Rabbi David Avigdor was the spiritual leader of Congregation Bikur Cholim Sheves Achim in New Haven CT for 35 years. He is the son of the famous scholar and author Rabbi I. C. Avigdor who was the senior pulpit Rabbi in West Hartford CT for over 55 years. Rabbi David Avigdor was the rabbi and cantor of the synagogue and was also the founder and director of the Mizmor L’Dovid Jewish Boys choir for 15 years. He conducted concerts and special singing events in CT and NY throughout the years. In 2005 Congregation Bikur Cholim honored him for “Dedicated Leadership” with an anniversary tribute dinner. Rabbi Avigdor has been a Regional Vice President of Agudath Israel of America and has assisted the Agudah for many years in running Agudath Israel’s annual conventions in New York, New Jersey, and CT.
Born in Brooklyn New York, Rabbi David Avigdor attended Torah Vodaath High School and Beis Medrash and graduated with a BA from Touro College in 1976. Rabbi Avigdor received his ordination in 1975 from Yeshiva Torah Vodaath that was signed by Rabbi Gedalia Schorr Zal and Rabbi Dov Ber Rifkin Zal. In 1973-1974 Rabbi Avigdor studied under the tutelage of the famous Grand Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshiva Torah ORE, in Jerusalem Israel. In 1990 Rabbi Avigdor received the professional Alumnus award from Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, the Israel Freedom Award from the State of Israel Bonds and in 1992 the Community Service Award from Agudath Israel of America. He and his beloved wife Susanne lecture internationally about the trials and tribulations that both families suffered during World War II and the amazing connections between their families that they only learned about after their marriage.
Rabbi Avigdor graduated from the University of Bridgeport Law School in 1981 and has practiced law in the State of CT for the past 40 years. Rabbi Avigdor was a young member of the choir of Chazzan Dovid Werdiger and sang shoulder to shoulder with his son Mordechai. Rabbi Avigdor has officiated and led various services and lectures in different forums throughout the years. He also lectured about the “Shoah” in Sydney Australia at the Central Synagogue. In 2015 he was the rabbi and cantor conducting services on the Royal Caribbean “Quantum of the Seas”. In 2019 he officiated as the rabbi and cantor of the “Drohobych Synagogue” in the Ukraine on Yom Kippur and led a holiday service at the “Nozyk” Synagogue in Warsaw Poland for Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Avigdor has served in High Holiday cantorial positions in Belle Harbor NY, The Agudas Achim Synagogue in West Hartford CT, the Raleigh Hotel in the Catskill mountains, the Brothers of Joseph Synagogue in Norwich CT and the Yeshiva of South Shore in Hewlett NY.
