Rumsiskes Market Town Museum

Project Director

Director

Rumsiskes Market Town Museum Corporation

The Rumsiskes Market Town Museum Corporation initiative is looking for a director to further the project to help make this open-air museum in Lithuania a reality.  This is an extraordinary opportunity for someone with strong communication skills who is proactive, a self-starter, and is willing to learn on the job. Independence, creativity, and flexibility are essential for the person in this position, as both the position and the organization will grow and develop.  The position will be online/virtual for the time being, and part-time with flexible hours. It will have the potential to develop into a full-time position.

(See project description below.)

Job Responsibilities

• Raise funds for development of Rumsiskes Market Town Museum Corporation.
• Research potential donors, philanthropies and funding organizations.
• Assist in planning and coordinating events meant to raise funds, and coordinate activities of volunteers and future staff related to event planning and execution.
• Create marketing materials, such as flyers and brochures for media and digital platforms.
• Use technology and social media skills when potentially beneficial.
• Organize and maintain complete records related to the corporation.
• Regularly engage with Board Chair to inform; to explore; and to determine next steps.
• Set up and coordinate meetings of Board of Directors/Advisors and other involved parties.

Job Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communication, public relations, journalism, liberal arts or related/applicable area.
• Outstanding communication abilities.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Excellent organizational abilities.
• Fundraising experience and prior work in not-for-profits desired.

This project will create an addition to the existing Open-Air Museum of Lithuania at Rumsiskes,

and will focus on recreating and portraying how Christians, Jews, and other minorities lived in

traditional Lithuanian market towns during the centuries prior to World War II.

Project Description

Prior to WWII, there were more than 1500 market towns in Eastern Europe. Their two largest

religious communities were Christians (Russian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox or Roman Catholic) and Jews. The daily life and cultures of these residents was complex, rich, and fraught with issues

that are ripe for exploration and understanding. Prior to the two World Wars, for a variety of

reasons hundreds of thousands of people emigrated from these towns, and there are millions

of their descendants in diaspora. During World War II the Jewish populations that had remained

were eviscerated in the Holocaust, and the traditional market town life was destroyed.

This museum will offer visitors the opportunity to see and understand the daily life of the

residents of such towns. Additionally, it will engage in research on how individuals and distinct

communities interacted, including the role of ethnic, religious, gender, and other distinct

identities in everyday life. In conjunction with Yeshiva University in the United States and the Vilnius University in Lithuania, the Museum will also offer students research opportunities.