If you look up the word “Independence” in the dictionary, you might find an archaic definition showing that the word refers to someone who is competent, someone who is able.

Of course, if you look up a very similar word – “independent,” you are more likely to see what you thought the other word independence meant: “not subject to control by others.” Then again, in Merriam Webster, you might also read “not bound by or committed to a political party.” Wow, there’s a definition of the word that probably surprises you.

I have been talking to a lot of people about this great country of ours lately, and, as I have done so, I have heard far too many people who are totally and utterly bound to a particular political party, much to the detriment of the entire country.

As a Rabbi, I cannot help but compare July 4th to the Exodus story in the Bible. You see, the story of the Exodus wasn’t just about personal freedom. It was about national freedom, and, while we rejoice in that great American document, the Declaration of Independence, July 4th isn’t just about individual independence. It is much more a celebration of our achieving national independence.

We, the American People, achieved independence from British tyranny. We no longer had to rely on Britain or British Rule. A new nation, a great nation, was born. But it is only if the various states of our nation, and the populace of each of those states, realize that it is what binds us together that makes the difference.

In the third verse of the Shema, we read about the Tzitzit, the fringes that are to be worn on the corners of our garments. When we read about the Tzitzit, we traditionally gather the fringes together in one hand. Let this be a reminder that, on this 4th of July (while we watch the fireworks displays together, whether we are white, black, yellow or brown … Jew, Christian, Muslim or Atheist … having come here from all corners of the Earth), we should focus less on our differences and more on what binds us together.

Let us think of Betsy Ross. She didn’t tear the material for the flag apart. No, she took individual pieces of material, separated by size, shape and color, and she sewed them. She bound them together.

Oddly enough, rather than Independence Day, perhaps we should be celebrating In-Dependence Day, for each one of us is a part of those Stars and Stripes – the Red, White and Blue … and maybe it is time for us to admit that we are dependent on one another, and this great country is dependent on each and every one of us.

As Neil Diamond wrote, “On a boat or on a plane, they’re coming to America.” I have talked with many people from overseas and, let me tell you something, there are still many people around the world who have the dream that we or our ancestors or our ancestor’s ancestors had. They long to be able to come to America. They long to raise their hand. They long to recite the oath that enables them to proudly say, “I am an American,” and with those simple words, they will feel more freedom then they have ever known.

May G-d Bless each of us and may He Bless these United States of America. Shalom my friends and a very happy 4th of July.

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and serves in this capacity in a number of Health Care settings in the area including Advocate Home Care Services and L’Chayim Jewish Hospice in Partnership with Catholic Hospice of Broward County.

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach’s Christa Osmond, 17, earned a gold medal at the Florida Special Olympics State Equestrian Sports Championships held in Tampa recently at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.

Osmond, who received a gold medal in dressage and a silver medal in the barrels event, was one of five athletes, all students in the therapeutic horseback riding program at Horses and the Handicapped of South Florida, based in Coconut Creek, to return home with a medal.

Making the trip to Tampa, along with student athletes, were coaches Alison Plaza, Horses and the Handicapped’s program director; Katie Baker, volunteer manager and riding i n s t r u c t o r ; and Mandy DeBord, executive director of Horses and the Handicapped of South Florida. Also making the trip were four horses: Jose, Hallory, Fred and Fire.

“We very proud of all our s t u d e n t a t h l e t e s w h o worked very hard to prepare for the state equestrian championships,” DeBord said. “They showed dedication and determination and were very impressive.”

The trip for the team was made possible through the support of veterinarian Dr. Jerry Rudnick and several volunteers. For more information about Horses and the Handicapped of S o u t h F l o r i d a , v i s i t www.handhmagic.org.

Sunshine Senior Softball League seeks players

The Sunshine Senior Softball League of Pompano Beach seeks players 55 years of age and older to participate in their Spring/Summer League. Games are on Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at Pompano 4-Field Complex on NE 10 Street in Pompano. Applications and information are available online at www.leaguelineup.com/sssfl or by calling Bart Grillo at 954-421-6892.

