Cantor

Temple Shir Shalom seeks a Cantor for their community located in the Metropolitan Detroit Area

Can you say “YES” to the following questions?

Are you a leader who can inspire, educate, and elevate others through music, song, and Judaism?

Are you a natural born collaborator who seeks to create something bigger than themselves with others?

Are you fun loving and full of joy?

Are you at ease and accepting of all individuals from age 0 to 99?

If so, you are exactly who we are looking for! Read on!

Temple Shir Shalom is a welcoming, warm and inclusive Synagogue that honors the traditions of Judaism while embracing the innovative principles of Reform so that every member can engage in Jewish life in an environment that prioritizes:

• Torah (learning)
• Avodah (spiritual growth)
• G’milut Chasidim (acts of loving kindness)
• Tikkun Olam (social action)
• and meaningful opportunities for personal connection to our Jewish community and the State of Israel.

We need our Cantor to contribute in a significant way to these priorities. These priorities will serve our multigenerational community. We have families with young children, transplants from around the globe, empty nesters, and older adults who love everything from traditional to contemporary music.

In addition, the rabbis and staff at Temple Shir Shalom live and work according to these core values below and we are looking for that special Cantor who easily does the following:

DREAMS big!

We inspire ourselves and others with our creativity and ability to care.

Goes ABOVE AND BEYOND

With dedication and commitment, we get things done and do whatever is needed to help others.

BELIEVES in Connections and Inclusion

We value relationships, loyalty, integrity and compassion.

CELEBRATES joy in everything we do making work and our time together fun!

The character of the Cantor we seek includes these qualities:

• You must naturally be a “people person.” You must love dealing with and interacting with all kinds of people. You must come across as sincere, warm, genuine, and caring.
• You thrive at taking on responsibility. You organize your work and develop strategy to reach organizational goals.
• You are proactive and collaborative. You understand relationships create a vibrant culture.
• You are proactive and self-reliant. You can follow directions and can think on your own, filling in the blanks when necessary. If action is necessary, you discern the next right step while gathering the resources to move forward.
• You are emotionally mature. You don’t get frustrated, defensive, easily overwhelmed, or take things personally when faced with adversity, deadlines, and conflicts. You also know how to help others overcome negative emotions and move forward toward resolution.
• You are conscientious. You take pride in your work and want things done right! You don’t cut corners sacrificing quality.
• You are assertive but not aggressive. You are a self-starter and great at following up and following through to the very end. You love feedback and are open to suggestions to get better.
• You want to lead a vibrant life. You are a generally happy person. You smile easily, see the glass as at least half full and experience joy on the daily.
• You want to be part of something bigger than yourself. Our work at Temple Shir Shalom changes people’s lives! We want someone who cares deeply about our mission and recognizes that music is woven into everything we do.

The role and responsibilities of our Cantor include:

Worship Services

• Perform Cantorial functions for all scheduled Shir Shalom services, including but not limited to Friday nights, Saturday mornings, Holiday services, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Family services, and Havdalah services, including preparing appropriate music for all such services.
• Lead, oversee, and prepare music, choir, and instrumentation for all High Holiday and other major Holiday services.
• Provide a special musical service including all necessary preparation for that service, one Shabbat per month.
• Advise and recommend the engagement of instrumentalists, soloists, and professional choir members, as requested by Shir Shalom.
• Oversee the Shir Shalom Choir  - with recruitment, preparation, rehearsal, and direction.

Educational Responsibilities

• Provide for and oversee Shir Shalom's Religious School's PK-6 music program and song leader program for Shoresh tefillah.
• Supervise any song leaders and/or music specialists.
• Teach music with families in the grade specific family educational programs.
• Teach B'nai Mitzvah students chanting by offering both chanting classes and private tutoring session.
• Plan, organize, and lead (with rabbis and preschool staff)  a Preschool/Toddler Shabbat program every other month (currently called Bim Bam Baby).  
• Oversee and develop Shir Shalom Youth Choir (who will perform on special occasions  and help lead family Shabbat services).

Lifecycle Responsibilities

• Assist in the officiating of weddings, funerals, bris and baby namings at Temple's request.
• Conduct shiva minyan services when available, in coordination with Shir Shalom’s rabbis or members of the Shiva Minyan Corps.

Synagogue Leadership and Community Responsibilities

• Attend and participate in weekly senior staff meetings.
• Interface and plan with Shoresh educational director and teachers as needed.
• Sing and represent Temple Shir Shalom in the greater Detroit Jewish community.
• Seek out opportunities and participate in interfaith and community events.

Religious Services and Practices of Temple Shir Shalom

• Shabbat Worship
  • Our Shabbat services feature rituals and melodies expressing the warmth and joy that is our community. Several times a year we host family Shabbat services and services featuring our artists-in-residence (such as Dan Nichols and Alan Goodis).
  • Friday night services alternate between a service using our prayerbook (The Fifth Direction) and CAYA (come as you are) Meditation Services, which are more relaxed and less formal. 
  • Weekly we conduct services both Friday evening and Saturday morning.
• High Holidays and Festivals
  • We use Mishkan Hanefesh as our prayerbook for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
    • The main High Holiday services take place in the Joyce and Dave Sakwa Sanctuary.
    • Our family High Holiday services (for families with children in 1st - 6th grade) take place offsite concurrently on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mornings. These services are conducted by one of our rabbis, our high school leaders and our temple songleaders.
    • Our Pitzelah services are for our youngest families and children (toddlers through kindergarteners) and take place on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur afternoon in the Joyce and Dave Sakwa Sanctuary.

B’nai Mitzvah

• B’nai mitzvah take place on Friday evening Shabbat services, Saturday morning Shabbat services, and occasionally on Saturday evening with Havdalah.
• We use the Shir Shalom prayerbook, The Fifth Direction, for these services.

All in all, we need someone very special for this position. Music is essential to our life at Temple Shir Shalom. The music we love is an eclectic mix of worship music, from niggunim to contemporary composers. We blend in traditional cantorial music of the 19th century. We enjoy it all! We sincerely appreciate the importance of music in helping create the ambiance and environment conducive to our prayers. We use a digital piano to accompany our musicians and guitar is also used regularly during services, even on the High Holidays. If you can bring all this to our community plus your individual talents and gifts, we would love for you to apply.

Our compensation package is comprehensive and competitive. We will offer our Cantor a salary from $110K to $145K with an amazing benefit package that includes four weeks of vacation. We look forward to reviewing your application. Shalom!

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