A world-renowned educator, Aryeh Ben David is committed to “plucking the soul strings” of teachers and students alike in order to transform how we learn and grow. He is the founder of Ayeka: Center for Soulful Education, which trains educators of all denominations, including campus professionals, and staff of middle and high schools, on how to teach Jewish subjects with more soulfulness, personal meaning and impact on life.

Aryeh taught at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem since 1987, where he was a member of the Senior Faculty and Director of Spiritual Education. He also served as the Rabbinical Educational Consultant for Hillel International from 2004 to 2007, and spearheaded their spiritual initiative throughout the United States.

Previously Aryeh served as the Educational Director of Livnot U’Lehibanot from 1991-96. He has been involved in the training of staff of countless organizations and lectures internationally. He is the author of Around the Shabbat Table, a Guide to Meaningful Shabbat Conversations (2000) and The Godfile, Ten Approaches To Personalizing Prayer (2007), Becoming a Soulful Educator: How to Bring Jewish Learning from Our Minds, to Our Hearts, to Our Souls and Into Our Lives (2016), and Hearing Your Own Voice: A Family Haggadah (2017) .

Aryeh grew up outside of NYC and studied psychology at Vassar College. He came to Israel in 1978, studied at the Meretz yeshiva in Mevasseret Zion and received Rabbinic ordination from the Israeli Rabbinate. He served in the Israeli army and now lives in Efrat, Gush Etzion, with his wife Sandra and their six children.