Soccer Camp

Simply Soccer will hold three additional summer camps in the city of Pompano. The dates are June 25- June 29, July 23-27 and August 13-17. Registration will be held at the Pompano Beach Civic Center. The soccer camp is for boys and girls, ages 5-14, of all skill levels, who will be taught a variety of soccer skills from dribbling to shooting. There are three sessions each day, from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. ($100 weekly); extended hours camp is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $125 each week; a Tiny Tot program is offered for kids ages 5 and 6

from 9 a.m. to noon for $55 weekly. Campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. For more information,

call the city of Pompano Parks and Recreation Department at 954-786-4119 or 954-786-4111.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

When Rock of Ages began production in South Florida, I was happy that this film was boosting the local film industry. At the Buck’s 30-year reunion last summer, Don Abbatiello showed me pictures of his stunt work in the film. With this kind of perspective, it is hard to dislike Rock of Ages, much like it is hard to hate locally-filmed movies like Hoot, Caddyshack and Body Heat.

Rock of Ages is no Marvel’s The Avengers or Prometheus, but is a two-hour revival of 1980s MTV, complete with sizzling guitars and big hair Stealing some plot lines from Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers musicals, Rock of Ages introduces us to a pretty blonde from Oklahoma, played by Julianne Hough.

She skips into Los Angeles and meets a young man her age played by Diego Boneta, a singer who works for the proprieters of The Bourbon Room (played by Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand). The Bourbon Room will host the final performance of Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise), a rock god who has seen better days.

Clichés pile up when socalled political conservatives (Bryan Cranston, Catherine Zeta-Jones) want to censor the heavy metal rock star and close down The Bourbon Room. The only cliché missing would be a Mickey Rooney cameo during the sappy climax.

The Dictator is a rude, crude and socially unacceptable contrast to Rock of Ages. This is another politically incorrect comedy from Sacha Baron Cohen.

Unlike his serio-documentary comedies, The Dictator hires actors like Sayed Badreya, Ben Kingsley and Anna Faris, who hopefully know that they are playing fictitious characters. There are genuine belly laughs from the exhibitionist Cohen, but the laughs are more shocking than humorous.

Given the low budget of The Dictator, the film has earned back its production budget; it is doing better overseas than in America. Yet, one wonders if Cohen’s comedies have reached the point of diminishing returns, like Adam Sandler. Ten years ago, Adam Sandler was a box office god; his recent film, That’s My Boy, was a Father’s Day box office disaster last weekend.

By Rev. Dennis Andrews

Meet to Beat the Heat sounds more like something the Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to accomplish than a community gathering at a church in Deerfield Beach!

Our Meet to Beat the Heat will begin at 6 p.m. this Saturday at Community Presbyterian Church on A1A five blocks south of Hillsboro. We may not have room for the massive crowds of a Heat Thunder game, but we have plenty of room for you!

Everyone is invited to this fun-filled, come-as-you-are event.

One purpose of the event is wholesome family fun for people of all ages.

Pizza, stir fry with organic and home-grown vegetables snow cones, will be served. Activities include face painting and “Veggie Tales” for children. You can enjoy upbeat Christian music while you eat.

Another purpose is to celebrate Maria’s House Montessori School. This amazing pre-school has operated on church grounds, one block from the beach, for years and will now operate as a Christian Montessori pre-school. The school’s new name is Steeple on the Beach Montessori School.

The gathering’s main purpose, however, is to share the love of Jesus Christ. This is the central reason Community Presbyterian Church was founded in Deerfield Beach not long after World War II.

The summer heat of south Florida may oppress some people and drive others north for cooler temperatures, but thousands of us enjoy Deerfield Beach year round. Summer can be a great time for us to get together.

The prophet Jeremiah says, “Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they never stop producing fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

Fruit from this Saturday’s gathering will include learning more about two of our community’s stellar nonprofit organizations – the Boys & Girls Club and Gateway Community Outreach. They will be on-hand to share information about what they do.

You don’t need a reservation. There is no fee for admission. You just need to come. Call the church office at 954-427-0222 or e-mail communitych@bellsouth.net for more information. Learn more about the church at w w w . c o m m u n i t y ch.org, or from the Community Presbyterian Church, Steeple on the Beach, Facebook page.

