Thanksgiving has been a favorite holiday of mine since I was young.

I remember waking up as a young child on Thanksgiving Day morning to the aroma of turkey cooking in the oven. Ah, the day’s high hopes and expectations preceded my feet hitting the floor.

An early morning tradition at our home included scrumptious warm cinnamon rolls with lemon icing melted over the top. “Um- mm good!” I usually ate a handful of these because they were small and so was I, at the time.

First things in the morning included finding out who was coming and when they were expected to arrive, watching a little of the Thanksgiving Day parade on television and finding out when the football games were to begin.

Thanksgiving Day meal happened in the middle of the day, but a little later than normal to give the family extra time to arrive. Thanksgiving Day travel back then was more a matter of traveling across town than dealing with airports and homeland security.

An early afternoon meal meant I would have time to recover from all those cinnamon rolls. It also gave us time to adjust and turn the old antenna on the roof. HD television back then stood for “Hard-to-Determine” rather than “High-Definition,” so a clear picture of the game required the antenna to be pointed in just the right direction.

I never understood how the Bears and Cowboys were always among the teams duped into playing on Thanksgiving Day, but it explains how I became a Bears and Cowboys fan.

Once everyone arrived, we had a great meal topped off with pumpkin pie. After filling our stomachs, the sports enthusiasts of a certain gender and age would then fall asleep in a comfortable chair before the end of the game they had been so excited to watch.

There were afternoon board games and discussions about family, sports, church and state and maybe a look ahead to Christmas. Early evening was time for the best tasting leftovers in the history of the world and, before the sun went down, everyone was gone.

Traditions can change with time when children become parents and parents become grandparents. Skype, Face- Time and Facebook are not same as being there; but, even when families find themselves scattered across the globe, Thanksgiving has not lost its luster.

This is so because Thanksgiving is more than turkey and cinnamon, or parades and football. Somewhere in the love of family, one for the other, in familiar scents and sounds, in memories, in emotions is found the Spirit greater than our own.

We discover the Source of the food in the oven is the One who creates and sustains our high hopes and expectations. This is the Spirit of Thanksgiving and this is the Spirit of the Lord.

The Psalmist says “Know that the LORD is God. It is he that made us and we are his. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the LORD is good. His steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:3-5 NRSV)

Thank God, it’s Thanksgiving again in this great land blessed with abundance, hard fought freedom and opportunity. I just hope it is my turn to sleep in the comfortable chair.

Join us for Thanksgiving worship this Saturday @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m.

Reverend Andrews is a minister at the Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach), located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A. See more at www.comm unitych.org or on Facebook.

The first day of Chanukah begins at sundown the day before Thanksgiving this year.

While this is a rare event, please make sure the turkey you eat is not rare, as Thanksgiving tends to be one of the busiest times for Emergency Rooms all over the country.

If you ask people why this is true, they are likely to think it has to do with eating too much food, or that the food is too rich, or, perhaps, as I said earlier, that the bird was not cooked through well enough.

I have another theory, and you are not going to be too happy with me when I share it with you. You see, I believe that far too many people can no longer sit happily, peacefully and civilly with their families without getting their emotions in an uproar. And, there is a good chance that that is going to affect some other part of your body. Your stomach might go haywire. Or perhaps your blood pressure will go up and your heart will start feeling like it is beating a mile a minute.

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were reading the story of Jacob and Esau. They were brothers … twins. And yet, both were very different individuals. This is apparent from a very early age to their parents. Their momma takes a shine to one and their pappa to the other.

Over the course of time, after multiple times of conniving, tattling and blaming one another, these brothers part company filled with such anger and fear that one actually lets the other know that, if he ever sees him again, he will kill him. OUCH! Now there’s every parent’s dream isn’t it? Children who not only feel no love for one another, but who would actually kill their own brother!

Now, I have to admit, especially as the baby in the family, there were probably times way back in our youth when my brothers may have wanted to kill me, but, somehow, they always let those moments go. And, let me tell you something, they must have loved me very much, because there were things I did and times I got them in trouble when they could easily have hated me for the rest of our days.

