Jewish Employment Guide

It can be challenging for Jewish job seekers to find a career path they love within an organization that shares their religious values. There are job boards and resources that are readily available to help provide aid to Jewish job seekers of all skill levels. Throughout this detailed resource page, you will find examples of unemployment resources for Jewish workers who are looking to make a career change. You will also find information on job boards with positions listed day-to-day and examples of companies that integrate Jewish values into their workplaces.

Vocational Goals as a Jewish Person

For the Jewish people, their religion’s principles and vocational calling are heavily rooted in their trust and faith in God and using their God-given gifts to do right by themselves and the Lord. What does success mean for those of the Judaic faith? While a definition is not made clear in the Torah, or the Bible, we can define success for Jewish people in several ways. One of the best definitions for Jewish success is whether they have made their soul into something that gives credit to its Maker—in other words, using your skills or gifts in a way that would please God. God is the center of Jewish belief. He makes plans for your life, but what you do with those plans will be the definition of your success as a believer in the Jewish faith.

Jewish Job Boards

The following are some of the leading job boards available for Jewish job seekers. These job boards list positions with companies and nonprofits that correspond with Jewish values.

JewishJobs.com

JewishJobs.com is a website where nonprofit Jewish communal jobs are posted online by nonprofit Jewish communal organizations. Since 2003, JewishJobs.com has been a resource for Jewish job seekers to find positions with nonprofits that impact their community, such as rabbis, nonprofit CEOs, executive directors, teachers, and other positions.

JPro

JPro has technically been around since the late 1800s, when it began as the National Conference of Jewish Charities to raise funds for the large number of Jewish immigrants coming to the U.S. It is an organization that connects, educates, inspires, and empowers professionals working in the Jewish community. They support career growth and aim to serve as a resource for career development and career counseling.

Jewish Careers

Jewish Careers is a simple job board for Jewish people seeking employment and for employers who are looking to post open positions. Jewish Careers has resources for career advice, resume building, networking, and interview tips. If you have questions about career goals or looking to write a strong cover letter, Jewish Careers has experts available to help.

Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management

The Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management has a job board available for those looking to work in the nonprofit sector or for roles as nonprofit leaders. They believe that nonprofit leadership is about repairing the world and have job listings on their boards that reflect those values. They offer a wide range of nonprofit roles in different states across the country.

Jews of Color Initiative

The Jews of Color Initiative is an organization that works to build a multiracial, anti-racist Jewish community. Their job board features nonprofit roles, educational roles, and other jobs with both Jewish and non-Jewish businesses across the country. Their main goal is to educate the community, allow Jewish people of color to feel comfortable in their own community, and act as a resource for those who may feel more discriminated against because of their racial and religious identities.

Companies with Strong Jewish Values

When looking for employment as a Jewish person, you may feel inclined to work for a company that shares your same religious vocation and beliefs. In the section below, you will find a list of companies and organizations with strong Jewish values and exemplify those Jewish morals in their work.Below, you will find companies that align most with Jewish values and have been listed by the JLens Network as reputable companies that match these values.

Henry Schein

Henry Schein is one of the top products and services distributors in the United States and globally. In addition to their partnership with organizations such as the World Food Program and WHO, much of their work during the COVID pandemic helped many countries facing dire need. You can find their job board located here.

Microsoft

One of the most well-known tech companies in the world, Microsoft is on this list due to their views on energy consumption, as well as their strong religious inclusion and diversity policies. The Seattle-based tech giant emphasizes religious inclusion with dietary accommodations, flexible religious holidays, and dress policies. They also have a strong presence in Israel, with 74% of their Israeli managers being women. You can find their open roles here.

Intel

Another technology company with strong ties to Israel, Intel, is one of the world’s most significant contributors to the tech sector. 100% of Intel’s United States operations are run by renewable energy. The company is heavily invested in creating a more skilled and diverse workforce by encouraging more women and minority workers to pursue careers in STEM. You can find their job board here.