See you Saturday @ Six!

Rev. Dennis Andrews is the pastor at Community Presbyterian Church.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

For most of his life, director/ writer Guillermo Del Toro dreamed of adapting H.P. Lovecraft’s novella “At the Mountains of Madness” into a film. He came close a few years ago, but funding fell apart. After a screening of Prometheus a few weeks ago and its similarities to the story, Del Toro no longer feels he needs to produce it.

Prometheus became the first motion picture to open at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery with an “R” rating. While lacking gratuitous violence and sex, it features intense scenes that are personal, painful and gory. This film also features good old-fashioned Sci-Fi fun with interesting theories about origins, science and theology.

While spelunking in the caves of Scotland, archaeologist Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) connects pictograph dots that are similar to those seen in pictographs of Egyptian, Mayan, Aztec and Sumerian Cultures. Using the technology of the late 21st Century, Professor Shaw interprets these pictographs as road maps to the future.

She finds a sponsor in Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), assembles a crew and blasts off on the spaceship “Prometheus.” Four years later, the Prometheus crew lands on an uncharted planet with an alien fortress.

Revealing more about the plot would be a disservice to the big screen experience. Suffice it to say that reviewing the previous four Alien, three Predators and two Alien vs. Predator movies will increase your viewing pleasure. A review of Lovecraft’s novella and Erich von Däniken’s drugstore bestseller “Chariots of the Gods” will enhance comprehension of the deeper themes.

In a good way, Prometheus feels like older and more literature- based Sci-Fi. After 33 years, director Ridley Scott returns to the same universe that he helped create in Alien. What Prometheus lacks in narrative structure, Ridley Scott makes up with visual clarity.

If you are seeking one of the most cerebral motion pictures of the summer, then see Prometheus before it departs the big screen. The Amazing Spider-Man takes over the IMAX screen on July 3.

By Scott Morganroth

It’s hard to believe that FAU’s first football game is Aug. 31, 2012 against Wagner College.

This will be the first year that a new man is roaming the sidelines. Carl Pelini takes over for the father of the program, Howard Schnellenberger. When the Owls kicks off, Schnellenberger will probably be watching the game from a private suite at FAU Stadium.

Pelini is determined to erase the agony of a 1-11 season with a group of players who have a clean slate, but it won’t take long for that slate to become dirty. During FAU’s Spring Game in April, Pelini had a chance to see his team on the field for the first time. When the game was over, I asked him what he thought of his team’s energy and he made several things clear about what to expect in 2012.

“I’m energetic and I want to see more energy and enthusiasm on the field,” Pelini said. I want guys who love to play the game. Right now, it sometimes seems like guys are going through the motions. I’ve never seen as many guys as I saw laying on the ground between plays.

“Unless your leg is falling off, you better walk off the field. I don’t want to see the trainers out there unless you’re truly injured. Guys walking around between plays and slow getting into their stances is all stuff that I want to get cleaned up. You can talk about it and talk about it, but now it’s on tape. That’s something that we’re going to address with them right away.

“I want a different energy level. I want a guy who loves the game of football, is excited about it, plays passionately.”

Pelini has one other message that he wants to make sure all of his players understand.

“I always warn my players at every level I’ve been at that when that day comes and you walk off the field for the last time, you’re going to miss it. Pelini added.” Don’t waste the time you have. Have fun at the game. That’s important. Sometimes, I don’t know if we know how to do that.”

The players better comprehend these messages fast. Pelini is 46 years old and not only is he trying to make the most out of his first head coaching position, trying to turn a program around, but it’s no secret that what he accomplishes at FAU will determine where his head coaching career is headed in the future.

These players better be prepared for training camp after last year’s poor season.

I have a feeling the 2012 FAU Owls know that there is a new sheriff in town. This guy will get every ounce of energy out of them, otherwise, they’ll be on the bench or off the team.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

As a Chaplain for L’Chaim Jewish Hospice (in partnership with Catholic Hospice of Broward and Dade Counties), I have watched how people say goodbye to a loved one. I have seen and read touching accounts of that most holy of moments, when we acknowledge to our loved one and to ourselves that it is okay to “Let go!”

