Organization: The Museum of Jewish Montreal
Job Title: Museum Public Education Assistant
Location: Montreal, QC
Start Date: Monday May 13, 2024
Compensation: $18.00/hr
Commitment: 25 hours/week
Application Deadline: April 2, 2024 by 5pm EST
The Museum of Jewish Montreal—an innovative place to connect with Montreal’s diverse Jewish life and heritage through new cultural experiences—is seeking qualified students to join our team as Museum Fellows to work as Museum Public Education Assistants, leading the Museum’s historic walking tours through the Plateau/Mile-End. Beginning on May 13th, and running through early November, the program is designed to help university students interested in pursuing museum careers acquire the skills they need to work successfully in the cultural and heritage sectors. Participants will gain professional experience in public museum education, intangible culture, interpreting primary research and oral histories by leading historical walking tours around the city in English and/or French.
Responsibilities will include:
- Interpreting and presenting educational material and answering questions on Montreal’s and Canada’s Jewish history and heritage;
- Leading walking and food tours for audiences through Montreal’s historical Jewish quarter;
- Providing research, writing, and sourcebook creation assistance to update our Museum’s historical walking tours;
- Coordinating with colleagues and local vendors to ensure provisions are secured for the Museum’s walking and food tours;
- Liaising between Museum guests, tour guides, and other operational staff before and during walking tours;
- Working as part of a team within the Museum’s Fellowship program to engage in discussion, learning, and exploration of contemporary museological practices, while managing daily job-related tasks;
- Engaging in weekly seminars designed to further participants’ knowledge of Canadian and Jewish cultural heritage and contemporary museum practices.
The ideal candidate will be excited about exploring and facilitating intercultural dialogue, have an interest in leading educational discussions, and enjoy speaking publicly and engaging with diverse museum audiences. Applicants should be enrolled in an Undergraduate or Graduate degree, or equivalent program, but do not require a particular field of study. However, those interested or with a background in Museology or Curatorial Studies, History, Public History, Anthropology, Canadian Studies, Québec Studies, or Jewish Studies may find the position especially rewarding.
Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate an aptitude for public presentation, adaptability, problem-solving, and improvisation in a public-facing environment. Those with experience or a background in theatre, summer camp animation, teaching or leading groups, leading events or programs are encouraged to apply. Candidates should also bring to the position a strong sense of professionalism, diplomacy, time-management, and curiosity. Strong candidates will be those who are excited to engage in learning opportunities, and eager to learn about the following:
- Jewish culture, history, or heritage
- Urbanism and architecture
- Intangible food heritage
- Early-20th century civil or political history
- Literature,
- Immigrant histories,
- Under-represented histories,
- Contemporary museum practices
This position will require availability to work and weekends. Please note, this position requires medium-level physical activity such as leading 2+ hour neighbourhood tours outdoors, carrying supplies upstairs, and moving equipment weighing up to 5 lbs. Because of the program’s location and responsibilities, applicants must be fluent in either French or English, and must possess at least intermediate capabilities in the other language.
In accordance with the Young Canada Works Student Eligibility Criteria, you are only eligible for the Fellowship program if you:
- Are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada (note: Non-Canadian students holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent status are not eligible);
- Are legally entitled to work in Canada (have a valid social insurance number);
- Are between 16 and 30 years of age inclusively at the start of employment;
- Are a high school, college, CEGEP or university student;
- Meet the eligibility criteria of the program for which you are applying;
- Are registered in the YCW online candidate inventory;
- Are willing to commit to the full duration of the work assignment;
Further details and registration materials are available at https://www.youngcanadaworks.ca. Interested individuals who meet the above criteria may apply directly to the Museum of Jewish Montreal by emailing a CV, cover letter, unofficial transcript, and writing sample to [email protected] with the subject of “MPE Assistant Application.” Applications are due Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at 5 pm EST.
The Museum of Jewish Montreal is committed to ensuring that we are an inclusive space and encourage applications from everyone, including but not limited to women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, people with disabilities, and persons of all sexual and gender identities.