In the Biblical story of Jacob, we find that Jacob and his brother go 20 years without talking to or seeing one another. Esau remembers Jacob as he was 20 years before. He fails to think for a moment that perhaps his brother has changed, grown and is not the same conniving kid brother.

As the day approaches for them to meet again, there is fear, anger and mistrust on both sides. But when they finally see each other, they don’t get into a fist fight, they don’t start bringing up why they hated each other so badly, no, they choose to hug one another; they embrace.

For those of you who have issues with your loved ones, make this Thanksgiving a time to truly be thankful. Make this Chanukah a time of miracles. Embrace one another, break bread together and light up your homes with peace and love.

Wishing you a very Happy Chanukah and a most festive Thanksgiving.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. We welcome you to join our warm and caring family for Shabbat and festival services. We’ll make your heart glow…who knows, you might even fall in love with Shul all over again.

The holiday season is officially here! Thanksgiving is two weeks away, and it is the time when we are to reflect on all the things we are most thankful for. It is a time of friends and family getting together (eating, of course) and giving thanks. I believe that the Bible and history can speak for themselves on this subject. I want to share with you a quote. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, “We often forget the Source from which the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies come… No human wisdom hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God … I, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States … to observe the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” The Bible has a lot to say about giving thanks and being thankful. What better source for us to turn to today. Let me share just a few scriptures on being thankful.

PSALMS 136:26

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.

NLT

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

16 Always be joyful.

17 Never stop praying.

18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

NLT

Thankfulness is an attitude. It is a condition of the heart. When we are truly grateful that should allow us to be happy, not just once a year at Thanksgiving, but all year long. If we are going to have an attitude of being thankful, then it must be something that we do all year long, not just one or two days out of the year. When we can do that, it will show in a joy that is very evident to ourselves and to others as well.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again Rejoice! We all have things that go wrong in our lives every day. If we learn to focus on the things we are thankful for, and not all the negative things in our lives, then we can begin to learn to be truly happy and content. This is something that should actually show in our outward actions and attitudes. God has blessed us and given us so many things to be thankful for that we should be full of joy and peace every day. Remember the things that God has saved you from and do not live in the past. Our everyday lives should show that we are thankful and grateful for all God has done for us. As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, remember the original spirit of the oldest of all American holidays — gratefulness to God. In the middle of all the hustle and bustle, take time to give thanks and praise to God for all the wonderful things in your life. Be happy!

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

I have a love of reading that was passed down to me from my parents. I can still remember going to the local public library with my momma and I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I was when I got my very own library card. I still love to go to the library and check out the latest books that have come in. I always carry my card with me … as Sergeant Friday would say, “I never leave home without it.”

There is one problem though … okay, actually, two problems. The first is that my vision is not so wonderful, especially if the print is small, and the other is that I have always had a learning disability, although I have learned to compensate well and it has not stopped my love of reading.

On the other hand, because of the learning disability, it is hard for me to line up numbers in a column, and, sometimes I invert numbers, and, sometimes when I read, I do the same with letters.

So when I looked on the schedule to see when I was due to write this column, I looked at the date, 11/7 and I read it as 7/11. That’s right, I read it backwards. Oddly enough, that led me right into today’s column, as I am writing to you about a time, a particular day … actually, a night when nothing was as it should be, a night when everything was turned, not just backwards, but upside down.

While it might seem like ancient history, the night I am talking about happened just 75 short years ago and has come to be known as Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass.

On Nov. 9, 1938, the Nazi hoards carried out a (you should pardon the expression) mass of pogroms, aiming their vicious hate at the Jews of Germany. And if you think the Zombie films that are all the rage are frightening, try to picture the horror that occurred in the span of just a few hours time as thousands of Synagogues and Jewish businesses and homes were damaged or destroyed and more than 30,000 Jews were sent to Concentration camps. This anti-Semitic horror became known as the Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht) because the glass from the smashed windows of Jewishowned structures literally covered the streets.

