By Gary Curreri

So much for déjà vu. For the first half of Tuesday night’s regional semifinal game against Dwyer, it looked like history was going to repeat itself as the visiting Panthers took a 35-26 halftime advantage against the host Blanche Ely boys basketball team.

That was until Ely, ranked No. 7 in the nation in the USA Today Super 25 Expert Rankings, outscored the visitors 49-21 in the second half, including 26-11 in the fourth quarter, and roared to a 75-56 win in the Class 7A regional semifinal and advance to the regional final on Saturday against Miami Central.

The Tigers ran off 27 consecutive wins in the 2009- 2010 season before Dwyer ended the Tigers’ season with a 70-57 victory in the regional semifinal. It was something that Blanche Ely coach Melvin Randall didn’t let his team forget.

“This was a personal game, very personal,” said Randall, whose team improved to 25-0 with the win. “I briefly mentioned it to them, but I didn’t have to use it as a motivational tool.”

Therrell Gosier led the way with a game-high 17 points, while LaQuincy Rideau and Diandre Wilson each had 16 points, and Javon Heastie added 12 points in the win for the Tigers, who are hoping to win its third state championship in four years.

“The pressure feels like the Coach K situation of trying to win that 1,000th game,” said Randall, referring to Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski, who recently became the first D-1 college coach to win 1,000 career games. Randall has compiled a 499-141 career coaching record and is in his 14th year at the school and 21st overall. “Knowing where we are and how high we are ranked … with a target on your back, you know it is going to get harder and harder, especially during the playoffs.”

“My thing is I have to keep my kids very humble and focused, and also hungry,” Randall said. “With the exception of Cardinal Gibbons, we have been winning our games by double digits and we just have to take it gameby- game.”

Randall won state titles in 1997 with Deerfield (Class 5A) and his win in 1999 (Class 6A) came at the expense of his current school Ely, 77-69. After moving over to Ely, Randall won state titles in 2007 (Class 6A), 2012 (Class 7A) and 2013 (Class 7A).

“We have to have a sense of urgency and also increase the level of intensity,” Randall said. “We’ll be fine.”

The Tigers finished 21-5 last season, including four losses to Boyd Anderson and once to Cardinal Gibbons in the Big 8. Blanche Ely lost in regional semifinal to Boyd Anderson last season, 61-54. Randall said it would be special to run the table for the school’s first undefeated season and a state title.

“It is all these kids,” Randall said. “They are working hard and they are training. They are hungry and, as a result, they are getting these little benefits from these games that we are playing.

“We can run the table,” he added. “I don’t think they realize they have already made history in being ranked as high as they are and I believe that is the highest ranking in the history of Broward County, if I am not mistaken. We still want to get to Lakeland, and we want to go undefeated. We can’t turn back.”

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The Imitation Game premiered at the 2014 Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival and it had generated so much Oscar buzz from the European Film Festival circuit that festival director Gregory Von Hausch could not guarantee a seat for a critic’s screening.

In the summer of 2002, I reviewed an espionage movie titled Enigma, which featured Kate Winslet as a code breaker who helped to defeat the Nazis. It was an absorbing story, but the screenplay ignored an important historical character,

Professor Alan Turing. Played by Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, Turing is the central character of The Imitation Game.

The film opens in darkness with the sound of Morse code. We learn that Nazi U-boats have been sinking the British Navy and American conveys with ease. British spies have located the German “Enigma Machine,” but cannot decode Nazi transmissions.

Enter mathematician Alan Turing, a brilliant mind with poor social skills. Placing an ad in the British press, Turing assembles a team of code breakers by having them complete a complicated crossword puzzle. Among the most gifted code breakers is Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley). History shows that the good guys won World War II, but the cost of victory destroyed one man’s soul. For those in love with analogue technology, espionage drama and group dynamics, then The Imitation Game is the film for you.

50 Shades of Grey is not a film for everybody; it is not a film that people will not admit to enjoying, but it is a film that people will secretly covet at home. At a critic’s screening last Wednesday night, the audience laughed, got intensely quiet during the more graphic scenes and moaned during the cliffhanger ending. This is more a tribute to Sam Taylor- Johnson’s skills as a director than E.L. James’ skills as a writer.

