Jewish Storytelling
Noa Baum
It is with great enthusiasm and appreciation that I recommend Noa Baum to you as an exceptional Jewish storyteller and educator for your community…Through interactive storytelling and dramatic interpretation, Noa reached the members of our congregation with innovation and thoughtfulness helping us deepen the experience of the high holidays in a most powerful way.
Dr. Eliyahu Krigel, Director of Education at Herzl Ner Tamid, WA
Passing on our stories, individually and as a people has always been one of the cornerstones of Jewish tradition and culture.
Noa’s rich Jewish and Israeli heritage bring a unique flavor to live performances and lively workshops. Hilarious and heart opening, they foster a love of the Jewish tradition reconnecting us with ancient wisdom and timeless values.
With a graduate degree in Educational Theater and Drama Therapy from NYU, Noa also incorporates her expertise as a teaching artist and facilitator to create interactive workshops and engaging learning opportunities.
Noa designs Jewish themed programs for:
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Congregations
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Holiday Celebrations
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Community Centers
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Religious Schools
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Sisterhood Events
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Special Fundraisers
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Private Engagements
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Artist Residencies (weekend or week)
All performances and workshops are customized to accommodate specific age groups, holidays, settings and curriculum needs.
Performances
Noa combines Jewish folktales, literary adaptations, and personal stories in engaging programs that are uplifting and entertaining.
“You educated and entertained and uplifted us all at once, which is no small thing…. kol hakavod!”
Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Adat Shalom, MD
“Your performance was delightful. It made a room full of people enthralled and enjoying every word. Never before have I seen those women and men so quiet!”
Ruth Reid, Na’amat USA, MD
"Noa Baum was warm and engaging. Her stories were mesmerizing, her timing impeccable, and her connection with the children genuine. Loved her!"
Nan Jarashow, Principal AlephBet Jewish day school, Annapolis, MD
One Woman Shows
Noa’s signature spoken-word shows feature multi-faceted stories infused with humor, depth, and drama.
A Land Twice Promised: Palestinian and Israeli Women's Stories
Israeli storyteller Noa Baum began a heartfelt dialogue with a Palestinian woman while living in the United States. She weaves together their memories, and their mothers' stories, to create a moving testimony that illuminates the complex and contradictory history and emotions surrounding Jerusalem, for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
“The stunning result of Baum's work is not a competition of narratives, but a consolidation of them. Or to use a musical metaphor, her alternating of Jewish and Arab stories created a point/counterpoint that feels more like a richly dissonant piece of music than a political debate.”
Daniel Schifrin, The Jewish Week, New York
Impossible to Translate but I’ll Try: True-Life Israeli Stories
Storytelling World Award winner!
Growing up in Jerusalem is more than the Bible and War. Noa takes us on a poignant and humorous journey through her life. Experience a completely different side of Israel with stories of childhood adventures, outrageous matchmaking and all the love in between.
"Engagingly and humorously carries the audience through waves of memories. A unique, loving perspective on a country most often associated with violence and vengeance... humanizes Israel in a refreshing, engrossing way."
The Georgetowner
Hidden in My Pocket:
Complicated Blessings and Other Childhood Treasures
At the crossroads of Jerusalem and Baba Yaga’s hut, a journey into timeless tangles of mothers, daughters, and hidden secrets. Noa interweaves her childhood memories with an ancient Russian folktale as she explores ancestral trauma of the Holocaust and the healing power of story.
“Noa's ear for detail and dialect is unsurpassed, but it's the specificity of her writing, and the intimacy of her delivery, which makes her storytelling an experience to be treasured, savored, and above all, not to be missed!”
Ari Roth, Artistic Director, Theater J, Washington, DC
Workshops for Communities
Designed to build skills, strengthen community, improve communication, and bring out creativity, all workshops and trainings are offered in person or in virtual settings.
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Beyond Labels:
Bridging Differences Through Storytelling -
Hidden Treasures: Your Story as a GiftA Path to Healing and Resilience
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Come On In: Welcoming and Understanding the Stranger
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Story Lifelines: Connection and Community
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Stories Old and New
“A delightful and animated storyteller! For our Shabbat evening program she began by telling a story and then was able to get everyone in the room talking and learning about each other in a comfortable and engaging manner.”
Amy Olson, Executive Director, Hillel, University of Minnesota, MN
“Your session on helping people shape their own stories was incredible and had a big impact on those who attended.”
Naomi Rivkin, Limmud Atlanta, GA
“Having Noa lead a workshop at our launch event was an incredible way to set the tone for our new network and it allowed participants to begin to find their voice and their story. Thank you for a well-designed and participatory session that left our members inspired and energized.”
Amber Caulkins, Director, Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network, MA
Workshops for Jewish Educators
“The teachers told me they felt the session was the best training session they had, and that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves as well. I highly recommend Ms. Baum as a leader of in-service workshops for Jewish educators. ”
Dottie Dressler, Director of Education, Beth Shalom, Carmichael, CA
“Educators on a variety of levels that participated in your workshop discovered strategies and ideas that were inspiring, and that gave them fresh resources to use in their learning environment. How lucky we are to have had your expertise and energy to kick off this important initiative! ”
Rena Fruchter, Director, Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning, MD
”Noa’s Team-Building workshop and use of the arts and creative expression helped our team discover its strengths and weaknesses and allowed us to create better working relationships. Her easy-going nature and her infectious energy made the workshop both enjoyable and very productive.”
Joshua Levisohn, PhD, Headmaster Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy Rockville, MD
“Thank you so much for such a wonderful workshop. My teachers are still talking about it! ”
Dina Burt, Principal, Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church, VA