ESJF is Recruiting Editors for Jewish Cemetery Surveys

The ESJF European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative is seeking part-time Survey Data Editors to ensure the accuracy of our cemetery database entries. These are remote positions with flexible hours and a fluctuating workload.

By summer 2021, the ESJF will complete surveying 1,700 Jewish cemetery sites within the framework of its second EU-funded pilot project “Protecting the Jewish Cemeteries of Europe”. Each surveyed site will be catalogued in ESJF’s online cemetery database along with accompanying photos, data points, and descriptive text.

Survey Data Editors will crosscheck each survey entry against a variety of sources (e.g. databases of Jewish cemeteries, historical maps and records) to verify that all information is correct. These are ideal positions for students of history or Jewish studies but are open to anyone with interest and/or experience with heritage preservation.

Responsibilities:

  • Verifying information (GPS coordinates, perimeters, site accessibility, etc.) uploaded by survey teams
  • Dating tombstones by photo (requires Hebrew epitaph reading)
  • Inputting correct information into multiple cloud-based spreadsheets

Qualifications:

  • Acquaintance with Jewish history and material heritage (including cemeteries) required; prior experience with Jewish cemetery fieldwork a plus
  • Extremely organized and detail-oriented
  • Comfortable using spreadsheets and Google maps
  • Knowledge of a second European language preferred but not required; Hebrew literacy a plus
  • Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in History or Jewish Studies
  • Successful applicants will receive a fully remunerated 3-4 hour Zoom training session to learn the essentials of the role.

UPDATE: These positions have been filled.