In this episode of The Spark Podcast, Dr. Weiss sat down with a remarkable Bornblum Fourth Grader, Island Austin, who opens up about her extraordinary journey from dedicated gymnast to rising Hollywood actress, balancing schoolwork with her blossoming film career.

Island shares behind-the-scenes stories from her recent films, including working alongside Heather Graham and her upcoming project with Dennis Quaid. She talks about her life on set, from long days of filming to the special bond she formed with castmates—including a heartwarming story about matching fluffy slippers with a Hollywood star!

What makes Island's story truly special is her unwavering commitment to education and her deep connection to the Bornblum community despite her demanding schedule. Her infectious enthusiasm, coupled with wisdom beyond her years, offers valuable insights for anyone pursuing their dreams while staying grounded in their roots.

In this episode of The Spark, Dr. Weiss sits down with Ronit Dahan and Iris Raber-Cohen, two passionate educators from Shoham, Israel who are visiting Memphis to strengthen the educational partnership between sister cities. They talk about how Memphis and Shoham have created meaningful connections that transcend distance, allowing students to explore their shared Jewish identity while celebrating their unique cultural perspectives.

They share touching stories about collaborative projects, emotional moments of hearing American students singing Israeli songs, and their admiration for Memphis's unified Jewish community. This conversation reveals how educational partnerships can foster global understanding and create powerful bonds between young people across continents, especially during challenging times.

Join us for an inspiring discussion about building bridges between communities and the beautiful moments that emerge when students and teachers connect heart-to-heart across borders.

What do cooking, racism, jewelry, the Israel-Hamas war, podcasting, and animal abuse awareness have in common?

In this episode of The Spark, Dr. Weiss sits down with three Bornblum Middle students—Jacob, Bennett, and Rosie— who share their remarkable year-long Design Thinking Capstone projects built through design thinking principles. They explain how they transformed their passions into meaningful projects addressing real-world issues.

Jacob combined his love of cooking with addressing racism by creating a cookbook that connects Jewish holiday recipes with African food traditions. Bennett channeled his interest in technology to create a podcast raising awareness about animal welfare after interviewing representatives from the Humane Society. Rosie designed symbolic jewelry with laser-cut charms to raise funds for families affected by the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Each student discusses their creative process, challenges, mentorship experiences, and key learnings. Their stories highlight the power of persistence, the evolution of ideas, and how middle school students can make meaningful contributions to causes they care about. This episode offers a glimpse into Bornblum's Design Thinking approach that encourages students to connect personal interests with societal problems to create enduring solutions.

In this episode of The Spark, Dr. Weiss turns the microphone around to interview our own Director of Marketing and Communications, Zack Orsborn, who typically produces the podcast from behind the scenes.

They explored Zack's journey from small-town Mississippi to becoming an integral part of both the Memphis artistic community and Bornblum.

They talked about Zack's "Like Really Creative" podcast, where he's interviewed 30 artists in just six weeks so far, and learn about his evolution from journalism to marketing while maintaining his identity as a multidisciplinary artist. Zack shares candid insights about finding his place in the Jewish community despite coming from a different background, and how Bornblum's values have influenced his personal growth.

This conversation reveals how creativity flows between Zack's professional role at Bornblum—where he documents student joy and achievement—and his artistic pursuits in collage, music production, and writing. Listen in as they explore the intersection of creativity, community, and connection through the perspective of someone who helps others shine while creating his own artistic path.

In this follow-up interview, Dr. Weiss welcomes back renowned Memphis artist Ephraim Urevbu to discuss his ongoing collaboration with Bornblum. They talk about Ephraim's innovative "Tiles Project," which is transforming sidewalks into interactive history lessons about civil rights through QR-embedded ceramic tiles, and how Bornblum Middle students are creating their own artistic interpretations of this history for their own tiles.

Ephraim shares powerful insights from his visit to the Nova Music Festival massacre exhibit in New York and draws thoughtful parallels to other historical tragedies. He also talks his ambitious "Dinner & Dialogue Tour," which uses art as a catalyst for reconciliation conversations between different communities across America and beyond.

This episode explores how art can build bridges between cultures, preserve history, and inspire young leaders. Join us for an intimate look at how one artist's vision is fostering understanding and connection!

In this episode of The Spark, Dr. Weiss sits down with Rabbi Noach Karp and Rebbetzin Miriam Karp, a couple who recently moved to Memphis to engage with the Jewish community through Memphis Jewish Experience, exploring their life journeys and approach to community building. The Karps met through family matchmaking, lived in Providence and Columbus working with Jewish communities, and eventually moved to Memphis.

Their connection to Memphis began unexpectedly during a dads' trip to Israel, where Rabbi Karp met several Memphis community members, leading to their current work with the Memphis Kollel creating programming for the entire Jewish community regardless of observance level.

The Karps now run numerous community programs including "Chill Zone" for children, monthly "Scotch & Schmooze" gatherings, open Shabbat meals, and one-on-one Torah study sessions, while emphasizing Jewish unity and inclusivity.

In this episode, Dr. Weiss sits down with Avi Posen, Director of Education for Unpacked for Educators, the powerhouse behind engaging Israel education in over 2,000 schools worldwide. They dive into three key ways to teach about Israel, the importance of presenting multiple perspectives, and the painful complexity of bringing hostages home. Avi also shares his vision for the future of Unpacked for Educators and opens up about his personal connection to one of Israel’s most beloved songs right now.

In this episode, Dr. Weiss sits down with an extraordinary group of Fourth Graders—Olivia, Ari, Brody, Ori, Nora, and Tamara—to explore their Jewish Identity Art Project. Through colorful paintings filled with meaningful symbols, they expressed what their Jewish identity means to them. They share the personal stories behind their chosen symbols, from the Torah to shofars, and reflect on the values and traditions that inspire them. The conversation takes a heartfelt turn as they discuss the act of giving—how generosity and community are integral to their identity and their art.

In this episode, Dr. Weiss sat down with Bornblum's PE Teacher, Jeffery Johnson, a man of many talents. From growing up in Miami to becoming a walk-on basketball player at Mississippi State University to owning his own athlete training facility, Jeffery shares the ups and downs of his journey and what he’s learned along the way.

They talk about how his background as a visual artist translates to the design of physical activities and youth development, how he learned character development from sports movies, his favorite story about none other than Sylvester Stalone, what goes into owning an athlete training facility, the interesting backstory about how the Ruth and Boaz story led to his marriage with his wife, the process of learning Hebrew, and how he wants to teach Bornblum students the science behind movement.

In this episode, Dr. Weiss sat down with Diane McNeil, a board member of Unknown Children Foundation and an inspiring advocate for Holocaust remberance and education. In 2009, she helped to start the "Pennies Project," where middle school students were challenged to collected 1.5 million pennies—one for each child murdered during the Holocaust. 

They explore the fascinating history of the penny and its symbolism in this monumental project. Diane shares her personal calling to build bridges between Jewish and Christian communities, the challenges of transforming 1.5 million coins into a meaningful memorial, and the incredible triumphs that came along the way. We also discuss the ongoing work of the Unknown Child Foundation (like its A Night to Shine event with special guest Priscilla Presley on Monday, Dec. 16) and its mission to educate and inspire current and future generations to protect and value all children, regardless of their background.