About this Artist

Pronouns: she/her

Israeli-born Noa Baum is an internationally-acclaimed storyteller who uses mesmerizing voices, impeccable timing, and warm authenticity to captivate audiences and confront important topics, such as bullying and intolerance. Noa shares stories from diverse cultures and her own rich Jewish heritage to highlight our similarities and celebrate our differences. Noa was awarded the 2014 Storytelling World Award for her CD “Impossible to Translate But I’ll Try: True Life Israeli Stories.” Trained in theater and education at New York University, Noa is a Parents’ Choice Award winner and recipient of numerous awards from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Montgomery County Arts Council.

Artist Statement

I grew up in Israel and between acting roles in Jerusalem, I took a job telling stories at a community center. On my first day, a troubled nine-year-old girl walked in late, kicked the kids sitting on the floor and sat on the windowsill. But as my story began she listened, and then transformed into a graceful majestic princess as she acted out the story with the group. The community center staff told me this was the first time anyone had seen this child participate without breaking chairs. It was a powerful moment that set me out on the path to become a professional storyteller and teaching artist. For nearly 30 years I’ve been using the transformative power of stories to motivate students to learn through storytelling, movement, and dramatic play. I marvel at the power of storytelling in developing the social, emotional, and cognitive skills of children. I absolutely LOVE it and look forward to sharing my passion with Maryland students and educators.