TDSA Breaks Ground on New ‘Field of Dreams’

Torah Day School of Atlanta (TDSA) marked a historic milestone on Sunday, June 7, as they broke ground on a new “Field of Dreams.”

This is the first major capital improvement project since its Lavista Road campus was built in 2002. In addition to addressing longstanding drainage issues, the project will debut a new track and field along with outdoor classrooms and a playground recreating the major regions of the land of Israel, including materials and equipment produced in Israel and representative of its natural environments.

The celebration began in the gymnasium, where donors, parents, faculty, students, and community leaders gathered to commemorate this exciting moment.

Introduced by Build Our Future Campaign Co-Chairs Elizabeth Lieberman and Marsha Spector, the program featured inspiring remarks from DeKalb County Commissioner Michelle Long Spears who was instrumental in guiding TDSA through the zoning process. Commissioner Spears energized the crowd with her welcoming remarks, “Torah Day School of Atlanta is critical to this community, and I am excited to be here today to join in this milestone event as our collective efforts come to fruition.”

Also crucial to getting this project off the ground was a challenge grant from the Zalik Foundation. The Foundation encouraged TDSA to think beyond the school day and design the space as a gathering place that could be enjoyed by the broader Toco Hills community.

Amanda Abrams, executive director of the Zalik Foundation, shared, “Children need space to run, to play, to take a breath from the school day and just be kids. A school playing such a critical mission in our community deserves a place where its children can play and explore. We also encouraged TDSA to think bigger — to envision an asset for the entire Toco Hills neighborhood, a place where families gather on weekends, kids play on Shabbos, and neighbors come together to be outside and in community with each other. That vision is what made this truly exciting to us.”

Rabbi Meir Cohen, TDSA head of school, shared a compelling vision for the transformed outdoor experience and the impact this project will have on generations of students to come. “This is the start of a campus enhancement and expansion that will include stunning centerpiece areas that serve as community gathering places, classrooms and learning areas that recognize the need for flexible learning environments — all with the core theme of building pride for our Torah-centric school. We envision growth, not only in enrollment, but most importantly in the quality of the educational experience our students will receive so they will be the best possible Jewish leaders of tomorrow.”

The event concluded on the field where project donors had the honor of turning the first shovels of dirt, assisted by an enthusiastic group of TDSA students. TDSA Board President and parent Shlomo Storch summed up the importance of the event as a watershed moment that will set off a lasting positive chain reaction.

“This project is about giving today’s students a better experience. But it’s also about preparing for tomorrow. When children feel proud of their school, they feel more connected to their teachers, their friends, and their community. They create memories that stay with them long after they’ve forgotten what classroom they sat in or what grade they were in. Years from now, students will run on this field, play on this playground, gather outdoors with friends, and create memories of their own.”