By Gary Curreri

When it comes to swimming, Pompano Beach High School’s Courtney Stewart made the most of her senior year.

Stewart recently placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle event as she clocked a 24.30 time at the FHSAA Class 2A meet at the Sailfish Splashpark Aquatic Athletics Center in Stuart to cap off a stellar career.

Stewart had won the 100-yard freestyle and was third in the 50-free in the BCAA meet that featured many of the top swimmers from Broward County.

“I definitely feel like I earned this race because I have been training in USA Swimming for the past three years,” Stewart said after winning the 100 Free at the BCAA competition. “I started in rec [recreational] league, and a lot of people underestimate rec league, but it really taught me how to swim and it really perfected my stroke before I got into the serious level of training.”

She admitted that starting USA Swimming in her freshman year was a little late; however, she was driven to become a better swimmer.

“In my freshman year, I swam the 500 free and the 200 IM and didn’t really know what I was doing,” said Stewart, who trains with BEST (Broward Elite Swim Team) under the direction of Coach Michael Hart. It is a small program composed of just female swimmers and Stewart is the oldest.

“Last year, I was third in the 100 free at the BCAA meet with a 54,” said Stewart, who clocked 53.85. “I was so close last year that I really wanted to win it this year. I didn’t even swim the 50 free last year. I wanted to try out the 50 free in my senior year and have a fun time, really sprint it out with all freestyle.”

Looking back over the past four years, Stewart is happy with her swimming path. She placed fifth at state last year in the 100 free and 14th the previous year in the 100 free.

“I have loved it,” she said. “I made so many great friends over the years that I am still friends with and they are in college now. I am so close with the team now as a captain. I am going to miss it so much.

“I know that, if I swim collegiate, it is going to be tough,” Stewart added. “It is still going to be an awesome experience though.”

This year, at states, she helped the 200 medley relay to a 12th place finish (2:05.42). Other members included freshman Gabriella Costello, and sophomores Sarah Gurdus and Taylor Zascavage. She was also a member of the 200 free relay that finished 13th place (1:43.79). [Additional] members of that relay included sophomores Mia Marquez, Francesca Vandersluis and freshman Gwen Bencie. The 400 free relay, of which she was also a member, picked up a 14th place finish (3:50.76) and that included sophomore Mia Marquez, and freshmen Gabriella Costello and Gwen Bencie.

Another Pompano High swimmer, Shane Schulte, also made the most of his season, yet he has three more years to go.

“I did pretty well this year,” said Schulte, 14, a freshman at the school. “I have dropped a lot of my times from my USA Swim meets, so that is pretty good.

“The competition is totally different from my regular USA Swimming,” added Schulte, who finished 22nd at state in boys 200 IM (2:06.92). “High school (competition) is all the way from 14 to 18 years old and, in USA, I am swimming against my own age group. Sometimes, this is a lot harder, but overall, it is pretty different and I like the challenge.”

Schulte helped the Pompano boys take 12th in the 200 medley (1:43.36). It also included his brother Christopher and fellow junior Race Wilhoite and freshman Matteus Santos.

Schulte also helped the Pompano boys take 13th in the 400 free relay (3:23.55). It also included brother Christopher and fellow junior Taylor Barton and Santos. Christopher Schulte took third in the B final of the Boys 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.51).

Other top performances by the Pompano High School team at the state meet included junior Carolyn Ehrlich, who placed third in diving (424.75), and Bencie, who won the B Final in the 100-yard backstroke (59.38). The girls finished 17th in the state, while the boys took 26th.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Fatherhood is a strong theme of the movie Creed. While this film is the first Rocky movie I saw without my dad, it is also the first Rocky movie Sylvester Stallone has made since the loss of his son, Sage Stallone, who died of a heart attack in 2012.

In this sequel, Rocky Balboa is a supporting character to Adonis Johnson Creed (Michael B. Jordan). A child of foster homes and reform school, young Adonis grew up without his father, who was legendary fictional heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Apollo’s widowed wife, Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad ), takes in the angry boy and raises him as her legitimate son. The lure of the boxing ring remains in his blood, despite the cushy lifestyle he has achieved as a successful business executive.

Adonis seeks out his father’s old rival, Rocky Balboa, who still manages his deceased wife’s restaurant and is lonely since his sidekick, Paulie, died and his son Robert moved to Vancouver. (Note: the picture of Young Rocky and son is that of Sylvester Stallone and his real life son, Sage.) Adonis and Rocky form a partnership that extends beyond the blood, sweat and tears of the boxing ring.