With an 85 million dollar opening weekend box office take, expect Universal to continue filming their 50 Shades of Grey trilogy for future Valentine’s Days.

I was scheduled to officiate at a funeral for a young man who, in the past, we would have referred to as “mentally retarded,” but that is not just a politically incorrect term to use, it is a downright offensive one.

So what is the proper term? Well, it might seem open to debate, and, since I wasn’t sure, I asked some professionals and I also asked the family of this young man. The American Psychiatric Association would chart it as intellectual developmental disorder” or “intellectual disability.” One member of the family used the term “mentally challenged,” and several others said that he was “special” and used the term “differently-abled.”

This young man used to live in Philadelphia, but moved down here for several years before going back to The City of Brotherly Love to live near family.

And his family did something that was so loving, so touching, that it tugged on the strings of my heart.

You see, it would have been very convenient for them to bury their brother up in Philadelphia. But they traveled with that casket that held their baby brother and they brought him back here to be buried in Florida. They did so, because this young man adored his parents, and his parents are buried here. So they made sure to fulfill a promise that he would be laid to rest right by them.

In the Torah, we find a similar promise being fulfilled as when Jacob passes away it is up to his survivors to fulfill a pledge that his remains be taken to be buried alongside his ancestors.

Before Jacob dies, we read about him calling family members to his side to bless them. When most people think of getting a blessing, they think of words that someone says to them or of prayers recited on their behalf.

But one of the things we learn in the Torah is that we, each and every one of us, should be a blessing.

Each of us has our own individual strengths and our own individual weaknesses. In other words each of us is “special” and each of us is “differently-abled.”

Just before the funeral of the young man, one of his cousins said, “Of all the people in the world, I never thought I would learn so much from him.” The Talmud asks, “Who is wise?” and answers, “The one who learns from everyone.”

In keeping with this lesson, I chose to focus on the blessings that each person at that funeral could learn from that young man. For instance, The Talmud tells us that, in order to be happy, you need to be content with what you already have.

This young man never asked for more than he had. He was happy with his lot. This young man never had a bad word to say about anyone, and Lord knows the rest of us could sure learn from his example.

He lived a simple life and he was content, and, get this, while for much of his life, his parents assisted him, when his father passed, this young man (who many would assume incapable of much of anything) took on the role of primary caregiver for his mother, doing whatever he was able to see to her comfort, and doing so with the greatest of love and devotion.

Let us learn from Jacob in the Bible and let us learn from this young man whose name also happened to be Jacob … regardless of our weaknesses, we all have the ability … no, we have the Biblical imperative, to “be a blessing.”

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach (201 S. Military Tr., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442). Regular Shabbat services are open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Don’t forget!

On Stage at Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach:

•Feb. 22 – 1 p.m. – The Holocaust Survivor Klezmer Band

•March 3 – 3 p.m. – The Ramat Gan Israeli Dance Theatre

Tickets – $18 per event for reservations, call 954-428- 0578.

By Bryan Hursh

Striking out on last season’s goals, the Boys’ Varsity baseball team looks to fix the mistakes that led them to a 4-17 season. Losing key players LHP Johnny Grassi and 2nd Baseman Aaron Johnson, the Bucks are looking to bounce back from a tough season with veteran pitching and new transfers Freshmen Andrew Galinat, Junior Kyle Galinat and Senior Donny V. the Bucks’ look to contend for their first district title since 2004.

“We lost a key arm in the rotation last season, but we believe that with our new rotation we can fill the gaps and keep a lot of games close this season.” said Senior Captain Kyle Miller.

“With the right mindset and attitude, and when we all play together we can accomplish great things this season,” said Junior Catcher Trent Youstein. “We need to take it one game at a time and close it out.”

Built with young talent and experienced pitching, the Bucks look to gain some early momentum and use it to propel them through the season, the coaching staff is optimistic of a successful season.

“With the right moves, these boys can accomplish great things. All they have to do is just buy in,” said Vincent Tozzi, athletic director.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

In the midst of Academy Awards season, two new movies are actually opening this weekend. Both Mommy and Above and Beyond are very diverse motion pictures. Each film will appeal to different audiences.

