 |
|
|
|
Job Title: Rabbi
Type of Company: I am the rabbi of a temple in a suburb of Boston.
Education: BA, Liberal Arts, Wesleyan University •• MSW, University of Southern California •• MAJS (Master of Arts in Jewish Studies), Hebrew Union College •• Rabbinic ordination, Hebrew Union College
Previous Experience: I taught Hebrew and worked as a Jewish summer camp counselor and assistant director.
Job Tasks: I do a number of things as a rabbi, far too many to count. Let me give you what I consider some of the highlights, the things that take up a good deal of my time. Of course this varies from day to day. However, I think what follows is a good overview.
1.) I am a preacher. I give a sermon every Friday night, Saturday morning and often Saturday afternoon. Every sermon is unique, though thematically they are often based on the Torah portion of the week.
2.) I am a teacher. I teach a wide range of students, from pre-K to adults. I teach about ritual, history, practice, current events, Torah, Talmud, philosophy. I tell stories and create myth.
3.) I am a pastor. I help assuage pain and grief. I help structure a means to celebrate the best and the worst parts of life.
4.) I am a "m'sader", or in English, an enabler (in the good sense): a shepherd. I enable people to express their dreams and their nightmares through counseling and through ritual. I often encounter them in situations where they feel lost or unable to find the words or the means to get from the dark place they are in to a place of light.
Best and Worst Parts of the Job: The best part of my job is to make people feel better about themselves, to give them a sense of joy and completeness about being Jewish and being alive. When I leave a family at the end of a life cycle event, I trust that they feel like they've moved to a better place, even if it's a sad time for them.
The worst? To be under-appreciated or treated like another one of the servants in their lives.
Job Tips:
1.) To be a rabbi you must love being a part of the Jewish people.
2.) Love and appreciate all human beings.
3.) Have a great sense of humor, including being able to laugh at yourself.
4.) Have a clear sense of God's presence and love.
5.) Be able to forgive and be forgiven.
The inside stories from people actually working in the field.
Click a story title to show the story, and click the title again to hide it.
All Types
Career Stories are concise, real-world career overviews written by people relating their personal career experiences and wisdom. They provide invaluable insights and mentoring advice to students and career changers.
Most stories include:
Please also see our detailed information about Clergy, including:
Copyright © QuinStreet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
