Feld named AYA Head of School

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. 

About our incoming Head of School

Mr. Jason Feld is an educator and administrator known for his cutting-edge pedagogy. He has been the Head of School at Northwest Yeshiva High School in Seattle, Washington, since 2017. Previously, he served at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles, California for 12 years, where he was a classroom teacher while taking on increasing administrative duties, culminating in his appointment as Dean of Students. While at Shalhevet, he created a nationally recognized Israel studies program.

A proud alumnus of two Modern Orthodox schools, Emek Hebrew Academy and Valley Torah High School, Mr. Feld is a past Fellow of Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Leadership Institute, Hadar Institute’s Jewish Wisdom Fellowship, the Legacy Heritage Fund’s Teacher Institute Fellowship, and the American Jewish University’s Teaching Israel Fellowship. He was featured as one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Distinguished Entrepreneurs in 2006, and has published several articles in Jewish publications. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from New York University, his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law, and his Master’s degree in teaching from the American Jewish University’s School of Education.

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.