Curator of Jewish Culture/Judaica || The Jewish Museum (NY)
Date: July 2019
Department: Curatorial Affairs
Title: Curator of Jewish Culture/Judaica
FSLA Status: Exempt
Supervisor: Chief Curator
Schedule: Full-Time
The Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum is the preeminent art museum dedicated to exploring art and Jewish culture in all its manifestations across time and space. Founded in 1904 and located in a historic mansion on New York City’s Museum Mile, the Museum is dedicated to the enjoyment, understanding, and preservation of the artistic and cultural heritage of the Jewish people. The Museum maintains the largest collection of Judaica in the United States, with nearly 30,000 works of art, ceremonial objects, and media reflecting the global Jewish experience over more than 4,000 years.
The Position
The Jewish Museum seeks a dynamic scholar and curator to oversee its renowned collection and to create timely and original exhibitions and programs that explore the Jewish experience through culture and art. A highly visible position at the Museum and beyond, the Curator will be a leading thinker and voice in his or her field who will draw inspiration from a renowned collection of ceremonial and other objects that are central to the Museum’s mission and identity. The ideal candidate will be a compelling ambassador who possesses a deep knowledge of Jewish culture and history, and an understanding of how objects can illuminate the Jewish experience. While each applicant will bring a range of skills, an ability to work closely with collections and draw out meaning and identify themes relevant for today’s audiences is essential. A valued member of the curatorial team, the new curator will be involved in making acquisitions, creating exhibitions based on the collection, and working collaboratively with other members of staff to continue a legacy of leading scholarship and curatorship.
Responsibilities Include
- Curate, write, present and publish within fields of expertise; willingly share knowledge and enthusiasm with peers externally and internally.
- Participate fully as a member of an active curatorial team in proposing ideas, thinking creatively about the role of ceremonial objects and developing and refining exhibitions; provide generous feedback and engage others’ projects as part of the process.
- Oversee and creatively deploy substantial collection of 15,000 ceremonial objects and Judaica in exhibitions and semi-permanent installations.
- Be an advocate for an active commissioning program that seeks out established and emerging artists and designers capable of interpreting traditional practices in new ways.
- Manage the Judaica Acquisitions Committee, including liaising with the committee chairs, overseeing meetings and attending cultivation events.
- Collaborate in the cultivation and stewardship of donor prospects and work in unison with the Museum’s development team to grow support in assigned area.
- Liaise with the Education/Public Programming and Marketing departments to develop interpretive approaches to and materials for exhibitions.
- Maintain up-to-date records of conservation needs and work closely with Registrar and Exhibitions Manager on care, display and transport of works of art under assigned purview.
- Supervise fellows and interns, train docents, and act as collaborative team member on broader institutional initiatives.
Qualifications and Experience
Candidates must have an advanced degree (PhD preferred) and a minimum of 5-10 years’ experience at a museum or university. Candidates from a range of disciplines, including Jewish studies, history, anthropology, archeology, art history, and cultural studies will be considered for this position.
The ideal candidate will:
- Be an established scholar and leading thinker in his or her field
- Be an engaging communicator who is eager to connect with others about the Museum and its mission
- Have experience curating dynamic and relevant exhibitions, preferably at a collecting institution
- Have a reading knowledge of Hebrew and, ideally, one other European or Middle Eastern language
- Be a generous collaborator accustomed to open dialogue, debate and discussion
- Be highly organized and have superior judgment, tact, and diplomacy
Send Resume with Cover Letter To:
Associate Director, Human Resources
The Jewish Museum
1109 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10128
Email: jobs@thejm.org
Fax: 212.423.3232
The Jewish Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to building a culturally diverse staff and encourages applicants of all backgrounds