Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia
Job title: Archives Processing Assistant
Duration: 30 hours per week, Monday – Thursday for 12 weeks
Start and end dates: June 3rd – August 22nd 2019
Hourly Wage: $15/hour

The Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia (JMABC), administered by the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia (JHSBC), is seeking an Archives Assistant to work on the Arrangement and Description of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) fonds Processing Project. As part of the mandate of the JMABC, the archives documents, acquires and preserves archival records, thereby safeguarding the history of the Jewish community of British Columbia. The primary duties for this project include background research and appraisal of the NCJW fonds, physical processing, arrangement and description and finding aid production. Other duties may include transcribing oral history interviews, adding content to the JMABC website, filing and re-filing community publications and research files, digitizing photographs, assisting research requests and helping visitors at the Jewish Museum and Archives.

The National Council of Jewish Women, Vancouver Section, founded in 1924, is a voluntary organization which was chartered in affiliation with the International Council of Jewish Women and the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada. The Branch has operated continually since that time, offering services to Jewish and non-Jewish families locally and internationally in the areas of education, social service, and social action.

Projects initiated at the local level over the years include assistance to refugees from Europe before and during World War II and sponsorship of a Jewish orphanage in Bergstitiching, Holland. During the 1950s the Section concentrated on matters of health care for children and seniors including the study into the emotional care of children in hospitals, and reports and recommendations regarding the social needs of senior citizens. During the 1970s the Branch initiated a Kosher Meals on Wheels program, managed a mobile preschool and purchased a mobile hearing testing bus for preschool children (first van was presented in 1983; second van was presented in 1985). Studies into the care of seniors continued. Members also worked in liaison with other Jewish organizations such as the Jewish Family Services Agency and the Canadian Jewish Congress in matters such as care of seniors and the treatment refugees. Through the 1980s members of the Section participated in matters of national and international concern, such as the meeting for the United Nations Decade for Women in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985.

The NCJW fonds at the JMABC is comprised of three accessions, 4.9 linear metres donated in 1998 (fully processed), 12 linear metres in 2008 (processed to two-thirds completion), and a new 2018 accession of 3 linear metres. This project aims to act as a phase 2, following the YCW 2018 project, and complete the processing, arrangement and description, and creation of a finding aid up to the most recent donation. The finding aid will be made available online (through file-level descriptions on AtoM), as well as in person.

Requirements:
The ideal candidate for the Archives Processing Assistant at the JMABC will have:
-a demonstrated interest in working in an archival or heritage institution shown through previous volunteer or paid work experiences and/or an academic background in a related field such as history, anthropology, museum studies, library studies or archival studies. Preferences will be given to archival studies students;
-basic computer skills and will be comfortable working independently at a computer station. Any experience working with databases or digital imaging software such as Adobe Photoshop will be considered an asset;
-excellent English communication skills, both written and verbal;
-an enthusiastic attitude.

In addition to the above qualifications, all candidates must meet the following requirements dictated by the Young Canada Works program:
-be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada;
-be legally entitled to work in Canada;
-be between 16 and 30 years of age at the start of the project;
-meet the specific eligibility criteria of the program to which you apply;
-be registered in the YCW on-line candidate inventory;
-be willing to commit to the full duration of the work assignment;
-not have another full-time job (over 30 hours a week) while employed with YCW;
-have been a full-time student in the semester preceding the YCW job;
-intent to return to full-time studies in the semester following the YCW job.

This position is dependent upon receipt of funding through the Young Canada Works. Candidates must meet the eligibility criteria to be considered for this position.

The Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia advocates a barrier-free workplace and encourages all qualified candidates to apply.

Please submit a resume and cover letter by email by the application deadline 9:00 am, Tuesday May 21th, 2019.

Send to: Alysa Routtenberg, Archivist
Email: archives@jewishmuseum.ca