, our ecstatic and accessible prayer, our separation of Judaism and nationalism, our bringing together of mystics, agnostics, and atheists in the same community, and in so many other ways — we are striving to do something new! AND YET, our striving for newness is not original, we are following in the steps of our ancestors. In both the past and present, others have striven and are striving for many of the same things. We can aim for something new while also having humility and gratitude for those who came before us.

New SYNAGOGUE Project​

There is now a whole world of Jewish spiritual startups that intentionally reject the synagogue model. They think the synagogue is dead, no longer relevant. In the past year, many people from this world have asked Lauren and me, “you’re starting a synagogue?!? Why would you do that?!” My response has been and continues to be: a synagogue is by definition an intentional community and in our society being in intentional community is a counter cultural and radical act. We eschew the individualistic notion that says each of us should go at it alone. Opting-in and joining community affirms that we are connected, that we value a collective, and will throw our lot in with others, beyond just our friend group and family. It affirms that we need help, that we will ask for help, and that we will give aid to one another. Building a synagogue also means that we are building an institution. The downside of institutions is that they can get stale, stuck in their ways, and ossify. That’s why we have “new” in our name! We must commit to regular reflection in order to review and renew what we’re doing. On the other hand, institutions have power. And if we want to make change, if we want to fight displacement in DC or build safety through solidarity with other communities, we need to build power. Institutions also have infrastructure to support our individual and collective needs: this includes the infrastructure to take care of one another, to celebrate lifecycle events and to mourn loss, as well as to educate ourselves and our children. We are building a synagogue.

New Synagogue PROJECT​

Remember those group project assignments in high school? That was bad. Well, this is our opportunity at redemption. We’re building community together. At times it’s fun. At times it’s messy. And it’s always in process. I am so grateful and excited to be the rabbi of the New Synagogue Project. It is a tremendous honor and joy. I look forward to continuing to create together.