Once, in the wee hours of the morning, a man slipped an urgent note under the door of the Rebbe’s office, hoping the secretary would notice it and pass it on to the Rebbe. But the secretary, upon leaving the Rebbe’s office, did not notice the letter. Spotting the note on the floor, the Rebbe walked over, bent down and picked up the letter to give its contents his full attention. When the man realized what happened, he apologized profusely for making the Rebbe bend down to pick up his note. The Rebbe responded: “Is that not my entire purpose… to bend down and lift up what others might not notice?”
The Rebbe’s love and respect for every single person, including – and perhaps particularly – for those who might not otherwise “be noticed,” is the driving force behind the Aleph Institute’s mandate to care for thousands of individuals and their loved ones in and around the prison system. The Rebbe teaches that every person has a soul that was handmade by G-d, and all of humanity deserves the essential right to express their inner light in the world. This, the Rebbe stressed, applies to those behind bars. Even in prison, a person must be able to “maintain a sense that he is created in the image of G-d; he is a human being, who, if only he desires it, can be a reflection of G-dliness in this world.” By embracing the divine spark within every individual, Aleph has found true rehabilitation to be possible.
Does this mission speak to you?
Aleph is seeking top thinkers who are action-oriented to join their growing team. Aleph’s fast-paced culture is well suited for people who are problem-solvers with positive attitudes.
If you see a position below which intrigues you, email us at jobs@aleph-institute.org. Please include a copy of your resume and the name of the position you are interested in. You can also visit our career page to see a full listing of Aleph’s open positions at https://aleph-institute.
1. Director of Development: The Aleph Institute is seeking a talented and experienced Director of Development who will be a core part of the organization’s funding efforts. The Director of Development will have the primary responsibility of identifying and delivering on key external alliances by cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, and foundations to further and strengthen Aleph’s mission and critical work. This person must have experience in, and a knack for, raising funds and generating growth in organizations. This person will oversee the division, strategy, and implementation of breaking ground on new revenue streams including major gifts, grants, special events, corporate and foundation support. This person must possess a proven track record of success in major gift funding. Strong interpersonal skills, exceptional writing and communication, and the ability to motivate and lead a team are a must. This is a remote position and full-time position.
2. Director of International Advocacy: This person is an intelligent, well-spoken, and tenacious individual with leadership skills who will take the lead running Aleph’s International Advocacy Department. While Aleph has been protecting religious freedoms and humane care interests throughout the United States criminal justice system for many years – our reach is now expanding around the globe. Applicants must be able to organize and lead a small team, develop strategies for action, actively fundraise to support the needs of the growing program, and communicate comfortably and persuasively in a warm and compelling manner. The person will also handle high-level communications and/or meetings with senior government officials from around the world.
3. Judicial/Political Outreach Liaison: This person will be a critical member of the alternative sentencing and justice reform teams, responsible for introducing Aleph’s work to judicial and prosecutorial offices around the country and advocating in relevant cases. Well-qualified, intelligent, and charismatic applicants should feel comfortable advocating on a very senior level and should be both informed and passionate about criminal justice and justice reform matters. He or she will also work with attorneys and take the lead role in attending and presenting at these meetings and/or at sentencings. This is a full-time position that can be done remotely from anywhere throughout the United States. Travel may be required.
4. Relationships Manager: The Aleph Institute is seeking to fill a critical remote role on our team by hiring a relationship manager. This is a writing and research-focused position. The Relationship Manager will hold the central role in supporting staff with efforts to cultivate and steward relationships – such as donors, attorneys, and other strategic partners – through research, strategic thinking, and creative writing. This person will bring an innovative and creative approach to the development officers for potential donor engagement by providing strategic communications based on excellent research, as well as deepening and advancing relationships with current Aleph supporters and partners. Applicants must have exceptional and brilliant writing skills, strategic thinking, good communication skills, as well as strong research abilities, and a knack for creative problem solving. We seek applicants who can consider philanthropists’ and public/political figures’ backgrounds and interests and think of avenues for engagement with Aleph’s work. Self-lead individuals who take initiative are a must.
5. Data Associate: The Aleph Institute is seeking a Los Angeles-based Data Associate to assist the Data Systems Manager and join our growing data team. The Data Associate will be responsible for maintaining accurate and up-to-date information in our various softwares. Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills are a must. The Data Associate will create spreadsheets, run mail merges, and other mailing campaigns and general support for data administration.
6. Assistant Director of Family Services: The Aleph Institute’s Family Services branch is seeking a New York-based Assistant Director who will support the Family Service branch’s operations and take a leading role in building the division’s infrastructure, program services and overseeing team members. We’re looking for a person who enjoys bringing their best to any task at hand and has a problem-solving, team-player mentality. The person in this position will have an opportunity to help shape a growing team under the Director and will help develop program benchmarks and other infrastructure-related aspects of the division. This person should be someone who enjoys organizing and implementing new projects, as well as bolstering existing ones, who is creative, dedicated and excellent at managing details.
One person wrote to us, “You have no idea how you and your organization mentally affects so many of us. Depression is the #1 problem and evil in just about any prison. In my 32 months here, I’ve seen many broken men and broken families. You give us hope, a priceless commodity in any situation.”
Another person shared with us, “it is very heartwarming to feel considered and valued when everything we know in prison attempts to convince us of the opposite. Your loving kindness shines like the sun in this bleak place… toda raboh”
And just one more glimpse into our work from the thousands of communications we receive, “Aleph gave me hope. The hope to realize that my family deserves a second chance. The hope to realize that every human being makes mistakes at one point in their lives. Yet mistakes do not define us. Making a mistake does not mean we are not worthy.”