Creed is about growth and passing the torch to a next generation that is willing to receive it. The beauty of this movie is the marriage of old traditions with new ideas. While Rocky may be befuddled by an Apple iPad and the Cloud, the old man can still teach his prodigy the importance of understanding one’s own heart. Creed is a must-see.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is the strongest box office champion since James Bond’s Spectre opened. This Hunger Games sequel is a worthy conclusion to author Suzanne Collins’s young adult novels about a dystopian future. The producers do not skimp on the production values. Mockingjay Part 2 opens slowly, but explodes into breathtaking and violent action.

With the ensemble actor’s participation, The Hunger Games movies will grow in stature thanks to Oscar winners Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore and the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman. There are political themes within as ancient as Aristotle and echoing lyrics from the classic rock band, The Who – “Won’t get fooled again.” The four movies comprising The Hunger Games are pure literary cinema.

Both Creed and The Hunger Games:Mockingjay Part 2 are serious movies that are pure popcorn-eating entertainment. See these films with family members and friends, for the values presented in both movies are worthy of discussion around the dinner table.

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.

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.

By Gary Curreri

Janet Stuart is showing no signs of age as she won her 5th Pompano Beach Women’s Golf Association 2015 Past President’s Cup Championship recently.

Stuart, 82, won in a tiebreaker of a match of scorecards over Debbie Brown, 58, of Deerfield Beach. Stuart shot an 85 (net 67) on the second day after an opening round 95 (77 net). The winner was decided by using the USGA recommended method and going back on the last nine holes played to determine the winner.

Stuart scored a 43, less nine handicap strokes for a net total of 34, while runner-up Debbie Brown, of Deerfield Beach, shot a 42, less seven handicap strokes for a total of 35. Stuart won the tiebreaker by one stroke.

“(Winning) this particular tournament was a surprise to me because I hadn’t done too well on the first day,” said Stuart, of Oakland Park, who won her 5th President’s Cup title after shooting a two-day net score total of 144. “I didn’t figure I had a chance so I wasn’t paying much attention to it, so maybe that was good. I didn’t get nervous.”

Brown, 58, of Deerfield Beach, said she knew when they tied with the 144s that she would be runner-up.

“Janet and I played together the last round of the President’s Cup,” Brown said. “When they announced the tie, I knew right away I had lost the competition because of our back nine scores and our handicaps.

“When they announced I had won, I also knew that was incorrect,” Brown added. “I refrained from the discussion and allowed those present to resolve it … Of course, I was disappointed, but Janet Stuart has long been my hero when it comes to golf. I admire her and I am encouraged by her that the future holds many more bright sunny days of golf.”

Stuart also won the President’s Cup titles in 2000, 2001, 2010 and 2012. She’s won a couple of Club Championships at the Pines Course at the Pompano Beach Golf Course too.

“It was more of a surprise because I am getting up there and all these young girls are playing well,” said Stuart, who is currently a 17 handicap. “I almost shot my age the second round and I was thinking more of that than winning the tournament. I was hoping to sneak in a couple of more pars or birdies coming in.”

Bucks blanked; season over

Deerfield Beach saw its seven-game winning streak and hopes for a state championship come to a screeching halt on Friday as visiting Flanagan blanked the Bucks, 17-0, in the Class 8A regional semifinal.

Deerfield Beach (10-2) entered the game averaging 32.2 points per game; however, Flanagan (10-2) gave up just three first downs and 79 total yards in a dominating defensive performance.

Devin Bush broke a scoreless tie with a 21-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, and Angel Trujillo added a 32-yard field goal with three seconds left in the first half to give the Falcons a 10-0 lead. Flanagan’s defense held the Bucks to 21 yards in the first half and no first downs.

Flanagan, which avenged a 14-7 overtime loss to Deerfield Beach in the 2013 regional quarterfinals, iced the game on Dredrick Snelson’s 25-yard TD run with 7:50 remaining in the game.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

While weary from an intense three-week festival of screenings, red carpets and special events, the volunteers, staff and journalists closed the 30th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLiFF30) on a triumphant note at The Ritz Carlton Hotel on A1A in Fort Lauderdale. Given the theme of history emphasized by George Hamilton’s return appearance to FLiFF, it was appropriate to end the festival near the beach where Where the Boys Are was filmed 55 years ago, which Hamilton was in.

