Careers at American Ancestors

The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center (JHC) at American Ancestors, a research and educational center located in Boston, Mass., whose archival collections specialize in the Jewish history of New England, is seeking candidates for a Historian in Residence position in the 2025-2026 year.

This part-time position (15 to 20 hours a week) is an exciting opportunity for a post-doc, adjunct faculty member, public historian, or teacher. The Historian in Residence works in collaboration with JHC staff to create content, programs, and resources for a range of audiences and settings. Mining the JHC’s archival collections, which specialize in the history of Jewish individuals, families, institutions, businesses, and communities in New England, the Historian in Residence will highlight and contextualize this history, while also developing articles and public talks about related topics in American Jewish history; developing research and resource guides for the JHC website; and helping connect the JHC to, and build use of its resources among, the scholarly/research community.

Responsibilities  

• The Historian in Residence’s responsibilities include research, writing, and presentations using the JHC’s collections and other repositories. The historian will:  
• Write two articles for publication in  American Ancestors magazine and contribute occasional blog posts to the JHC and American Ancestors websites.
• Develop online and/or in-person presentations for the public.
• Work with archives staff to create online resource guides for JHC collections.
• Provide consultation to JHC staff about American Jewish history as/when needed.
• Conduct and recommend outreach to communities of scholars and researchers.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will:

• Have at minimum a Master’s degree in history, American Jewish history, or a related field.  Knowledge of Boston and/or New England Jewish history a plus.
• Demonstrate superb writing, research, and presentation skills.  
• Have experience in public history setting(s) and/or in interpreting and presenting historical content for a wide variety of audiences.
• Be able to work both independently and collaboratively with the JHC team. 

Terms and Stipend

Reporting to the JHC Programming and Outreach Manager, this part-time, grant-funded position begins on or after September 1, 2025, and ends June 30, 2026, with the possibility of extending the funding for a second year. While the exact schedule is flexible and shall be mutually agreed-upon, the preferred arrangement entails a regular schedule of 17.5 to 21 hours a week. The Historian should be based in the Greater Boston area and is asked to spend at least one day (7 hours) each week working onsite. The annual stipend for the position is $30,000, paid over ten months. The Historian in Residence and the JHC may have the option to renew the position beyond the 2025-2026 year.

To Apply

Candidates should submit a cover letter expressing why the position interests them and what they might be interested in exploring while at the JHC; a resume and/or CV; and two references to:

Rachel King, Executive Director 
Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at American Ancestors 
97 Newbury Street 
Boston, MA 02116 
rachel.king@jewishheritagecenter.org

To learn more about the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center, visit JewishHeritageCenter.org.

The Historian in Residence position is funded by Richard Schilder and the Schilder Family, in honor of Justin L. Wyner.