What a horror, and where, one must ask, were those who were supposed to protect the citizens of Germany (regardless of their religious convictions)?

Sadly, either they were helping kick, torture and torch anyone and everything Jewish, or, they simply looked the other way … or, they were nowhere to be seen.

Of course, most of you know what ensued after that. You know of the 6 million and you know that, to this day, there are those who try to deny that much, if any, of this actually happened.

This was a world turned so upside down that the military, who were organized to defend, became the very ones who put so many innocents to death.

Thank G-d, in the same week we remember Kristallnacht, we have a day where we honor those who have served in the uniforms of the various branches of the United States military with Veteran’s Day.

Don’t let their age fool you, they know what it is to put their lives on the line to serve and protect and keep the glass from breaking. They stand at attention and help keep us all standing straight and tall … G-d Bless them one and all!

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. We welcome you to join our warm and caring family for Shabbat and festival services. We’ll make your heart glow…who knows, you might even fall in love with Shul all over again

Holiday decorations seem to make an earlier appearance in store aisles and living room windows every year. Even though we’re still just shy of November, you don’t have to look far t o find Christmas trees or tinsel.

While the holidays bring happiness and celebration, they can also be an especially difficult time for those who are hurting or lonely. The reflective nature of the season has a way of magnifying life’s problems.

When holiday blues strike, they can make you want to pull away from the bustle and keep to yourself. Resist that urge. The people around you are there for a reason. Not only can they encourage you when you are feeling low, but the way they see you handling the difficulties in your life can help them in turn. Here are 3 ways to reclaim joy and share your underlying strength this holiday season:

Borrow from others – If you start feeling depleted, be quick to lean on the faith of those around you. Try thinking of your faith like a gas tank. Sometimes, your tank runs low. But, at just the right moment, God brings other people around you who have full tanks. You can borrow from their reserve to make it through. If you surround yourself with a network of strong, faithful friends and family, they will be there to step in with the help you need.

Part of the reason God created the church was to give you a circle of likeminded people, willing to come alongside you when you need support. Let me encourage you: If you aren’t part of a local, Biblically-based church-find one. You need a community of people who will rejoice with you in good times and comfort you in difficult times; people who can lend you their faith and strength when you need it most.

Be a willing witness – There’s power in being vulnerable enough to let your difficulties be seen by others. How you handle hardships can be an incredible witness to other people. Everyone you know is going to face failures, doubts, relationship problems, health issues and other circumstances that have the potential to shake them to their core.

When you show strength in the face of the same types of situations, they will notice … and they will want to know how you do it. They’ll become curious about your faith. When they ask where your strength comes from, be ready to answer:

In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect… (1 Peter 3:15)

Part of the good that will come out of your hardest times will be your ability to relate to and help other people who are dealing with similar situations.

Turn Pain into Purpose – God works all things together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28), all things – even the layoffs, the rebellious kids, the break-ups and the foreclosures. He is constantly weaving every circumstance you face into a beautiful tapestry. Every pain serves a greater purpose; every failure leads to a greater future.Choose to walk through your painful times in a state of awareness and God will show you what he wants to do through them.

Enjoy the season ahead! I pray that it will be a time of joy and celebration with the loved ones in your life.

Nelson Searcy is lead pastor of The Journey Church in Boca Raton. The 2.5 -year-old church meets at Boca Raton Community High School (I-95 and Glades Rd) each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.. www.BocaJourney.com.

Nelson is the author of 11 books and served for 10 years as a pastor in New York City before moving to South Florida.

Each person who visits The Journey Church in November receives a free copy of his latest book Unshakable: Standing Strong When Things Go Wrong, –on which this article is based..

I grew up in a fairly strict Christian home so I should have developed enough discipline to successfully navigate my first year away at college. What I developed, however, was an appetite to enjoy my freedom.

I will not bore you with details except to say, go figure, my first year at college did not work out so well. I was fortunate to be able to start over and eventually earn more degrees than I know what to do with, but not before learning important life lessons.