FLiFF was only three years old when bassist Jaco Pastorious was beaten to death by a bouncer in a Wilton Manor’s bar. Much like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, [blues singer] Robert Johnson and Amy Winehouse, Jaco’s talent was not truly appreciated until his demise. To acknowledge his life, Cinema Paradiso will present an encore screening of the documentary Jaco this Thanksgiving weekend. Check Jaco out on the big screen with a nuanced sound system; you will enjoy seeing home movies of the Pastorius Family frolicking on Deerfield Beach during the 1970s.

Direct from Italy with English subtitles, The Wonders opens tomorrow. It is a bucolic film about a family of beekeepers in Tuscany. Despite living in a heavenly countryside, the parents struggle to live the simple life as their children become distracted by appearing on a reality television show. With gorgeous cinematography and Italian neoclassic realism, The Wonders is a quiet alternative to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and Creed.

In my 16 years of writing a film column for Thanksgiving, this year’s current news headlines make it difficult to find things to be grateful for. Yet, one can find peace in history. During the bloodiest days of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving,” and the United States of America has been celebrating this holiday for 152 years, now THAT is something to feel grateful for. (See more about Thanksgiving history on pg. 6).

Andrew Carnegie was considered to be the richest man in America during his lifetime. Having made his wealth in the steel industry, he advocated for philanthropy and practiced what he preached by reportedly giving away over $350 million to public charities. I recently read that he also left $1 million to one of his relatives, who was consequently displeased with the amount when compared to the large sums given to other causes. He should have been grateful that he got anything at all.

Samuel Liebowitz was a criminal lawyer and judge who reportedly saved 78 men from the electric chair. It is said that none of them ever thanked him.

In the Gospels, it is recorded that Jesus was approached by 10 lepers who begged him to heal them. He instructed them to go and show themselves to the priest. On the way, they were all healed but only one returned to thank the Lord. Jesus publicly inquired about the other nine, noting that only one had returned to voice his appreciation.

The expression of gratitude is a characteristic of civilized society. We were taught as children to say “thank you” when given gifts, on receiving a compliment or when we were the objects of the kindness of strangers. Good manners dictate that we acknowledge the graciousness of our fellowman. Only animals and barbarians are so callous in their disregard of others, and so consumed with themselves, that they display no sense of indebtedness for acts of good will.

Bible teacher H.A. Ironside was said to be dining in a crowded restaurant when he was approached by a gentleman who asked to share the table with him. He consented and then bowed his head to give thanks for his meal, as was his custom. The surprised gentleman inquired if Dr. Ironside was ill or displeased with his food.

Upon learning that Dr. Ironside was engaging in a habit of thanking God for his meal, the gentleman scoffed, “Oh, you’re one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don’t have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in.”

Dr. Ironside replied, “Yes, you’re just like my dog. That’s what he does, too!”

As we prepare to celebrate another Thanksgiving Day, we ought to be grateful for the many blessings and good things that we are able to enjoy. Even in the seemingly difficult circumstances of life, and with all of the chaos that exists on a national and worldwide level, we can still find a reason to be grateful. Life may not be all that we would desire for it to be, but consider that things could be a lot worse than they are right now. Somewhere on this planet there is someone who would gladly trade places with you.

Do you have people in your life who genuinely love you? Do you have a comfortable bed to sleep in at night? Are you able to eat when you feel hungry? Do all five of your senses still work? Do you know your name and where you live? Are you in possession of any good memories? If you can answer “yes” to at least one of these questions you have a reason to be grateful. Even the simple things, that we often take for granted, should be appreciated. God has blessed us in many ways and He rightly deserves our thanks.

Several Psalms encourage gratitude to God for what He has done by making the same exhortation, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalms 106:1, 107:1, and 136). May this directive to an ancient people in their day inspire our attitude and behavior in our day. God has shown us great mercy, goodness and grace. Let’s be grateful. Happy Thanksgiving!

Bishop Patrick L. Kelly is the pastor of Cathedral Church of God, 365 S. Dixie Hwy., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. 954-427-0302.

By Gary Curreri

If Deerfield Beach is to move on in the Class 8A state playoffs, it will have to fly past the visiting “Dirty Birds” from Flanagan High School on Friday night.