It might surprise you to know that when a member of the Tribe gets to that point with their father, you will often hear them (either in a whisper or a shout) cry out “ta-ta”… at least that’s what it might sound like to those unfamiliar with Yiddish.

What they are really crying out is “tata,” which happens to be one of the Yiddish words for “father.” Obviously, I bring this up today as Father’s Day is approaching, and, while many still have the joy of having their father on this earth, for many of us, we use this day to remember how incredibly blessed we were to have had our fathers in our lives, and, even though they no longer walk this earth, we try to honor and sanctify their memory.

During the Yiskor Memorial Service, we have a time when we concentrate on prayers for our dearly-departed fathers, and, during that moment in the service, I sang the first words of one of the most famous of songs about fathers.

“Oh, my tata, to me he was so wonderful, oh, my tata, he always understood.” Okay, that might not have been exactly how the lyricist wrote the song, but it just seems so natural for someone who uses a bissel (a little) Yiddish to change the word ‘papa” to “tata.”

After singing those beginning words to the song, I told the members of my flock that, while the words sound wonderful, they are a bit too idealistic. The truth is that no matter how wonderful our fathers may have been, no matter how much we may have idolized them, they were not G-d. They were human beings, and, as such, they did not always understand, and, they were not always so wonderful. Don’t get me wrong, tata may have understood more than most. Tata may have been truly wonderful. But, if we are honest with our memories and ourselves, tata also had his faults. For instance, if you ask momma about him, momma might remind you that tata snored like a freight train and kept her awake many a night. The snoring might have been so loud that you even heard it in the next room or across the hall. But, as much as that snoring annoyed momma, did it (for one second) stop her from loving your tata?

None of us is perfect. We all have our own little flaws. Come to think of it, we all have some pretty big ones. But, that does not stop us from loving or from being loved. May we learn from our dearly departed tatas, our fathers. May we learn from their virtues what to do, and may we learn from the things they did wrong what to avoid, as both honor their memory.

Shalom my friends and a very happy Father’s Day,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and serves in this capacity in a number of Health Care settings in the area including Advocate Home Care Services and L’Chayim Jewish Hospice in Partnership with Catholic Hospice of Broward County.

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach’s Chasity Martin has always idolized Laila Ali.

The 15-year-old has taken a similar approach to boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s daughter as she first noticed women’s boxing on television. Martin, who is homeschooled, ran into problems at her local high school and started boxing.

“I had problems in school with fighting so I went to home-schooling to stay on track and not get caught up in all of the street fighting and get in trouble,” Martin said. “Boxing is very important to me. It is 50 percent of my life. This is what I focus on other than school and my schoolwork. Boxing is one of my main priorities.”

Martin turned to Stacy McKinley, who spent 10 years as Mike Tyson’s trainer, to help guide the local teen in the boxing ring. She said she feels like Hilary Swank in the 2004 Clint Eastwood movie “Million Dollar Baby.”

“That’s crazy,” Martin said. “It is a once in a lifetime thing to get someone like him to train me. I am his first female fighter he ever trained. He calls me a female Mike Tyson. It’s a good thing.” The admiration is mutual.

“It is hard to find girls who want to fight her,” McKinley said. “She is strong and she is fast. She reminds me of Mike a little bit. When the bell rings, she goes through a transformation and she is a different person.”

Martin said she hopes to fight in the Olympics someday and eventually turn pro.

“I still have to stay humble and keep my attitude in check,” said Martin, who trains every day of the week, four hours a day. “I would like to go to the Olympics and box before I try and go pro. I get up and do my schoolwork and then it is nothing but boxing. When I get in the ring, I am a whole different person. I don’t remember much of what happened in the fight.”

She said she also looks past the stigma of being a female boxer.

“I don’t worry about what other people say about me,”

Martin said. “I enjoy what I am doing. That is what keeps me calm and that is what keeps me on track. It doesn’t really matter what everyone else says. That’s just what I focus on. If you were to see me on the street and I am not in my workout clothes … It is very discreet and I tend to have a lot of people know about it, but in a good way.”