Mommy is a film from Montreal, Canada spoken in French with English subtitles. It was Canada’s submission to the Oscar race and was a Jury Prize winner at the Cannes Film Festival. Mommy is a simple story about a mother dealing with her mentally ill son.

The film opens with a car accident, as Mommy — Diane “Die” Despress (Anne Dorval) — cusses out the driver she hit. She is picking her son Steve (Antoine- Olivier Pilon) up from Detention. Steve’s behavior was so atrocious that detention can’t reform him and further disciplinary behavior modifications are expected.

Under this gloomy premise, Mommy has some beautiful moments. The Depress family makes friends with next door neighbor Kyla (Suzanne Clement), a shy academic with a stammer. From the emotional rollercoaster ride from happiness to sadness, the acting feels too real. This film is an exhaustive drama in the vein of a Eugene O’Neill or Tennessee Williams play.

Above and Beyond is a spirited documentary about the formation of the Israeli Air Force, circa 1948. Produced by Nancy Spielberg, this film features interviews from surviving aviators and family members. Among the most recognizable faces is Pee Wee Herman (Paul Rubenfeld), whose late father was one of the most heroic pilots of the first wave of Israeli pilots.

Featuring a mix of archive footage seamlessly edited with special effects from Industrial Light and Magic, Above and Beyond is thrilling history retold. There is personal loss, but there are also so many life-affirming moments of young aviators in search of adventure. It is only through the wisdom of aging that these young adventurers realized they accomplished so much more for their family, faith and friends.

Tomorrow Freddy Krueger, Elvira, Dr. Who, Steven Bauer. Linnea Quigley and Herschell Gordon Lewis invade the Ft. Lauderdale Convention Center for Shock Pop. This is the biggest movie/comic book convention to come to South Florida in over a decade. For more information, visit www.shockpopcomiccon.com.

Have you ever heard of the term “tough love?” People will say, “I think that person needs some tough love.” There is a new saying that is true that I heard the other day, and I think it’s the opposite of that term “tough love” because “love is tough.” Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, and it is easy to love on special occasions like this. However, there are still many days left out of the year where some days are easy to show love, and some days we have to work hard at showing love to others. How about showing someone love who does not love you back or even someone who may not treat you the way you believe you deserve to be treated? Love should be a big part of our lives. Love is something meant to be expressed, not something to be kept a secret. It seems like people even have a hard time saying “I love you” when we should say it all the time, and we should also show it all the time. It is tough sometimes, but it is not impossible. Why is it that we can say that we love our car, job, dog or even our favorite restaurant, but we cannot say it to each other? We have a hard time saying ‘I love you’ to the ones who really mean the most to us.

We have to understand that we need God’s help to love others in the same way that He loves us. We always want to put conditions on love, but God does not do that to us. We speak with our actions and say ‘I will love you’ if you do this for me, treat me this way, or buy me this, etc. God does not work on the point system and neither should we. God tells us to love others, period. There are no conditions on that love. God does not say love someone if they do something for you or make you feel a certain way. God says love each other, and if God tells us to love, we must be able to do it. Love is so many things, but it is not conditional. Let’s look at what love is.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud

5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

NLT

Love gives us the ability to be sensitive to the needs, hurts and desires of others and also to feel with them, and experience the world from their perspective. Love gives us the ability to give with no conditions or expectations. Love builds up and encourages; it is determining what is best for someone and doing it. Pray and ask God to help you love the way He loves and He will help you. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day. I LOVE YOU!

Pastor Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship church, located at 801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, visit www.clfministries.org.

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach Middle School boys basketball coach Leonard Fudge had hoped for more.

The fourth-year coach fell for the second consecutive year to the eventual Broward County Middle School champion in the county semifinals.

“They fought all year,” said Fudge, whose team finished 13-2 this year. They lost to Millennium last year in the county semifinals. “We were inexperienced. We had one sixth grader and all eighth graders who had never played basketball before. They were fighters. They just wanted it.”

Pompano Beach came all the way back from an eight-point deficit with one minute to go to force overtime, but eventually fell to Lauderdale Lakes, 39-35, in overtime. Khristopher Bogle had 11 points in the game before fouling out in the first minute of overtime. His buzzer-beating basket tied the game and forced overtime.

