Dear Akiba Yavneh Community,
We are thrilled to announce that the AYA Board of Trustees has unanimously appointed Mr. Jason Feld as our incoming Head of School, effective July 1, 2023. We are also pleased to share details below of our plans for a strong finish of this academic year and a smooth transition into next year.
During this search process, we had the opportunity to meet several exciting candidates. Mr. Feld truly distinguished himself as an energetic leader with a track record of delivering excellent academic results, alongside a wealth of experience, expertise and enthusiasm.
Mr. Feld lives the mission of our Modern Orthodox school, with a proven background of success, most recently as the Head of School at Northwest Yeshiva High School in Seattle, where he has served since 2017. Mr. Feld has strong vision for how we will continue to provide an excellent Jewish education while also incorporating innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Mr. Feld’s leadership will usher in our AYA Atid (Future) Plan, bringing positive, forward-looking change to our school. You can read more about Mr. Feld’s education and administrative success on akibayavneh.org.
Throughout the search process, we received extensive comments and feedback from the entire breadth of our community. Special thanks to the Search Committee, Board of Trustees, and our faculty and staff for their work in identifying the ideal candidate to lead AYA into the future. We also want to thank our parent community who made important contributions by taking the time to get to know Mr. Feld and sharing their invaluable feedback with us throughout this process.
A message from Jason:
I am so excited to join the Akiba Yavneh Academy community. Together, we will continue to build upon our exceptional academic program to consistently deliver dynamic and engaging learning opportunities for every student in Judaic and General Studies. Beyond the classroom, we will create innovative and transformative student experiences, and strengthen our school culture that is centered on middot (our character), kehillah (our community), and positive engagement in the modern world that is grounded in Jewish text, tradition, knowledge and pride. With your partnership and support, we will create an AYA that becomes the gold standard of Jewish educational excellence for other communities to emulate.
While Mr. Feld’s tenure will officially start in July, we plan on welcoming him to Dallas as a visitor over the coming months, as well as providing additional opportunities for our community to get to know him better.
Finishing our year strong and starting AYA Atid now
In transitioning to our incoming Head of School and the launch of the AYA Atid Plan, the school will be making immediate adjustments as follows:
Our sincere thanks to Chris Gorycki for his dedicated service as Interim Executive Director and Head of School. Mr. Gorycki’s term will be concluding this month. Thank you, Chris, for your leadership during this interim period and your dedication to improving AYA.
Donna Hutcheson, our High School principal, will assume additional temporary responsibilities overseeing all academic functions of AYA for the remainder of this school year. Although Ms. Hutcheson’s top priority continues to be leadership of the high school, we are fortunate to have her expanded engagement working with teachers, staff, and Mr. Feld as part of the transition to next year. Our School Principals and Interim Early Childhood Director will continue leading their teams.
Extension to Re-Enrollment Early Bird pricing
Registration for the 2023-2024 school year opened a few weeks ago, and it has been exciting to see so many new and returning families complete their enrollment. Given the announcements above, we plan to extend the early bird registration window of the school until March 10th. We urge you to act soon and take advantage of the reduced fee and extended deadline.
Thank You Again
As a community, we are blessed to have dedicated and passionate leaders at our school. The addition of Mr. Feld as our new Head of School – supported by all of us in this transition – will enable Akiba Yavneh to implement the AYA Atid Plan and to continue to grow as a leading Modern Orthodox school, ensuring that our students receive the best education and experience possible.
Sincerely,
David Radunsky
President, Board of Trustees