I had academic interests when I was young, but study came a whole lot more natural when inspired by the importance I attributed to the subject and with answers to questions that matter.

Do you know where I am going with this? I bet you do.

I obviously do not speak for all Christians or all Christian churches, but it is not a stretch to make the claim that the Holy Bible, which is the Holy Word of God, is the most important book in the world. Believing this is why I went to seminary.

One reason (some might prefer the word excuse) given for not reading, let alone studying, the Bible is the mistaken thought that the Bible does not apply to contemporary 21st Century issues, personal or otherwise. Nothing could be further from the truth?

We recently launched a project to connect the Bible with current issues by utilizing an electronic resource called The Wired Word. Google it if you are so inclined.

Each week, a new topic is sent via email to people who sign up to receive The Wired Word. There is no cost. The email contains the story line, secular news coverage, video links and questions in relation to the story, and then concludes with relevant passages from the Bible.

A sample of topics and questions we have addressed in recent weeks include the stigma of mental illness, civil rights legislation, the murder trial of George Zimmerman, a silent American church while Christians are persecuted, and, in some cases, executed in distant lands, tremendous personal achievements and tremendous personal challenges.

What does the Bible say?

If you have an appetite to enjoy your freedom, to study the most important book in the world with answers to questions that matter, then send your name and email address to communitych1920@gmail.com and we will send you The Wired Word each week.

So give it a try. If you sign up to receive The Wired Word and for whatever reason change your mind, then you can stop receiving it at any time.

Enjoy Bible study on a hot topic in the privacy of your home. And, anytime a topic peaks your interest or hits a nerve, then you are always welcome to come for a safe discussion on that topic at our casual gathering each Saturday at 6 p.m. at the church.

We will even provide the coffee, food, music and prayer.

Jesus said, “Blessed are all who hear the word of God ‘and’ put it into practice.” Luke 11:28

Dr. Dennis Andrews

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A.

See more at www.communitych. org or on Facebook.

Did you know that Chanukah and Thanksgiving will do something this year that they will never do again in our lifetimes? They will take place at the same time.

Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach had a great attendance during Yom Kippur. People came from far and near to pray and to fast, and, as the day went on, they felt the pangs of hunger, not just in their bellies, but in their very souls. People looked at their watches waiting for the time they would be able to eat again. And, at one point, I made a joke about food and, after the laughter died down, I pointed out that hunger is no joke … that, while we know when we will be able to fill our tummies, there are those who do not know where or when they will get their next meal.

The president of the Temple, Richard Rosenzweig, happens to be a City Commissioner. He has a great awareness of the huge number of hungry in our community. While we were discussing what we should serve this year when Chanukah and Thanksgiving merge together creating Thanksgivikah, I felt great nachus (pride) when Commissioner Rozenzweig and others voiced that we should use Thanksgivikah not to feed ourselves, but rather to feed those who are hungry.

Many of us recite a Bracha, (a Blessing) before we eat and some may say the Grace after meals, but how many of us really realize how very blessed we are just to have something to eat.

Temple Beth Israel has a number of Holocaust Survivors; they know what a miracle a small piece of bread can be. It can literally mean the difference between life and death. And so it is that the Temple came up with the idea of collecting non-perishable food items for those living right here in Broward County, in Deerfield Beach, who do not know where or when their next meal will come.

You all have a choice to make as Thanksgiving comes along; you can choose to simply use the holiday as a day to fill your own tummy, or you can choose to use it as an impetus to help make sure that others have food to eat, not just on Thanksgiving, but all year round.

Many who hear about Chanukah know that one of the stories told is about the miracle of the oil. How just a little oil that should have only lit up the Temple for one day kept it bright and shiny for several days. This is why it is traditional to eat something fried in oil on the festival … like Latkes or jelly doughnuts. In the Testament of Judah Asheri, we read, “Food is like oil to a lamp…;” this year, let us be the oil; we can each help bring about a miracle to others that we all too often take for granted … the miracle of food on one’s table. Let’s help make Chanukah a time of true Thanksgiving.