“That was really hard losing Khris,” Fudge said. “My big kid, Joshua Noel Saint, came off the bench after having a rough start and he really turned it around. I am very proud of them. I couldn’t ask for anything more. They exceeded my expectations.”

Eighth grader Joshua Scott had eight points, while eight grader Brandon Peets and seventh grader Jordan Bennett each had five points.

After the fourth game of the season, when the team got off to a 4-0 start and defeated Lyons Creek Middle School, Fudge believed his team had a shot at making a run deep into the playoffs.

“It was a total rebuilding year,” Fudge said. “The kids fought hard and they believed they could do it all year long. They really did.”

“The best part of the season was the work they put in,” Fudge added. “The guys dedicated themselves all year long. Every day they came to practice and worked. They really did.”

Ely remains undefeated

Blanche Ely’s boys’ basketball team remained undefeated with a 69-63 victory over previously unbeaten Cardinal Gibbons in the Broward County Big 8 tournament recently at Fort Lauderdale High School.

Both teams entered the game undefeated and nationally ranked and the game see-sawed back and forth until the Tigers (22-0) closed out the contest with a 6-0 run for the win for its fifth Big 8 title and fourth over the past six years. It also avenged a loss to the Chiefs (25-1) in last year’s final.

Laquincy Rideau led Ely with 18 points as all five starters scored in double figures.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The Theory of Everything opens with young Hawking (Eddie Redmayne), who is attending the Cambridge University graduate school with a major in astrophysics. He meets and courts Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones), a literature student. While there is a theoretical clash between these two individuals, a mutual respect develops. When Hawking makes a big theoretical breakthrough, his body begins to deteriorate.

Hawking is diagnosed with a motor neuron disease [ALS] and is given two years to live. As the two years pass, Hawking marries Jane, has children and becomes an international sensation with his theories about space, time and dimension. We witness the last time Hawking walks and when he holds his child.

Based on Jane Wilde-Hawking’s autobiography, The Theory of Everything presents the hardships of a family dealing with a special needs individual. We witness parents attempt to live a “normal life” for the sake of the children. Despite this bond, the call of academic spotlight provides the tipping point for the Hawking marriage.

Redmayne’s Hawking transitions from a geeky and energetic young man to an infirmed old man shackled to a wheelchair. The one constant theme of the performance is Hawking’s core spirit and humor.

Much like the X-Men and Dolphin Tale movies, I’ve witnessed more people in wheelchairs attending screenings of this film. At the 2013 Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, one of the best films was titled CinemaAbility, a documentary about how Hollywood treats people with disabilities. Walter White’s son in TV’s Breaking Bad, actor RJ Mitte shared stories about being a working actor who actually has cerebral palsy. Mitte will be in town next weekend to talk about his career at the Shock Pop ComicCon. www.shockpopcomiccon.com/media-guests.html.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

Yep! It happens every year. Hallmark reigns! Candy, flowers, jewelry, Victoria’s Secret(s) – and for those who can actually stick it out for many a decade, like I did, a beautiful brand new shiny — juicer!

The men get cards, kisses and — if they’re lucky, they get to use their Viagra. And all of this is predicated on the existence of “love.”

OK. I’m talking about what is sometimes referred to as “romantic” love, not parental, or filial, love (that’s for another column) , not love for a pet or a football team, or a bauble, or ice cream.

These many years, I have been seeking a universal definition of that word. And in response to my many queries, no two have been identical. It seems there is no real consensus when it comes to a definition of the word. Some people experience love with longevity and manage to sustain “it” despite some of “its” most ruthless challenges. Others experience love as a temporary high, and do not look for sustainability, but satisfy themselves with one day at a time. And still others live out “its” fantasy and find themselves devastated by “its” mercurial nature. They accept the ups of “it” and “give up” at the first sign of “down.” And then there are those who slog along on the tail of disappointment and live in a constant state of hurt, anger and resentment. Woe be to them.