The Bucks (10-1) will host Flanagan (9-2) in the regional semifinal beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Flanagan has won 8 of its past 9 games, with the lone loss coming against St. Thomas Aquinas, 19-14 two weeks ago. Flanagan’s other loss came against South Plantation, 13-12, in the third game of the season.

The Falcons reached the state semifinals last season, while the Bucks failed to make the playoffs last year for only the second time since 1998. The other time Deerfield Beach didn’t make the playoffs was in 2011. It has been seven seasons since Deerfield Beach reached the regional finals. It lost 34-30 to Miramar in the Class 8A regional final in 2008.

Deerfield Beach is on a 7-game win streak with the team’s lone loss coming to Jacksonville Bolles, 33-15. It edged Plantation, 17-14 in the regional quarters as junior Jerry Jeudy caught 10 passes for 123 yards and scored on touchdowns covering 48 and 6 yards from senior quarterback Teddrick Moffett, who was 13-of-16 for 147 yards.

Senior Jefferson Souza also hit a 48-yard field goal. Sophomore running back Jordan Johnson kept the Colonels in the game with 188 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Tigers upset bid comes up short

Blanche Ely’s football team put up a valiant effort; however, it dropped a 16-14 decision to host Dwyer in the Class 7A regional quarterfinal game last week.

After Dwyer took the opening kickoff and drove 59 yards for the 7-0 lead on a 3-yard scoring run by Jakari Moses, the Tigers (2-9) answered swiftly with an 80-yard scoring toss Zack Perdue to Thomas Gattis on the first play from scrimmage to cut the lead to 7-6.

Dwyer (10-1) took the ensuing kickoff and Moses struck again when he caught a 17-yard TD pass from Toddy Centeio for a 13-6 advantage. Ely pulled to within 13-12 just before the halftime intermission when Jeremy Taylor caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Perdue.

Midway through the third quarter, the Tigers grabbed its first lead of the game when it hauled down Moses in the end zone for a safety after an Ely punt was downed at Dwyer’s 1-yard line. That 14-13 lead held up until Patrick Trepcos kicked a 37-yard field goal with 8:26 remaining in the game for the 16-14 win.

Ely missed wide right on a potential go-ahead 34-yard field goal with 4:10 remaining.

Martin turns pro

Pompano Beach’s Chasity Martin will make her professional boxing debut tonight at the Jaragua Casino and Resort in the Dominican Republic.

The 18-year-old will fight Santo Domingo featherweight Mariela Martinez on the undercard of the Euri Gonzalez-Geyson Bastardo welterweight bout.

“I have great respect for the officials and staff of USA Boxing, but it’s time I move forward,” said Martin, who fights out of King Cobra Boxing under the direction of Mike Tyson’s former sparring coach Stacey McKinley.

Martin won the Sunshine State Games title earlier this year with a unanimous decision over Joke Dekeersschieter (Heart & Soul Boxing). Martin spent four years fighting as an amateur. She had hoped to make the U.S. National team and fight in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but lost a split decision to two-time national champion Anna Crutchfield in a pre-qualifying round.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Spectre

Given the horrors we recently witnessed in Paris, the heroism of a fictional character like James Bond should feel false. Yet the Spectre box office has proven the value of movie escapism. Of all the Daniel Craig 007 adventures, Spectre feels like the most typical James Bond flick.

The film opens strong with Bond in Mexico tracking an assassin. From this endeavor, Bond finds a clue to a terrorist organization with links to previous movies, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. The mastermind of crime is Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) who employs Mr. Hynx (Dave Bautista), a huge henchman with a double barreled shotgun. Bond must rescue the beautiful Dr. Swann (Léa Seydoux), whose father was a soldier under Oberhauser.

Spectre raises some great questions about field espionage and computer surveillance, yet the film offers no solutions. After the opening, the best thing about Spectre is the cat and mouse game between Bond and Mr. Hynx. When Hynx disappears, the film limps to its conclusion.

FLiFF this week

This weekend, Amy Madigan and her husband Ed Harris will visit the 30th annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and receive their Lifetime Achievement Awards. While the couple has worked as professional collaborators for years, their most critically-acclaimed work together was Pollock, Harris’s award-winning directorial debut.

Harris will attend the Florida Premier of The Adderall Diaries at the Cinema Paradiso- Ft. Lauderdale on Friday night at 8:15 p.m. (Film also showing at the Hollywood location on Saturday at 6 p.m). Harris portrays Neil Elliott, the vindictive father of Stephen Elliott (James Franco), who is a once successful novelist who has become addicted to Adderall.

