Baltimore, MD - Jan. 24, 2020 - Ohr Chadash Academy (OCA) is excited to announce that the Board of Directors has unanimously approved the hiring of Mrs. Deborah Rapoport as permanent Head of School. In an email sent to the OCA parent body Board President Mel Pachnio shared:

“Since Mrs. Rapoport’s hire as Interim Head of School last July, her level of professionalism, expertise as an educational leader, and unwavering commitment to the vision, mission, and values of OCA have been abundantly apparent. In modeling the growth mindset and strength-based approach to education which is one of the hallmarks of OCA, she has demonstrated a commitment to bringing out the best in our students and faculty members alike. She has led the administrative team through a collaborative process to build a strong organizational infrastructure that will lay the groundwork for the future growth and long-term success of the school. Most importantly, Mrs. Rapoport’s interest in engaging in open dialogue with all stakeholders has earned her the trust and respect of the OCA community.

I am extremely grateful to the School Search Committee, chaired by Ari Taragin. The Committee worked hard to create an opportunity statement that conveyed the unique characteristics of OCA in order to attract appropriate candidates. They reviewed dozens of applications, set up and conducted multiple interviews via web conference, checked references, narrowed the field and ultimately came to the realization that the best candidate to guide Ohr Chadash in its continued growth and pursuit of the best education for all of our students is Mrs. Rapoport.” 

Speaking about her first 6 months at Ohr Chadash and her sense of excitement for the permanent Head of School role,  Mrs. Rapoport shared the following:

“What has resonated with me the most about Ohr Chadash is that learning at OCA is an interactive and personalized student-centered experience in which each child's growth is nurtured and assessed within a holistic framework. We focus on social-emotional and academic skill development in both General and Judaic studies, preparing our students to be highly capable and confident learners who celebrate one another, who give of themselves to support the Jewish community and the community, at large, and who are secure in their identity and practice as Torah-observant Jews. With our creative, innovative, and collaborative faculty and staff, OCA is poised to grow from strength to strength!”

To learn more about Ohr Chadash Academy visit www.ohrchadashbaltimore.org or follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OhrChadashAcademy/) and Instagram (@ohrchadashacademy).