And so, in the interest of serious research, I went to the dictionary.com website for the “scholarly” ( not so ) definition of the word love. Here is the ho-hum result: “a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.” That’s it? No! It proceeds to give 27 repetitions of the same concept, neglecting, I note, to indicate anything about the waxing and waning complexities, and changing characteristics that exist within a very volatile timeline. In other words, it doesn’t tell you how the very nature of love mutates and grows and changes, or diminishes, with time. THAT is the discovery of “everyman” (generic for “humankind”).

In my further research into the commonalities of a sustainable “love,” I found this most illuminating book which I highly recommend to anyone about to embark on a new “love journey,” as well as to people who are already ensconced in one. It’s called, “Conscious Loving” by Gay Hendricks and Kathlyn Hendricks, married family therapists.

From the Amazon review: … Through their own marriage and through 20 years’ experience counseling more than 1,000 couples, therapists Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks have developed precise strategies to help you create a vital partnership and enhance the energy, creativity and happiness of each individual. You will learn how to: Let go of power struggles and need for control; balance needs for closeness and separateness; increase intimacy; communicate in a positive way that stops arguments; make agreements you can keep; allow more pleasure into your life. Addressed to individuals as well as to couples, Conscious Loving will heal old hurts and deepen your capacity for enjoyment, security and enduring love …

Go to the library or order it on Amazon (their used books are cheaper). Let me know how it works for you.

Meanwhile, have a Happy Valentine’s Day and give it all your “lovingness.”

I was invited to a Genocide Commemoration last week. But this was not a commemoration of the Shoah, this was a commemoration (the very first in the United States) of the 100th Year of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.

Most of you who read my column know that I have a passion for dance. So when I heard that the program would include a performance by the Sayat Nova Dance Company …well, how could I stay away? But there was another reason that I needed to be there. On Shabbat, just before the event, I sang a song during my sermon. The lyrics go something like this:

I am bound for the Promised Land …

Oh Lord, I am bound for the Promised Land …

Oh who will come and go with me …

I am bound for the Promised Land …

Who will come and go with me?

Which is it, are we coming or going? The same question was asked by the Sages in regard to what G-d tells Moses about a trip to pharaoh. You see, the Hebrew word, Bo, can mean “go” or it can mean “come.” So was G-d telling Moses to “go” to Pharaoh or was He telling him “come to Pharaoh?” If I asked you to go to the store, I would be asking you to go in my stead. But, if I asked you to come … that is what G-d was saying to Moses, “Come with me … I will be with you every step of the way.”

And that is why I felt I had to come to the Armenian Genocide Commemoration. As a Jew, I have a duty to remember the Holocaust and to see to it that it never happens again. The problem is that, before the Holocaust, there was a genocide perpetrated against the Armenians and there have been others since then in places like Darfur and Rwanda. So how could I not be there to remember the horror that happened to my Armenian brothers and sisters?

The dance program took us all on “A Journey Through Time.” The performers weaved the story of the Armenians from ancient days to the Genocide, to their rebirth. With each step the dancers took on stage, I could feel the connection between the Armenian Culture and the Jewish Community. We each went through an amazing religious transformation; each of us had and have those who would like to see us annihilated; and each of us not only miraculously survived an attempt at extermination, but both cultures have found a way to go on. No, each has found a way to do more than that; each has found a way to live, to laugh and to dance.

As I looked around the audience and saw so many children with parents and grandparents, I realized that the Armenians have the same aspirations that we have … to make our progeny knowledgeable of our past, of our traditions, of our culture and to be proud of being who we are. And, with the help of people like Arsine Kaloustian and the AGC (The Armenian Genocide Commemoration), may we be vigilant to speak out against any and all attempts at the Genocide of any people.

To Arsine and to all my Armenian brothers and sisters, we will not forget!

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

(AGC Inc. accepts contributions which are used to maintain and expand genocide education through outreach programs in The Tri-County area. Send donations to St. David Armenian Church, 2300 Yamato Rd., Boca Raton, FL 33431)

Be sure to catch these upcoming events On Stage at Temple Beth Israel …

• February 22 – The Holocaust Survivor Klezmer and Multicultural Band

• March 4 – The Ramat Gan Israeli Dance Theater

For tickets, call – 954-428- 0578.

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach (201 South Military Tr.). Regular Shabbat services are open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Info.: 954-421-7060.