Dear Denver Academy of Torah Community,
I am thrilled to announce that, following a national recruitment effort, we have invited Rabbi Aviad Bodner to join our school community as the K-12 Judaic Studies Principal and School Rabbi. Rabbi Bodner will begin as of August 2023.
As the Judaic Studies Principal, Rabbi Bodner will oversee the Judaic Studies and Hebrew faculty and lead all aspects of our Jewish life on campus. His vision will ensure that the structures and systems of both our formal and informal programs support the school’s mission to provide a Modern Orthodox, co-educational, Torah-observant, Zionist education to our students.
Rabbi Bodner is excited to join the leadership team at DAT and is honored to work with DAT’s dedicated and talented educators and staff. “My goal,” he says, “is to help the already exceptional team provide our students with the tools they need to be successful, achieving excellence in — and bridging — our Judaic and General studies programs, while also fostering a deep commitment and love for Torah u’Mitzvot, the Jewish people, the State of Israel, and all of humanity.”
Rabbi Bodner, his wife, Lindsey, and their four children, Jonah, Natan, Barak and Rayna, will be moving to Denver this summer from New York City. He is currently the Mashgiach Ruchani (spiritual advisor) and Judaic studies teacher at Ramaz High School. Rabbi Bodner has been with Ramaz for the past seven years and works closely with the school administration on all matters of student conduct and Derech Eretz. Rabbi Bodner’s primary responsibility is to elevate the learning environment in the school, thereby ensuring all students engage their learning and community with dignity and respect. He is directly involved in shaping school culture to encourage students to love school and achieve their full potential.
When he is not at Ramaz, Rabbi Bodner is also the Head Rabbi at Congregation Ramath Orah in Manhattan. There, he is responsible for giving spiritual and halachic guidance for approximately 135 families of all backgrounds. He works with Bar/Bat Mitzvah students, officiates lifecycle events for members of the community and beyond, and teaches several weekly classes. As rabbi, he partners with local synagogues and leads family learning programs on Shabbat afternoons for elementary-school-aged children and their parents, as well as Friday evening programs for preschool-aged children and their families.
Raised in Israel, Rabbi Bodner served in the IDF in the Armored Corps and fought in the Second Lebanon War in 2006. His rabbinic ordination comes from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and prior to becoming an educator, Rabbi Bodner was a practicing attorney. His law degree is from Bar Ilan University with a focus on Jewish law and philosophy.
On moving to Denver, Rabbi Bodner says, “We are absolutely thrilled about the move. Aside from my work with the school, I am looking forward to hiking, spending quality time outdoors, meeting all of the students and families, and being part of this amazing Jewish community.”
Please join me in welcoming Rabbi Bodner to his new position. We look forward to greeting him in Colorado and to Denver Academy of Torah in the summer. We are certain that he will be met with much success.
Warmly,
Mrs. Lisa Stroll
Head of School