(Non-Perishable food items can be dropped off at Temple Beth Israel at 201 S. Military Trail in Deerfield Beach and feel free to include a written prayer in the bag giving thanks to G-d for the many blessings in your life. If there are any Temples, Churches, Mosques or organizations that would like to take part in this event, please contact the Temple Office to speak with Richard Rosenzweig. Seating is limited for this event, so please call The Temple at 954- 421-7060).

Shalom My Friends and a very happy Thanksgivikah,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. We welcome you to join our warm and caring family for Shabbat and holiday services. We’ll make your heart glow; who knows, you might just fall in love with Shul all over again.

It is absolutely incredible to see how much money, time, energy and effort we spend just to look good and feel good about ourselves.

We tend to spend a lot of time and money trying to take care of our physical bodies and get healthy or even to stay healthy. In the United States, we spend $20 billion a year in the weight loss industry alone. This includes diet books, diet drugs and weight loss surgeries. There are 108 million people on diets in the United States every year, and they average four to five diet attempts each year. Eight-five percent of the customers in the weight loss industry are female. Anyone who has lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for five years will spend one hour every day on exercise. In 2009, in the United States, 220,000 people with morbid obesity had bariatric surgery, which reduces the size of the stomach, with the cost averaging $11,500 to $26,000. It is amazing the things we go through just to look better and, of course, ultimately feel better. Do not get me wrong, please; I am very happy that U.S. consumers have become more health conscious in the way they eat and exercise.

1 TIMOTHY 4:7-8

7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.

8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

NLT

We may try to fix the outside but if we don’t fix the inside we will never truly be happy and full of joy.

The Bible tells us that physical exercise is good, but spiritual exercise is better. It is a good thing to take better care of our physical bodies and to get in shape and make better eating choices, but we also need to make sure that we are not neglecting our spiritual life in the process.

MATTHEW

16:25-26

25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

NLT

There are many ways to take care of your spiritual life. You need to read your Bible every day because this will help you understand who God is, and what He wants you to do with your life and what He wants to do for your life. You need to pray and talk to God every day as though He was your best friend. Talk to God about everything that is going on in your life, even though He already knows. He will enjoy talking with you. You need to go to church and have corporate worship with others; that way you can encourage someone when they need a friend, and someone can encourage you when you need it. Make sure you take care of your body, but, even more importantly, make sure you take care of your spiritual life. God Bless.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor of Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Sources: John LaRosa of MarketData; National Weight Control Registry; American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery; Jo Piazza, author of “Celebrity Inc.: How Famous People Make Money;” http:// abcnews.go.com/Health/ 100-million-dieters-20-billion- weight-loss-industry/ story?id=16297197

Syria is the focus today, not so much in the church as in the news.

One might think we have attention deficit disorder given we still have troops in harm’s way in Afghanistan. We’ve been out of Iraq for such a short time despite almost everyone’s interest (theirs and ours) in our departure. “Thank you, America. You can go home now!” Things have grown more violent in Iraq in our absence. Curious how that happens …

If there might be a moment of calm in the world, then maybe we’d refocus on the threat of North Korea, as they march toward a nuclear capacity already enjoyed (I use that word loosely) by Pakistan and Israel, to name a few.

If we were to have a lull in crises, we would surely shift our focus back to Iran’s nuclear development progressing in the shadows of Ahmadinejad’s promise to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Should we have a lull in crises, we might then focus on the conflicts of every continent, including our own.

No wonder the world barely noticed Sept. 21 was the International Day of Peace.

The United Nations and the world’s powers, including and especially our own nation, aim to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons for obvious reasons. There are fanatics who would love to kill a million people rather than a few thousand or a few hundred.

If you’ve been awake the last several weeks, you know it was the use of chemical weapons in Syria (chemical weapons sometimes referred to as “the poor man’s nuclear bomb”) which prompted the threat of military intervention by the U.S.A.

By conservative estimates, more than 100,000 people have been killed in the past two years in Syria, 2 million refugees have fled the country and, most notably, on Aug. 21 of this year, almost 1,500 men, women and children were killed with sarin gas. We may argue as to who is responsible, but no one can dispute the inhumane suffering of so many innocent people.

