Deerfield Beach

Nov. 15: A woman said a man who she knew broke into her apartment at 1510 SW 3 Terr. and punched her in the stomach.

Nov. 16: A woman reported that someone stole two of her personal checks from her office at the N. Broward Medical Center and cashed them in Miami-Dade County for a value of $4,810. It was reported at 201 E. Sample Rd.

Nov. 18: A man entered the Family Dollar store at 4811 N. Dixie Highway and stole $250 worth of body care products.

Nov. 18: Someone broke into a car parked at 4101 S. Powerline Rd. and stole a wallet with credit cards.

Lighthouse Point

Nov. 12: A victim was found unresponsive and unconscious in a bathroom floor with a needle in his left arm at 3150 N. Federal Hwy. At the hospital, the victim was interviewed and said he ingested heroin and it was stronger than expected.

Nov. 11: Someone stole a tire off a van while it was parked at 2050 NE 39 St. It was discovered on blocks from a nearby landscaping bed. The wheel was valued at $75 and the tire was valued at $175.

Nov. 10: Someone cut a tire on the victim’s truck while it was parked at 2383 Vintage Dr. The damage was estimated at $269.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

What would you think of a belief system that states that talking or thinking about the past has no value for the present? “The past,” it says, “is a canceled check. You can’t buy anything with it.” The present, it says, “is a check to be cashed to buy the future.”

Lovely words, indeed, but they mask the problem that exists with the acceptance of aphorisms (a terse saying embodying a general truth or astute observation) as dogged pronouncements of absolute truth. By defending the value of recognizing and mining the past, we do not, as those words suggest, diminish the larger importance of the present.

And we can always find an aphorism that abjectly states a contrary case, i.e.:

“A man cannot free himself from the past more easily than he can from his own body.” –André Maurois; “The past is not a package one can layaway.” –Emily Dickinson; “The past lies upon the present like a giant’s dead body.” –Nathaniel Hawthorne; “The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginning.” –Ralph Blum; “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” –Soren Kierkegaard; “Study the past if you would define the future.” – Confucius; “The past can’t hurt you anymore, unless you let it.” –Alan Moore; “If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past.” — Baruch Spinoza. Bless us, Google will show you over a thousand of these – and I picked from them.

The past, to me, represents the foundation of the present. We are who we are as a result of who we were. That is to be acknowledged and respected, and even nit-picked, in order to understand ourselves better. This does not mean we are dwelling upon it, but rather seeing it as one piece of the puzzle that is self.

When thinking or talking about the past, we can still exercise our golden right to choose which of the elements we wish to consider. But if, when considering the past, it continues to inflict pain, then we still have the present to confront it, to learn from it, and to find ways work out the process of diminishing that pain.

Since we eternally dwell in the present, we are currently living in the time of the year when we would do well to continue our thoughts of giving thanks and giving back to our communities, for all the good things we have – the people we love who love us back, the freedoms we have in this country that do not exist globally, and the ability we all have to choose positive thoughts and actions, and to pursue proactive paths of healing. In this way, the past becomes our present.

With holidays on our tail, we can remember the good ones with nostalgia and we can use those memories as a blanket to wrap around our present. The bad ones we can choose to expunge because “life is a river of choices.” I choose to wish you all the best of holidays surrounded by love and thoughts of peace.

Note: Dates and times may change. Contact venues to confirm.

Yuletide Parade and Celebration

Thursday, Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m.

City of Pompano Beach

2400 E. Atlantic Blvd.

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Dazzling floats, marching bands, dancers, fire clowns, amazing entertainment and Santa Claus himself! Festivities conclude within McNab Park with tree lighting, fireworks, children’s activities, entertainment and more. Parade route starts at Riverside Drive and heads west on Atlantic Blvd. to McNab Park. Call 954-786-4111.

Everlasting Joy!

Friday, Dec. 4 through Sunday, Dec. 13

Trinity Church of Lighthouse Point

3901 NE 22 Ave.

Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

Based on Dickens’ The Christmas Carol. Presented by Revelation Ministries performing arts group. Not suitable for children 4 and under. $25 adults, $10 children 12 and under. www.revelationministries.com.

Hillsboro Lighthouse tour

Saturday Dec. 5, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Alsdorf Park

2974 NE 14 St.

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Transportation is by boat. Shuttle boats run hourly from Alsdorf Park. Must wear flat, closed shoes, be 4 ft. tall to climb the tower. No pets. $25, free to HLPS members. Paid parking. Visit www.hillsborolighthouse.org/tours.

Handmade holiday gifts

Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Florida Humane Society

3870 N. Powerline Rd.

Pompano Beach, FL 33073

Craft sale benefits the Florida Humane Society. Call 954-974-6152.

Scuba Santa photos

Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Aquatic Center

501 SE 6 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Have pictures taken underwater with Scuba Santa. Must be able to swim and hold your breath for at least 5 seconds. $5.

Bookstore Grand Opening

Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Daily Reprieve Boutique

201 N. Federal Hwy., Ste. 115

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Christian and Recovery boutique bookstore. Faith-based and 12 Step books available, as well as gifts and jewelry. Food, music and more! Call 754-212-2369.

Ocean Way Holiday

Saturday, Dec. 5, 5 to 9 p.m.

International Fishing Pier and along Ocean Way

200 NE 21 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Free. Come see the lights, feel the snow flurries and watch performances by local schools. Activities available for kids, as well as photos with Santa, holiday treats, vendors and more.

Holiday Music Concert

Sunday, Dec. 6, 3 p.m.