Thirty years ago, Ed Harris starred in a locally-produced movie which included Blair Brown and Richard Jordan. The film was based on a best-selling John D. MacDonald mystery novel about corrupt small town politics, greedy land developers and Florida’s vanishing environment. Titled A Flash of Green, the film will be showing at Cinema Paradiso in Ft. Lauderdale at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21.

The film was directed by Victor Nunez, a Florida resident, who will be presented the Florida Prize award for his commitment to Florida filmmaking. The award will be given to him by Ed Harris. The awards ceremony and gala will be held at the Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood at 6:30 p.m.

For ticket information for the gala or any other FLiFF events, call 954-525-FILM (3456) or visit www.fliff.com.

What can we do while the world is being terrorized?

The terror is intended to destroy and divide. The terrorist are looking for free nations that are united and looking to take away all that we believe in. How do we survive? How do we win? Can we win? Can we succeed in being a free people with good values who love and care for the world around us?

As a Jew, I can tell you yes – yes, we have survived until now and we will continue to not only survive, but thrive!

How?

Let me answer with a story:

Some time ago, Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, the Rabbi of the city of Migdal Haemek in Israel was visited by Mutty Dotan, head of the Lower Galilee Regional Council. Dotan told him that he had just returned from Germany where he attended a ceremony in honor of the 25th anniversary of the twin cities pact between the regional council and the Hanover district in Germany. After the ceremony, German Bundestag (Parliament) member, Detlev Herzig, of the SPD party, approached him and related this story.

His father had died a few weeks before and, before his demise, he confessed to his son his part in the Holocaust. He explained that since there are many Holocaust deniers today, he wanted to share the truth with his son.

He told his son that he had been an officer in the German air force, the Luftwaffe, during World War II and handed him an envelope. Upon opening the envelope the astonished son found a Wehrmacht army officer’s certificate, wrapped in a strange wallet made of parchment.

His father explained that while destroying a synagogue with his Nazi comrades during the war, he encountered on the floor a scroll made of high quality parchment. The Nazi officer cut out a piece of the scroll to use as a wallet, in which he placed his celebrated officer’s certificate.

Later he discovered that the scroll of parchment was something very sacred to the Jews, it was their Torah scroll. He told his son to give over the evidence to the first Jew he would meet and ask him to deliver it to a holy Jew in Israel who would know how to use it properly.

Upon returning to Israel, Dotan decided that the one who fit the description best was Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, founder and Dean of the school network Migdal Ohr, Chief Rabbi of Migdal Haemek, and recipient of the 2004 Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement.

Rabbi Grossman took the wallet in his hand. There it was: Made of the parchment of a Sefer Torah, a Torah scroll, this Nazi officer fashioned a nice wallet for himself. Trembling and gripped with emotion, Rabbi Grossman observed that the Nazi had cut out a piece of the Torah from the book of Deuteronomy.

The Rabbi began to read the words inscribed in ink on the parchment of the Torah scroll. They were the terrifying words of the chapter of rebuke in Deuteronomy 28, in which the Torah warns of the terrible consequences if the Jews would abandon their covenant with G-d, if they would reject their Torah.

Then the Torah continues to say in Deuteronomy 29:9 and right there on that wallet: “You are all standing today before G-d.”

Rabbi Grossman remembered what the great Biblical commentator Rashi explains, that after hearing the horrifying words of rebuke, the Jews were terrified they would not survive. So Moses comforted them and said: “You are all standing today before G-d. Just as G-d cannot die, you too will never die.” These were the words inscribed on the wallet.

Imagine: Nazis come in to a synagogue, murder the Jews and desecrate the Torah scrolls — as was their routine. One of them has the chutzpah [audacity] to cut off a piece and use it for his personal wallet. At last, Hitler triumphed over the Jews and their G-d.

Six decades later that very wallet ends up in the hands of a Rabbi in Israel who has thousands of Jewish children studying from the very Torah they desecrated in his schools. This Rabbi now kisses the holy parchment, quotes the divine promise that we will never perish.

Through all the destruction in every generation G-d says clearly (Deuteronomy 29:9) “You are all standing today before G-d,” stand together and nothing can happen to you!

So I turn to each and every one of you and I am telling you: “Stand united, that’s how we will win this war!”

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.