Do you realize how blessed we are to live in this great country where we can hear the thunderous sounds of fireworks and firecrackers and not worry that those loud bangs and booms are the sounds of bombs set off by terrorists?

As I watched the display, I thought about what it must have been for the likes of my Bubbe and Zaide (for my grandmother and grandfather) to have crossed the ocean, being fortunate enough to be able to get out of their native country and land on these hallowed shores, making America their home and having faith that their progeny would experience a freedom in America that they could never know from whence they came.

Yes, I am gung ho about America and I am gung ho about freedom, but please notice that the word is ‘freedom’ … not “free-dumb.” With freedom comes great responsibility. So, as we celebrate the 4th, I hope you will take some time to contemplate your responsibilities to G-d, to the world, to America, to your fellow human beings and to the environment.

In the Torah, we are told that we are to be “A light unto the nations.” As I looked at the dazzling display of fireworks in the sky, I remembered those holy words and I thought about how we kindle lights each Shabbat.

The next time you light those lights, take time to look at the flames on the candles. Have you ever noticed which way the flames go? They go up into the air, up toward the sky.

Let this be a reminder that if we wish to be a light unto the nations, then we have to remove some of the darkness that others are experiencing. And, if you are wondering how we remove darkness, look at the flames of those candles again. Let the fact that the flames reach up toward the sky remind us that we should always strive to lift others up, to lighten them up.

To lighten up has many meanings in our modern world. Someone who wishes to lose weight might lighten up on the number of calories they consume or lighten up on their carb intake. Someone who is taking things too seriously might need to lighten up.

I saw a patient the other day. He was obviously having trouble seeing the light in the midst of the darkness he was experiencing, and the physician treating him asked me if I could stop in and try to lift his spirits. As I walked into the room, his facial expression said it all, and his body language made his mood even more obvious.

Thinking out of the box, I told him about my recent visit for my annual physical, where after finishing examining me, the doctor said, “Rabbi, you are as strong as an ox.” That sounded great to me, but, then, he continued, “The only thing is that the ox is very old, eats too much and is in failing health.”

And, at that moment, the patient I was trying to comfort put a grin on his face and said, “Rabbi, I guess the ‘Yokes’ on you!”

The joke may have been lame, but as I left the room, that patient was still smiling. Life is truly a miracle. On the one hand, words can put someone into bad humor; on the other hand, sometimes even bad humor can lift a person’s spirits.

G-d Bless America!

P.S. – Don’t worry; I actually got a great report from my doctor.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. High Holy Days tickets are now on sale in the Temple office off of Hillsboro and Military. Regular Shabbat services are open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee and government contractor, is at the center of a political firestorm that has much of America talking about loyalty.

The story line is that Snowden allegedly leaked classified information concerning our National Security Agency’s authorized gathering of the electronic communications of millions of Americans.

Some people say Snowden, who fled the country, is a traitor for giving away secrets that threaten national security. Others believe he is a patriot whistleblower for revealing the extent of Big Brother’s overreach to gather the private communications of U.S. Citizens.

Regardless how you feel about Snowden, the controversy illustrates the importance and the challenge we sometimes face in deciding loyalty.

Loyalty decisions are more a matter of conscience than law, more a matter of internal debate than national debate, more a matter of private personal integrity than national political scandal.

If the question is “Should I be loyal to God, to my country, to my spouse, to my employer, to my friends,” the answer should be easy. “Yes!” If the question is “Should I be loyal to a gang, to an immoral creed to which I foolishly agreed, or to self interest at the expense of community good,” then the answer is easy once again — “No.”

This will sound too wishywashy to fit comfortably even in my world view, but questions of loyalty are often not so easy to answer unless they are rooted and grounded in faith and even then we may be left wondering …

Loyalty has always been a magnetic field made up of many magnets. We have many allegiances. Our beliefs and our sentiments are not always on the same page. God knows how fickle we can be and how often we make mistakes.

Is it controversial to say “We are a nation and a people of divided loyalties?” I think not.