Community Presbyterian Church

1920 SE 4 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Free. Donations accepted. Come and sing along with holiday favorites, then enjoy hot chocolate, spiced cider and cookies. Call 954-427-0222.

Live Nativity Scene and Celebration

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 6 p.m.

Trinity Church of Lighthouse Point

3901 NE 22 Ave.

Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

Christmas carolers at 6:45 p.m. Live nativity begins at 7:15 p.m. Hot dogs, snacks and drinks for sale.

Ice Cream Social with Santa

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 6 to 8 p.m.

Oveta McKeithen Recreational Complex

445 SW 2 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Make your own sundae, meet Santa, do arts and crafts. Prizes for singing best Christmas song. $2 adults, $1 kids 12 and under.

Breakfast with Santa

Saturday, Dec. 5

• Deerfield Beach

9 to 11:30 a.m.

Butler House

380 E. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Santa will have a hot breakfast with boys and girls on his Nice List. Photos and crafts. $10 for family of four; $5 ea. additional person. Call 954-429-0378.

• Lighthouse Point

10 a.m. to noon

Lighthouse Point Fire Station

3740 NE 22 Ave.

Lighthouse Point, Florida 33064

Open to all Lighthouse Point children 12 and under. Please donate an unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots, accepting toys for all ages from babies to teens. Call 954-941-2624.

• Pompano Beach

10 a.m. (followed by Family Fun day 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Pompano Citi Centre

1955 N. Federal Hwy.

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Enjoy a continental Breakfast with Santa sponsored by J.C. Penney, with delicious milk and cookies provided by Subway! Free Family Fun Day begins at 11a.m. with face painters, DJ and arts and crafts. $5 per child, $10 per adult. Purchase tickets at www.PompanoCityCentre.com.

This story takes us back 2,100 years ago, to the year 164 BCE, some 150 years before the birth of Christianity and two centuries before the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans. Israel was then under the rule of the empire of Alexander the Great. A Syrian ruler, Antiochus the 5th, ascended the throne and he was determined to impose his values on the Jewish people. He forbade the practice of Judaism, set up a statue of Zeus in the Temple and systematically desecrated Jerusalem’s holy sites. Jews who were caught practicing Judaism were tortured to death.

To put it into historical perspective, had Antiochus succeeded, Judaism would have died. Its daughter religions – Christianity and Islam – would never, of course, have come to be.

A small group of Jews, led by the elderly priest Matityahu and his sons, rose in revolt. They fought a brilliant campaign and, within three years, they had recaptured Jerusalem, removed sacrilegious objects from the Temple, and restored Jewish autonomy. It was, as we say in the Hanukah prayers, a victory for “the weak against the strong, and the few against the many.” Religious liberty was established and the Temple was rededicated. Hanukah means “rededication.”

This was a remarkable event and an extraordinary triumph. We, the Jewish people, are here today only because of the courage and vision of this small group of determined Jews who would not allow their G-d and their Torah to be reduced to the dustbins of history by the Syrian-Greek tyrant.

Yet astonishingly, the Talmud, the classical text of Jewish law and literature, gives us a very different perspective on the Hanukah festival.

“What is Hanukah?” asks the Talmud (Talmud, Shabbat 21b.) The answer given is this:

“When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they contaminated all its oil. Then, when the royal Hasmonean family overpowered and was victorious over them, they searched and found only a single cruse of pure oil that was sealed with the seal of the High Priest — enough to light the menorah (candelabra) for a single day. A miracle occurred, and they lit the menorah with this oil for eight days. The following year, they established these [eight days] as days of festivity and praise and thanksgiving for G-d.”

So, according to the Talmud, the festival of Hanukah is less about the military victory of a small band of Jews against one of the mightiest armies on earth, and more about the miracle of the oil. The Talmud makes only a passing reference to the military victory (“when the royal Hasmonean family overpowered and was victorious”) and focuses exclusively on the story with the oil, as if this were the only significant event commemorated by the festival of Hanukah.

This is strange. The miracle of the oil, it would seem, was of minor significance relative to the military victory. Besides the fact that this was a miracle that occurred behind the closed doors of the Temple with only a few priests to behold, it was an event concerning a religious symbol without any consequences for life, death and liberty. If the Jews had been defeated by the Greeks, there would be no Jews today; if the oil would have not burnt for eight days, so what? The menorah would have not been kindled. Would the latkes taste any worse?

Unfortunately, the political and military victory of Hanukah did not last. What lasted was the spiritual miracle – the faith which, like the oil, was inextinguishable.

Strength founded on military power alone is temporary. It may endure for long periods of time, but ultimately, its might will wane and it will be defeated by another power. Strength that is founded on moral and spiritual light can never be destroyed.

Imperial Greece and Rome have long since disappeared. Civilizations built on power never last. Those built on care for the powerless never die. What matters in the long run is not simply political, military or economic strength, but how we light the flame of the human spirit.

So please, this holiday season, listen to the message of the candles – strengthen your faith and ignite the world with acts of goodness and kindness.

Join us at our Menorah Lighting ceremonies this Hanukah:

• Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. at Pompano Citi Centre in the courtyard near the carousel. Lighting with Mayor Lamar Fisher, music, latkes, doughnuts and crafts for kids. Free.

• Sunday, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. at Deerfield Beach, across from the main lot and Fire Station. Grand Menorah lighting, Chanukah refreshments, music, crafts and entertainment. Free. Everyone welcome!

Rabbi Tzvi Dechter is the Director of Chabad of North Broward Beaches located at 4081 N. Federal Hwy., #100A, Pompano Beach, FL 33064. For all upcoming events please visit www.JewishLHP.com.