Torah Day School Marks 40 Years of Jewish Learning

Torah Day School of Atlanta (TDSA) is marking its 40th anniversary year with both appreciation and anticipation. “It is thanks to the many communal investors that made TDSA’s 40 years possible – including the founders, lay leaders, faculty, parents, and donors and, of course, a significant amount of divine intervention,” shared Rabbi Meir Cohen, TDSA’s Head of School. “But we are not letting success lead to complacency. Torah Day School of Atlanta and the entire community of investors is continuing forward with a growth mindset while staying steadfast in our mission of understanding every child and seeking the best ways to reach each generation of students that enter into our ecosystem.”

To do so, TDSA launched its Build Our Future capital campaign a couple of years ago. It involves three pillars: cultivating teacher excellence, building a stunning outdoor experience, and an innovative and electric campus design.

With a generous pledge of $700,000 from the Aronov Foundation, the TDSA Foundation Inc. has established the Aaron and Marjorie Aronov Teacher Excellence Fund (TEF). Proceeds from this endowment will be used toward faculty enrichment, including training and mentorship programs so that all TDSA teachers are experts at the student-centered approach to education which is the foundation of the school’s pedagogical philosophy.

“There is a direct correlation between TDSA’s success and the growth and vitality of the Atlanta Jewish community. An empowered teaching staff is a core element in delivering this mission. The Aronov Foundation is committed to helping TDSA invest in its talented faculty through the Teacher Excellence Fund. We are honored to be part of TDSA’s short- and long-term, sustainable success at a critical point in the school’s history and hope to partner with the community to grow the endowment further,” comments Jake Aronov. According to Seth Bernstein, president of the TDSA Foundation, “Donors have identified with this need, and moving forward we see a real opportunity for growth of this fund to provide greater support to TDSA in this critical effort.”

TDSA has also made great progress toward the second component of the campaign to create an engaging outdoor experience. “Thirty-eight percent of our campus is unusable because of drainage issues,” explains Rabbi Cohen.

The Zalik Foundation generously provided a challenge grant to renovate the field and outdoor spaces. “Torah Day School of Atlanta plays a vital role in Jewish Atlanta, and its Toco Hills campus is an important anchor for both the school and the broader neighborhood. We are proud to help support the revitalization of the outdoor space, creating a place where TDSA students and the broader Toco Hills community can play, explore, and connect,” said Helen and David Zalik. The project will make the land usable by installing a new stormwater drainage system.

The school has designed a state-of-the-art track and field and will create a one-of-a-kind playground in partnership with Israeli playground manufacturer Psagot. The playground will recreate the geography of the Land of Israel, using materials and equipment that bring the Jewish homeland to life for TDSA’s students.

“I was involved from the start of TDSA. And even though my children are grown, the school remains essential to the success of the Atlanta Jewish community. That is why I agreed to co-chair this project,” shares Marsha Spector, co-chair of the Build Our Future campaign. Together with co-chair Elizabeth Lieberman and their committee, they have succeeded in raising more than $3 million toward the project. “It is a real opportunity to create an inspiring campus for our children and a legacy for the future,” adds Lieberman. TDSA recently secured the necessary permitting from Dekalb County for this project and expects to break ground this spring.

“In thinking about TDSA’s 40-year history and plans for the future, we envision a campus that elicits a sense of pride and awe, designates specific areas by grade-level while creating a community feel through shared spaces and fluid learning environments both inside and outside the building,” a school official said. At the 40th Anniversary Gala, Rabbi Cohen reflected that “Similar to the Purim story, our history, every step of the way, from our meager beginnings to finding a property in the heart of our community, to just getting our permit authorization for a new field and playground, has been predicated on hidden miracles.”

As TDSA’s community of lay leadership, faculty, volunteers, donors and parents come together to support Torah education, the school hopes it will continue to merit many more hidden miracles and prepare the next generation to find G-d in an ever-challenging world.