SOCCER CAMPS SLATED

For the first time ever, Simply Soccer will hold four summer camps in the city of Pompano. The dates are: June 11-15; June 25-June 29; July 23-27 and Aug. 13-17. Registration will be held at the Pompano Beach Civic Center. Camp is for boys and girls, ages 5-14, of all skill levels, who will be taught a variety of soccer skills from dribbling to shooting.

There are three sessions each day (for the Pompano camp) ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (cost is $100 weekly); extended hours camp is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $125 each week, and a Tiny Tot program is offered for kids ages 5 and 6 from 9 a.m.to noon for $55 weekly.

Campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. For more information, call the city of Pompano Parks and Recreation Department at 954- 786-4119 or 954-786-4111.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

This week’s column will review two diverse motion pictures, winner of Cannes Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize, Elena, and the Museum of Discovery IMAX theater documentary To the Arctic 3D. Despite widespread production values, both films share a similar theme about maternal survival.

From Russia with English subtitles, Elena (Nadezhda Markina) and Vladimir (Andrey Smirnov), who are 60-year-old spouses on their second marriage. While the two enjoy this symbiotic relationship, both individuals dislike their new step children. Vladimir’s daughter has been estranged for many years and Elena’s son is struggling to feed his own child.

When Vladimir falls ill, the family dynamic changes. Elena becomes concerned about her future domestic life when Vladimir’s daughter returns to visit her ill father. Elena is oddly reflective of the South Florida senior culture. For those seeking a respite from high octane summer blockbusters, Elena is the slow-paced film for you.

To the Arctic 3D presents the story of mother Polar Bear’s fight to protect her cubs from predators and global warming. The film is pure Darwin; it is about the survival of the fittest.

Narrated by Meryl Streep with musical accompaniment from Sir Paul McCartney, To the Arctic 3D presents eyefilling landscapes and waterfalls on the IMAX six-story screen. Yet, for all of the beauty, the polar bears are presented as vicious beasts and are frequently shown with blood on their white fur.

FYI: Ridley Scott’s longawaited Prometheus will be shown at this IMAX; this is the first time in their history a rated “R” motion picture will be screened there.

I have a friend who holds her troubles close to her heart. Foolishly, I’ve tried amateur “shrinkage” with her, pointing out how much worse off so-and-so is, to which she replies, “Her troubles don’t make mine hurt any less.” I respond with a weak, “Yes, but…” and hold my tongue. I know I cannot get into the depths of anyone else’s heart. And I respect and acknowledge her genuine hurt and certainly listen to her litany of miseries without judgment.

But I am here to tell you that, for me, there is nothing but gratitude when I know that so-and-so faces far worse challenges than do I.

My husband just emerged from a month of harrowing health problems, at one point, experiencing life-threatening complications. At each crisis in this saga, I found something to be grateful for. The care he received during his three-week stay in the ICU and subsequent stay in a room at West Boca Medical Center could not have been better. Each nurse went beyond the call of “duty” and treated him as the human being he is, rather than the patient in room number XXXX. I cannot rave enough about the quality of professional nursing care he received. And this, I must say, surprised the heck out of me, as I had anticipated a “rag doll” approach to his care. His doctors were (all 8 of them) responsive to my every question and telephone call. Again, a surprise, as I hear so many complaints about healthcare services and doctors in particular.

His eventual release to the rehab facility at Regents Park in Boca was also an unanticipated pleasant – as much as such an experience CAN be pleasant – surprise, as we encountered a staff – at every level of service – of helpful, smiling, cooperative people dedicated to making his stay as positive as possible.

This probably sounds like some kind of paid advertisement – but, it is really an expression of gratitude.

So many of us are quick to complain when we receive rotten service, but never bother to convey accolades when they are deserved.

And as my husband finally made his way around the rehab facility, first, as I pushed him in a wheelchair, and then on a walker, and as we observed so many of the residents in a state of semi-consciousness and helplessness with vacant stares and hopeless affect, we became acutely aware of what “worse” really is.

We may still have to endure “worse” at some future time, but for now, he anticipates coming home soon in a state of relative independence. A month out of our lives, with moments of panic, is little in the scheme of things when there is light at the end of that tunnel, light that many people do not have.

This is all about gratitude.