Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky

Columbia law professor Ariela Dubler has been appointed as the new head of the Abraham Joshua Heschel School.

Dubler, who is vice president of the school’s board, will succeed Roanna Shorofsky, at the helm of the liberal school that is considered one of New York’s leading Jewish educational institutions,

Under Shorofsky’s tenure, Heschel expanded to include a high school and accommodate a body of 900 students.

“I am enormously enthusiastic and excited that Ariela has accepted the position as Head of School,” Shorofsky commented in the press release. “The Heschel community can look forward with confidence to her inspiring and engaging leadership.”

The decision comes after an eight-month long search process led by members of the board, administration, faculty and representatives of the Parents’ Association.

The school is notable for its pluralistic understanding of Judaism, which can be traced back to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a social activist whose humanist ideas greatly influenced the school’s mission.

“As Head of School, I will be the steadfast defender of the school’s unrelenting commitment to its mission, enabling the school’s children and adults to strive to reach their full potential as Jews, learners, teachers, and citizens of our larger world,” Dubler, whose three children attend the school, said in the press release,

She will begin her position as Head of School next July 1.

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