There are millions of peaceloving Syrians. Are they better off with the Assad regime, a Russian-supported secular government many believe is corrupt, or with rebel forces, many of whom have ties to Hezbollah and Al-Qaida? Do we even know? Do our political leaders really know?

What is unfortunate is we don’t seem to know and what is even more unfortunate is Syria is not the only mess in the world today.

Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world...”

Can we turn the other cheek to a jihadist who threatens to remove our head? Can we wage war against an enemy and love them at the same time?

Even the Prince of Peace points to the inevitability of war in this conflicted world when he says, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, though the end is not at hand. For nation will rise against nation …” (Matthew 24)

Jesus also teaches that much is expected of those to whom much is given. This is true of nations as well as people.

Thank God there are nations able to confront regimes that build concentration camps with gas chambers for these are regimes and chambers that must be torn down.

In these times when there are too many conflicts for even the world’s superpower to contain or even completely understand, then surely we will turn to the Lord.

Pray “the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire…” [Psalm 46]

God’s Kingdom is our focus today, not so much in the news, as in the church.

Dennis Andrews is the Pastor at Community Presbyterian Church, “Steeple on the Beach,” located five blocks south of Hillsboro Blvd. on A1A. Sunday Services are held at 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Many people come to Yiskor Memorial Services with a mixture of emotion. They may still be grieving. They may be sad or angry over their loss, and, yet, they also long to find ways to honor the memory of their loved ones. Yiskor gives people a chance to do that.

Honoring memory has been on my mind a lot lately; after all, we recited the Yiskor Service on Yom Kippur and will do so again on Sukkoth. So, I have been focused on ways to create holy memories.

I know that many people are always looking for a huge miracle in their lives. Many are so busy watching for a big miracle that they seem to miss all the little miracles that occur on a daily basis. For instance, take the pumping of the human heart. This miraculous organ loyally does its rhythmic beating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whether we are awake or asleep. Yet, how often do we take time to thank G-d for this miraculous organ?

Most of us don’t even give a thought to the beating of our heart until we experience severe palpitations; then, we take note. And how many of us take the time to thank G-d when those momentary palpitations stop and our heart goes back into normal sync?

What if the heart is not capable of going back into normal rhythm by itself? What then? Well, how many of us have thanked G-d for giving us the intellect and the ingenuity to create life-saving devices like a pacemaker or a defibrillator?

As you can see, I am focused on the heart so let me get to the heart of the matter pertaining to honoring our dearly departed.

In the past, anytime someone was going through the loss of a momma, a Yiddishe momma, one of the questions I would ask is if the momma had played Mahjong. The response was always accompanied by an immediate smile with a, “Yes, she did; she loved the game; in fact, I have her Mahjong set.”

And I would explain how it would honor their momma’s memory if, whenever they played the game, they used their momma’s set. And sure enough, each time they played using that set, they would remember the joy that that game gave to their momma, and they would realize how they were keeping that joy, her joy, alive.

But nowadays, when I ask about Mahjong, the response is usually, “Oh yes, momma played the game, but I don’t.” And, when I ask what they are going to do with momma’s Mahjong set, I am usually told that they plan to sell it on e-Bay.

And that’s when I try and get their heart in sync with honoring their momma’s memory. I suggest that, instead of selling the set, they take some of the tiles and have someone drill a hole in each one and put a chain through it making necklaces that can be given to every member of the family and to the friends who used to play Mahjong with their momma.

This gives something of sentimental value … something of heart that each of them can wear near their heart, and my prayer is that, each time they wear it, they should be filled with joyous memories.

And that is my wish for each of you, my dear readers. May you hold joyous memories of your dearly departed close to your heart.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains, He works professionally in this capacity with a number of healthcare facilities in the area, and with hospice.

Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. We welcome you to join our warm and caring family for Shabbat and festival services. We’ll make your heart glow…who knows, you might even fall in love with Shul all over again.