Dear Beth Tfiloh Community,

With great enthusiasm, we are thrilled to announce that the Board of Trustees of the Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Day School has appointed Ms. Bracha Rutner as Head of School beginning in July 2025. Following an extensive international search, the Search Committee and our Board were deeply impressed by Ms. Rutner’s educational and leadership experience, passionate commitment to Jewish education, and alignment with Beth Tfiloh’s mission and values.

With over twenty years in Jewish education, Ms. Rutner joins Beth Tfiloh from Yeshiva University High School for Girls in Queens, NY (Central) where she has spent the past 14 years, including the last five years as Head of School. During her tenure at Central, Ms. Rutner has fostered a student-centered learning environment within an academically rigorous dual curriculum, emphasizing faculty development and mentorship while leading innovative curricular advancements and cultivating a culture of growth and achievement. Under her leadership, the school has significantly increased parent engagement and fundraising efforts.

A passionate mission-driven educator, Ms. Rutner has continued to teach while serving as Head of School. A lifelong learner, Ms. Rutner holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Yeshiva University, a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from St. John’s University and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education Administration from Azrieli Graduate School. Ms. Rutner is originally from Silver Spring, MD, and is married with four children.

Reflecting on her new appointment, Ms. Rutner shared, “I am honored and excited to join Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, an institution deeply rooted in Jewish values and academic excellence. From my first interactions with the students, faculty, and families, I have been inspired by the warmth, dedication, and spirit that define this vibrant school community. I look forward to partnering with the entire Beth Tfiloh family to build upon its rich traditions and create new opportunities for growth, learning, and connection. Together, we will continue to nurture the next generation of proud, engaged Jewish leaders, lifelong learners, and committed members of the community.”

Ms. Rutner brings a proven ability to cultivate academic excellence while fostering a warm and inclusive school community. Her academic expertise combined with her leadership skills and experience make her uniquely suited to build upon the extraordinary foundation established by Dr. Zipora Schorr over the past 40+ years. With a deep respect for Beth Tfiloh’s values and traditions, Ms. Rutner will build on Dr. Schorr’s remarkable legacy to propel the school forward to continued growth and success.

Thank you to the entire Beth Tfiloh community – parents, faculty, staff, students, alumni and their parents, grandparents, and other supporters, whose partnership and reflections in the various stages of the search process were critical in shaping the qualities we were looking for in our new Head of School. A special Todah Rabah to the members of our Search Committee. Over the past 13 months, the Committee, with the support from the consulting firm DRG, dedicated countless hours to ensure this was a thorough and thoughtful process. Representing the diverse range of voices and perspectives of our community, they vetted and interviewed a significant pool of candidates, listened to community feedback, and called references. We are beyond grateful for their individual and collective tenacity and vision to embrace the responsibility of identifying and recruiting Beth Tfiloh’s next leader.

While Ms. Rutner’s tenure will officially begin in July, we anticipate welcoming her for several visits over the coming months and providing additional opportunities for our community to welcome her to our Beth Tfiloh family. In addition to these welcoming opportunities, a Transition Committee will be formed to ensure both a seamless start to the 2025-2026 school year and continued success for our beloved institution for many years to come. We are deeply grateful for the continued support and trust from our parents, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and supporters as we enter this exciting next chapter for Beth Tfiloh. We look forward to partnering with all of you and the professional leadership team in this exciting new phase for our school!

Dodi Samuel ‘98, President, Board of Trustees
Aaron Levinoff, Vice President, Board of Trustees and Chair of Search Committee