“Blessing of home” by local rabbi

Dear Editor:

Twenty years ago, my wife and I moved into a nice home in Wallingford, CT. While at our local Rotary Club, I was telling a brother Rotarian about the purchase. He was from Israel and was a religious Jew. He offered to do a traditional Jewish Blessing of our home, which we immediately accepted. It was a fine event.

This spring, we purchased a nice home in Lighthouse Point. The day after move-in, we were reading the Observer newspaper, and, in particular, were seeking a person to perform a traditional Jewish blessing of this home.

Did we ever “hit the jackpot!” That day, in “Clergy Corner,” we read a beautiful article by Rabbi Craig Ezring. We were flying north in two days, but the good Rabbi rearranged his busy schedule and performed the blessing the very next day. It was more meaningful and important than these words can describe. It was a true labor of love for this Godly man, who would only accept a beverage for all his efforts.

My wife and I are Christians and had been exposed to much Anti-Semitism in my early years. We met in Bible College, and, as I grew and matured, I praise God that I learned ALL human beings are precious regardless of religion, color, etc. Prejudice would have prevented us from having this wonderful experience with Rabbi Ezring. I would encourage your readership to read and be blessed by his “Clergy Corner” articles.

Bill Wadsworth

Lighthouse Point

Editor’s note: The following was submitted as a Letter to the Editor on 10-9-12.

RE: TLC Recovery

Dear Mr. Maurodis:

As the attorney for the city of Deerfield Beach, this is to serve as notice that on Oct 8. 2012, the Broward County Dept. Of Health came to 1550 SE 12 St. to inspect the house for the purpose of issuing a drug license to TLC RECOVERY. It should be understood that this was not the intention for the city to approve this facility for the use of housing people under the influence of any controlled substance for rehabilitation purposes. It was represented at our July 27 meeting at [City] Hall that the house would be used as a Sober Home “only” – which is drug-free in accordance with the Oxford Homes represented by TLC’s Attorney, Mr. Green. It should be noted that the original website and the information that was represented to the city was that of a Sober House. Since TLC has received its reasonable accommodation, they have totally changed their website to represent their facility to be used as a drug rehab. This is a clear bait-and-switch tactic on the part of TLC that will not be allowed to succeed. We, the residents of The Cove, expect the city to immediately send a cease-anddesist order to TLC, as well as to contact the Broward County Health Department to confirm the aforementioned information, at which time, they should have their reasonable accommodation approval withdrawn. I, once again, must reiterate that the residents WILL NOT ACCEPT AN OPERATING DRUG REHABILITATION DRUG FACILITY IN OUR SINGLE-FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD and Mr. Green has produced no case law supporting their ability to do so. It is clear that the city is being set up for a lawsuit by TLC, considering the fact that the city failed to specify in their reasonable accommodation approval that the property was only to be used as a Sober House and it is, with this in mind, that TLC is taking advantage of this oversight, which has clearly opened the doors for a threatened lawsuit. We expect to hear the city’s position on this matter as soon as possible.

Patrick Jolivet

Deerfield Beach