Episode 20: Living like a Leader with Mario Hendrix

On this week’s episode of The Spark, we kick off Season 2. Bornblum Jewish Community School’s theme for the 2023 school year is Community. Throughout the year, 8 different keywords will play a central role in how we understand the word community. Each of those eight words is the name of one of our Bornblum Mishpachot, families. This week, our word is Manhigut, leadership. Last year at our Eighth Grade Graduation, Dotan Weiss won the Jerome and Evelyn Makowsky Leadership Award. Dotan was not only a leader in our school and in our Jewish community, but so too in the Memphis community, through his participation in the Bridges Institute. When Dr. Weiss asked Dotan what stuck out most about his Bridges experience, he reflected on meeting new people and learning about their differences, including times when they may have encountered, racism, anti-semitism, or other actions directed at them because of the way that they look or what they believe. Dr. Weiss is joined on this episode of The Spark by Mario Hendrix, the Vice President of Programs at Bridges. They talk about his 20+ years in the Bridges community, the long-term effect of the Bridges programming on youth, and how students can be leaders of today.