Deerfield Beach

Nov. 15: A woman was observed stealing clothing items from Marshalls at 3852 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

Nov. 16: A man reported his vehicle stolen from 4311 Crystal Lake Dr.

Nov. 16: A man reported that someone stole his Polaris Slingshot car from his driveway at 517 Jasmine Way. The car is valued at $18,000.

Nov. 16: A man said that someone stole two Trek mountain bikes from a storage area at 2027 Oakridge D at Century Village East. Each bike was valued at $700.

Nov. 17: Someone entered the yard at R & K Pump & Equipment at 1905 NW 40 Ct. The person cut the lock on a basically empty trailer. Nothing was stolen.

Lighthouse Point

Nov. 3: Police responded to an audible alarm at 3850 N. Federal Hwy. The perimeter was secure.

Nov. 3: Four subjects were behind the post office at 2091 NE 36 St. and were trespassed from the location.

Nov. 3: Police were dispatched to the area at 3200 NE 23 Ave. regarding a puppy on the loose. When police arrived, it was no longer in the area.

Deerfield Beach

Breakfast with Santa

Saturday, Dec. 3, 9:30-11 a.m.

Butler House

380 E. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Family of 4-$10, $5 ea. additional person. For more information, email elilly707@aol.com or call 954-429-0378.

Ocean Way Holiday

Saturday, Dec. 3, 5 to 9 p.m.

International Fishing Pier

200 NE 21 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Unveiling of holiday light display. Enjoy performances by local schools, kids’ activities, photos with Santa, tasty holiday treats, snow showers for the night, new life size snow globe, ice skating at the beach, and a visit from Rudolph and friends! Free event. Items available for purchase.

Cocktails with Santa

Thursday, Dec. 8, 6 to 8 p.m.

Butler House

380 E. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

This is the night for adults to have some good cheer for a great cause. Help out the Historical Society and mingle with your neighbors. Cost: $10 donation. For more information, email elilly707@aol.com or call 954-429-0378.

Snow Day

Saturday, Dec. 10, 2 to 6 p.m.

Oveta McKeithen Rec. Complex

445 SW 2 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Day full of activities and rides for all ages, arts and crafts, entertainment, a fun visit from Santa and snow. Photo opportunities will be available. Free Event. For more information, call 954-480-4429.

Scuba Santa

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

Deerfield Beach Aquatic Center

501 SE 6 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Have your pictures taken underwater with Santa. Must be able to swim and hold your breath for at least 5 seconds. Fee: $5 per picture. For more information, call 954-480-4429.

Christmas Light Tours

Wednesday, Dec. 14, 6 to 9 p.m.

Oveta McKeithen Rec. Complex

445 SW 2 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Cruise through Tradewinds Park Christmas light exhibit and tour local neighborhoods. Fee: Adults $5/Children 12 & under $2. For more information, call 954-480-4429.

Winter Wonderland

Saturday, Dec. 17, 10 a.m. to noon

Villages of Hillsboro Park

4111 NW 6 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Slide down two giant snow hills, ride on horse-drawn hayrides, enjoy refreshments and holiday treats, see a giant snow globe and get a visit from Santa. Free event. For more information, call 954-480-4429.

Holiday Ice Cream Social with Santa

Saturday, Dec. 17, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Johnny Tigner Community Center

445 SW 2 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Make your own ice-cream sundae, win prizes by singing your favorite Christmas songs, create arts & craft projects and meet Santa. Free event. For more information, call 954-480-4429.

Lighthouse Point

Breakfast with Santa

Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to Noon

Lighthouse Point Fire Station

3740 NE 22 Ave.

Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

Open to all Lighthouse Point children 12 and under. Hosted by the Fire Rescue Department. For more information, call 954-943-6500.

Lighthouse a’glow

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Frank McDonough Park

3500 NE 27 Ave.

Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

Come out to meet Santa, enjoy some holiday refreshments and caroling. For more information, call 954-943-6500.

Pompano Citi Centre Events

1955 N. Federal Hwy.

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

• Breakfast with Santa

Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Enjoy a continental breakfast with Santa Claus. Listen as he reads a favorite holiday story. Kids can enjoy milk and cookies provided by Subway, do holiday crafts, take pictures with the “Snow Princess” and take home a special gift from under the Christmas Tree. Tickets available online, in advance only. $5 per child/$10 per adult, limited quantity. To purchase, visit www.pompanociticentre.com.

