The closeness and the culture of a shared mission was so strong across the board that it really did change my mind about making a move sooner.”
“Dr. Brocha is deeply committed to academic excellence and fostering a vibrant Jewish school culture. Her passion for education, teacher
empowerment, and community is already evident, and she shares our excitement for GJA’s mission. She brings the perfect balance of strategic vision and personal warmth.” Brocha is relocating to the Orlando area from Baltimore, Maryland, where she founded the Darchei Noam Montessori in 2009 and has been serving as its head of school. She holds a teaching certificate in K-12 Judaic studies, an American Montessori Society
(AMS) teaching credential, a bachelor’s degree in business, a master’s degree in educational leadership, and a PhD in educational administration. Sooner Rather Than Later Brocha grew up in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, and later lived in Israel and New Jersey before moving to Baltimore about 18 years ago. In recent years, Florida has been on her radar as a place where she might want to live and work, in part because she has family here. When a recruiter reached out to Brocha about GJA’s head-of-school position, the timing seemed fortuitous.
– Dr. Brocha Baum-Margolese
“It was at the same time that the school I founded was going through wonderful growth,” says Brocha, who realized it was time for her to step back from Darchei Noam Montessori. Timing aside, Brocha wasn’t completely sold on making the leap this year to a new job in a new city – until she visited Orlando and met members of the local Jewish community. “I saw the Shalom Orlando campus and met the alumni who are now board members, educators, or directors in some capacity of Gotlib Jewish Academy,” says Brocha. “The closeness and the culture of a shared mission was so strong across the board that it really did change my mind about making a move sooner.” She was hired on July 1 and spent the summer traveling back and forth between Baltimore and Orlando. Brocha and her husband Binny will officially move here later this year. Brocha says she isn’t planning to make any major changes at GJA because the school is already in such a good position, thanks to Chana Ben-Abraham, the previous head of school. “Chana has set it up for
tremendous growth, so I feel I’ve been handed the school on a silver platter,” says Brocha. “The leadership and administrative team are so capable and fantastic,” says Brocha. “My goal is to be able to support the staff in what they’re doing and to be able to help them develop and continue to grow.”
Jacqui Drazen McGrail, director of school operations, Samra Gotlib, Brocha, and Daniel Gotlib
Gotlib Jewish Academy’s new head of school is Dr. Brocha Baum-Margolese.
Brocha’s six children
7 FALL 2025 | J LIFE
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online