Rabbi David Leybel – President and Founder – Rabbi and educator, head of Yeshiva, leader and mentor to many.

Born in France, he immigrated to Israel in his youth and was educated in the Ponivezh Yeshiva as the disciple par excellence of Rabbi Shach, of blessed memory. Twenty years ago Rabbi Leybel established the Rabbi Akiva Eigar Kollel in Bnei Brak where he gathered together an elite group of bright, talented Kollel students. Within the next few years, he influenced many students and founded many more Kollels in Jerusalem, Bnei-Brak, Elad, Chadera and Modiin Illit – and even Strasbourg, France. They all belong to the Rabbi Akiva Eigar Kollel Network under his leadership. Hundreds of students learn therein, in the rabbi’s unique style and manner.

Three years ago, as the chareidi population grew and many Kollel men found themselves in growing families under financial stress Rabbi Leybel realized the vital need for employment within a Torah social framework. Rabbi Leybel decided to act, and with great public responsibility, he established a unique framework for working men who want to maintain a daily Torah schedule. He expanded the Rabbi Akiva Eigar Kollels throughout Israel for working chareidi men. Currently, roughly 1500 men study daily in these Kollels, before and after work.

While establishing this network, Rabbi Leybel was exposed to the problem of many Bnei Torah who wanted to earn a living in a dignified manner without giving up serious Torah learning and the relevant Torah atmosphere in their workplace. Therefore, Rabbi Leybel established a new initiative – Avratech-Ravtech – a high-tech training program and a social business software house that includes Torah learning as part of the daily schedule. This unique project enables Bnei Torah to be trained as fast as possible, using their intellectual skills, with guaranteed employment at completion. During the entire program, they maintain their Torah lifestyle, studying a few hours a day, and working in an environment that doesn’t clash with their style of living. His vision was to connect the skills and needs of ultra-Orthodox men with the high-tech workforce’s growing demand. The Avratech initiative was born from that vision.

At this time the Rabbi would like to expand the Avatech-Ravtech model to additional cities. This is part of his vision of helping Bnei Torah who are looking to support their families, while maintaining their daily Torah learning and Yeshiva work-atmosphere.