• Family Fun Day with Santa

Saturday, Dec. 10, 11a.m. to 2p.m.

Enjoy live musical performances, face painting, games and more. Be on the lookout for some “snow” every hour. Bring cameras to snap free pictures with Santa Claus. Carousel open for $1 per ride. Admission is free. Adult supervision required.

• BYOD(OG) to Meet Santa

Saturday, Dec. 17, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bring your furry best friends to take free photo with Santa Claus. All dogs must be on a leash and safe for Santa to handle. Designated water stations will be located throughout the shopping center and clean up baggies will be available in Center Court. Please pick up after your pet. Enjoy live musical performances, face painting, games, snow flurries and more. Bring a camera for photo opps. Carousel open for $1 per ride. Free. Adult supervision required. For information on all events, visit www.pompanociticentre.com.

Concert — Boyz II Men

Friday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.

Pompano Beach Amphitheatre

1801 NE 6 St.

Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Tickets: $40-75, Ticketmaster. For more information, visit www.pompanobeacharts.org.

Kids Discovery Day

Saturday, Dec. 3, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Community Presbyterian Church

1920 SE 4 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Everyone Invited. Enjoy holiday craft projects, decoration for Christmas tree, Christmas cookies, Santa Claus & Mrs. Claus. Free demonstrations, history time & free snacks. For more information, call 954-427-0222.

Hillsboro Lighthouse Tours

Saturday, Dec. 3, 8:30, 9:30, 10:30 a.m.

Sands Harbor Resort and Dock

125 N. Riverside Dr.

Pompano Beach, FL 33062

$25, free to HLPS members. Transportation is by boat. Shuttle boats hourly. Public parking across from Sands Harbor Resort. Must wear flat, closed shoes. Children must be 4 ft. tall to climb the tower. No pets. For more information, visit www.hillsborolighthouse.org/tours.

Tuesday Night Beach Dances

Tuesday, Dec. 6. 7 to 9 p.m.

Main Beach Parking Lot

149 SE 21 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

“Johnny Vincent” will be playing. Wear dancing shoes and bring your beach chair for a fun evening under the stars. For more information visit, www.deerfield-beach.com or call 954-480-4200.

Holiday Brunch & Auction

Saturday, Dec. 10, 9:30 a.m. to noon

Oveta McKeithen Recreation Complex

445 SW 22 St.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Sponsored by the Deerfield Beach Kiwanis West. Buy your holiday gifts at the auction. Tickets $15. RSVP to Vel at 984-428-1537.

Save the date: Pompano Beach Boat Parade

Sunday, Dec. 11, 6 to 8 p.m.

Participating vessels are decked out for the holidays with lights and music, sailing along the Intracoastal through Pompano and surrounding towns. The parade begins at Lake Santa Barbara and cruises the Intracoastal Waterway ending at the Hillsboro Boulevard Bridge. Some places to view this beautiful parade are The Sands Harbor Resort, Two George’s at the Cove, Houston’s Restaurant, Harbors Edge Park and Alsdorf Park.

I want to tell you a story about a little boy and a summersault.

When Sholom was 10 years old he was given a new suit that he was very proud of, especially its beautiful gold buttons. It wasn’t very easy to come by a new suit in 1930s Moscow, and certainly not one as nice as this one. Sholom wore his suit for the Jewish High Holidays that year and was extra careful to keep it nice and clean.

The climax of the High Holidays is on Simchat Torah when our joy knows no bounds. What was Simchas Torah like in Moscow during the height of Stalinist terror? If you would imagine that it was quiet and solemn, that would be an intelligent guess, but you’d be forgetting about Yonah.

That Simchas Torah Yonah had drank plenty in honor of the holidays and he was out in the streets dancing. He even grabbed a strangers to dance and drink with him. I’m not sure that we can even fathom the audacity and chutzpah!

To see Yonah make merry in the streets, you would never know that it was a Jewish community living under the state-run terror campaign and that arrest and even execution were a regular part of life. It was the Jewish Holidays and Yonah was in another world, a world in which Stalin and his secret police simply didn’t exist!

Then, Yonah took his joy to new levels and starting doing somersaults in the streets! A crowd gathered around him and Yonah got all the community Jews to do the same – somersaults in the streets.