Cisco

Another tech giant, Cisco, is a company that strongly aligns with Jewish morals and values. Not only is the company fully invested in being a leader in energy efficiency, but they also share strong religious inclusion practices such as accommodation of religious holidays and dietary needs. In addition, Cisco is involved in establishing relationships between Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs to foster healthy economic partnerships. Cisco’s job board can be found here.

Accenture

Accenture is a management consulting, technology, and outsourcing services company that exemplifies many of the Jewish moral obligations. The company embodies world-class religious inclusion policies that include dietary options, inclusive clothing policies, and holiday accommodations. Accenture has invested heavily into the Israeli economy, housing an R&D lab in the country. Accenture’s job board can be found here.

How You Can Trust God While Looking for a Job That Aligns with Your Beliefs

When Jewish people find themselves out of work in difficult economic times, a number of words might come to mind. These words may include “shame,” and the situation could leave you feeling like you’ve lost your dignity. While these feelings during hardship are normal, Jewish people must remember to have faith in God during these challenging times. During these hard times, seeking help and resources to keep you going is just as important as finding your faith in God and prayer. Building your strength within the Jewish community can rid you of those feelings of shame or indignity and help you get back to a place of strong faith in God and your neighbors. Take time to focus on finding yourself, take time to read the Torah, and take time to create new relationships and friendships within your religious group. Doing these things can help you clear your mind while finding your way back to a career you love.

Religious Accommodations and Discrimination Protection

In the United States, you are protected from discrimination as a Jewish person. The law protects you from multiple conditions, including firings, pay, job assignments, and specific benefits based on your religion. It is also illegal to harass someone based on their religious beliefs. The law also states that the employer must reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs or practices, meaning they are required to allow flexible scheduling for holy days, shift substitution or swaps, job reassignments, and more. Alternatively, an employer does not have to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs if it causes undue hardship to the employer, such as a compromise of workplace safety, a decrease in productivity or efficiency, or requires other employees to do a greater share of a shared workload.

However, it is illegal for the employer to adjust your job assignment based on your religious beliefs or practices.

Jewish employees can be a target for religious discrimination and harassment. For example, if you are at your workplace and someone comments about how you must be good with money because you are a Jew, this violates the law and is considered religious discrimination.

Jewish Unemployment and Community Resources

Unemployment can be a hardship for any person, regardless of their faith. For Jewish people, unemployment can be difficult and test their belief in God. It can be easy to doubt your beliefs and lump all your feelings of shame and indignity together, but there are incredible job search resources and community career services to aid you and help you reach your career goals. Here are some great resources for career transitions and unemployment services.

UJA Federation

The UJA Federation cares for Jews everywhere and aims to shape the Jewish future. They offer a network of nonprofits and grassroots organizations that work together to respond to emerging issues and ongoing challenges within the Jewish community. They provide scholarship opportunities for students, unemployment resources, career advice, career growth opportunities, and more.

The Jewish Board

The Jewish Board is a full-service resource center for the Jewish community. Their Jewish Services division offers support across many avenues, including unemployment, mental health resources, addiction recovery, crisis intervention, bereavement counseling, and financial assistance. They also offer support groups for those who may be facing times of hardship. The Jewish Board offers many resources to individuals and families, community outreach programs, and career opportunities.

JEVS Human Services

JEVS Human Services has an amazing career strategies program that provides a wide range of educational and career services to the Jewish community. The program offers services such as one-on-one guidance for Jewish professionals in career transition, seminars and support groups, job assessment, training opportunities, and job placement assistance.

Jewish Family Service

The Jewish Family Service is a nonprofit organization that has been in operation for 150 years and has served the Jewish community with a multitude of individual and family services. They offer more than 30 programs and services, including housing, food security, mental health counseling, employment support, and disability services. They are always looking for ways to evolve or adapt their programs to fit the needs of those who need them.