Role and Responsibilities
The rabbi serves as the primary leader of Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives, guiding our spiritual, political, and communal practices and programs by identifying community needs and leading us in meeting them with creative ideas informed by deep Jewish learning.
Specifically, the rabbi is responsible for:
Ritual
The rabbi brings their deep spirituality to Shabbat and holiday services, drawing on an intimate familiarity with tradition, while also demonstrating the interest and talent to create new prayers and practices. Their own sense of connection to the Divine comes through and inspires the congregation to move into a spiritual place along with them. Kolot provides spiritual solace for members through life cycle events, grief, joys, and the challenges of daily life. The rabbi, in partnership with the cantor, develops and leads engaging rituals. Embracing Kolot’s participatory approach to worship, the rabbi seeks to develop it with their own vision and energy, especially towards antiracist, pro-queer, feminist Judaism in conversation with, and alongside, more established traditions. The rabbi shares their own teachings and inspirations, welcomes to the bimah diverse teachers from within and beyond our congregation, and draws out contributions from members as students, chanters, and interpreters of Torah, leaders of ritual, and musical performance.
Community Building
In keeping with our founding ethos, the rabbi actively supports and celebrates the participation and leadership of Jews too often excluded from synagogue life and beyond. (The congregational profile contains more detail.) The rabbi, together with the community, confronts and works to transform structural systems of oppression as they exist within the synagogue as well as the world around us. The rabbi supports the Board and membership in working constructively to address issues and policies where there may be pain or division inside our community, including racism and Israel/Palestine.
Through inclusive and collaborative leadership, the rabbi strengthens our community by identifying members’ strengths and encouraging our contributions of initiative, time, and talents–recognizing that indeed, “all hands are needed.”
The rabbi contributes to Kolot’s financial vitality by working with lay leadership to examine membership dues policies and accountability, and assisting in efforts to raise funds to support the community’s endeavors, including around High Holy Day services.
Pastoral Care
Both rabbi and cantor officiate ritual observance for members and members’ family, including funerals and shiva gatherings, baby namings, weddings, divorces, gender transitions, and more. The rabbi builds relationships across the community and with the cantor and a lay-led committee for care and mutual aid (Gemilut Chasadim) to ensure members receive consistent ritual and spiritual guidance during life transitions. With the cantor and staff, they assess and improve Kolot’s capacity to meet these needs of our membership.
Study and Education
With advice and facilitative leadership, the rabbi supports the work of the Board, staff, and volunteer members to promote and nurture a comprehensive, lifelong Jewish experience. Please see the Congregational Profile for more about our educational programs as they are and as we hope them to be.
Other Responsibilities
The rabbi represents the congregation in connection with movements and campaigns for justice aligned with the congregation’s values, and is free to engage separately in efforts meaningful to the rabbi personally.
Kolot is governed by a Board of 15 elected congregants. As spiritual authorities and senior leaders of the community, our clergy are responsible for supporting and partnering with the Board and executive director in matters of policy, governance, and administration. The rabbi and cantor work in close partnership, and each builds close partnership with Board members and staff by serving as an advisor, attending Board meetings, and fostering the participatory and transparent leadership Kolot aspires to model.