Yonah noticed a 10-year-old boy standing cautiously off to the side. The boy was dressed in an obviously brand new suit with shiny gold buttons. There were no dry cleaners in 1930 Moscow. One tumble in the muddy street and that beautiful suit would never be the same. Yonah, the master educator and mentor knew exactly what the boy was thinking and also knew exactly what had to be done. You also know, yes?

This was what we call now days “a teachable moment.” You cannot plan for a “teachable moment;” you cannot engineer it. It is just an opportunity that arises where a teacher suddenly has a perfect, fleeting chance to endow the student with a lesson he or she will never forget. The teachable moment must be seized by the teacher or lost forever. Yonah knew what the suit meant to the boy, but Yonah also knew what the boy would need to learn in order to survive and thrive as a person living in dark times. Wanting to keep your suit nice and clean is the normal thing for a boy that age to want, but there are times when a person just has to do the abnormal thing – a somersault in the muddy streets even if it ruins your suit would be a great way to break free from the chains of communism.

“MACH A KULAH” (do a summersault) Yonah shouted at the boy. All eyes were now on him “ DO A SOMERSAULT” they all shouted with joy. There was no way out of this. The suit was about to get ruined. Ten-year-old Sholom took a plunge. It was a silly, crazy, defiant act, and it was very necessary – the defining moment of a young man’s education. Everyone cheered as Sholom tumbled head over heels in the muddy street!

Sholom survived the war, started a family and became a Rabbi and business man always teaching and inspiring along the way.

Sholom is my grandfather. He would eventually marry Yonah’s niece — my grandmother, Pesia. Incidentally, Yonah and his wife never had children. He eventually was caught by the KGB and passed away while in prison.

My grandfather, Rabbi Sholom, passed away this week at 89 years old in New York. He was surrounded by children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who are all proud Jews, and we are living the life he got dirty for. That “teachable moment” will forever be passed on through his family, most of whom are Rabbis and teachers across the globe.

You see getting dirty never felt so good! When you know getting dirty will help defy the challenges we face in this world so that we can be a free charitable and loving people, then getting dirty is just a pleasure.

MAY HIS MEMORY BE A BLESSING!

Rabbi Tzvi Dechter is the director of Chabad of North Broward Beaches, located in the Venetain Isle Shopping Center at 2025 E. Sample Rd. in Lighthouse Point. For all upcoming events, please visit www.JewishLHP.com.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

“Peace on earth. Good will towards man,” is probably the most favorite saying spoken or quoted during the Christmas holiday season. Even, it is said, the most liberal secularists who reject Biblical Christianity love to use this phrase and claim it as their own.

The “peace on earth” part, hopeful denial of reality that it is, is an eternal prayer that has yet to be answered. Certainly it is an aspirational “good,” and, though it may remain unanswered in all of our lifetimes, there is no more worthy goal for humankind despite that as individuals, it is a condition beyond our control.

So I have concerned myself with that which is within our control as individuals: “Good will towards man.”

Has there ever been a time when “good will towards man” is as far from the ‘collective consciousness’ as it is today? Well, probably historically, there has been, but I want to stay with the now. The residual “spill” from our recent past national trauma lingers in all the wrong places — in the hearts of those stuck in a mindset of righteousness, in people who sneer at the concept of being non-judgmental in a world filled with human beings who are more than one dimensional.

Many of us have difficulty with the concept that another person can have a belief system in total opposition to our own, with equal sincerity and purity of heart, and that such a person can indeed perform acts of kindness and can make positive contributions to their community.

This is what makes “good will towards man”such a challenge.

I am aware of how this past election cycle has torn families and friendships apart, and has caused serious rifts in some marital relationships. And, despite the innate wisdom of the mantra “Let’s agree to disagree,” the issues and circumstances for many of us were so deep-gutted as to have been symbolic of the very core of our beings. And disagreements along political lines can be perceived as rejections of who we are in the “I am what I believe” modality.

Somehow, we can more easily disagree about sports teams, movies, books, art, taste in clothes or home furnishings, or even, in the abstract philosophy than we can about politics, without impugning the basic character of another person.

So, in this relatively short–lived seasonal spread of overt loving and good cheer, I am “putting out” the hope that we can extend good will to the folks who voted whichever other way from your vote, that they did. And a reminder: This doesn’t make them bad people.

So, ho, ho, ho — it’s time for some levity. Here’s to a wonderful Christmas, Chanukah and whatever else you celebrate this month, and here’s to some serious “good will towards man.”