Is it right to say “We require God’s help deciding our loyalties?” I think so.

After King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, after he made mistake after mistake trying to conceal what he had done, David was confronted by Nathan the prophet.

And David prayed, “Have mercy on me God because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” (Psalm 51)

David’s predicament must surely have seemed a national political scandal, but it was ultimately a matter of private personal integrity, albeit in his case, one with dramatic and long-lasting public implications.

David was a great leader who proved himself human.

The Apostle Paul may have been thinking about David when, centuries later, Paul counseled young Timothy. “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love and peace. Enjoythecompanionshipofthose who call on the Lord with clean hearts.” (2 Timothy)

If you happen to be among the masses thinking about loyalty these days, then answer the question as it pertains not to Edward Snowden but to you. “To what or to whom will you be loyal?”

Most of us do not work for the CIA or the NSA. We do not have access to national security secrets, but we do make loyalty decisions every day and, in so doing, we are well-advised to remember the words of Jesus. “No one can serve two masters.”

(Luke 16)

Make God your moral compass. Pray for a clean heart and a loyal spirit…

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

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. See more @ www.communitych.org or on Facebook.

It might seem way too early for me to be writing about the High Holy Days, but this year they are going to come much sooner than you might expect. In fact, the Eve of the Jewish New Year falls on Sept. 4.

Well, that’s still a few months away, so why am I focusing on it now? It started the other day when I had the delight of going out to a local dining establishment with some good friends of mine and the waitress asked me how I would like my tuna prepared.

But in the midst of asking me the question, she got a little tongue-tied and she wound up asking me, “How would you like your tuna pre-prayered.” I laughed it off at the time, but, the very next day, I had to make a business call and, after finding out that they had what I wanted to purchase, they asked me if I would like the item sent C.O.D. or if I would like to “pre-pray.”

Now, I might be a little slow even though I tend to look for signs from up above, but give me the same thing twice in one day and I start to pay attention.

And that got me focused on the upcoming Yomim Noraim, the High Holy Days, because we at Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach (and pretty much every other Temple you can think of) have already started not only preparing for the Holy Days, we have also started pre-praying for them.

This is a most appropriate thing to do. You can probably figure out many of the things that a Temple has to do to prepare for these Days of Awe, but you might be wondering what an individual should be doing to prepare?

Let’s look at the word “prepare” for a moment. If you look in the Thesaurus, you will find some very interesting synonyms for the word. For instance — “To get or to make ready,” “to lay the groundwork,” “to anticipate,” “to make provisions for—” these are all things we need to do in preparation.

But the synonym that really hit me was the one that says, “To get one’s house in order.”

To me, that summed up the Holy Days in just six short words: “To get one’s house in order.”

Don’t wait until the New Year begins. Prepare and be Pre-Prayered!

In Judaism, prayer is a time of self-reflection. It is a time to stop looking at what others are doing wrong and take a good hard look at your own life and how you live it. Take time to reflect on your behaviors. How do you treat your family … your neighbors? Do you feed the hungry and clothe the naked? Have you taken the time to forgive others and to ask forgiveness of them? After all, in the midst of the Days of Awe, each of us will be asking for G-d to forgive us and help give us the strength to change … to turn our lives around.

Now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to pre-pray. Now is the time to reflect and to put the changes we know we should make into effect. Don’t wait until Rosh Hashana. Show G-d that you are serious about change in the coming year. Do it now and may G-d bless all of us with a year of joy and peace.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. High Holy Days tickets are now on sale in the Temple office off of Hillsboro and Military. Regular Shabbat services are open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

It is upon us whether we like it or not. That’s right, summer is here! Summer brings so many thoughts and ideas it can actually be overwhelming if we are not careful.

To me, summer is laid back, easy going, children home from school and vacation time all rolled into one fun time.

It is always good to rest and relax. We must learn how to rest our minds as well as our bodies. Vacation is a wonderful thing, and I am looking forward to our summer vacation this year. I really have learned to enjoy my time off and just have a good time.

Your whole life is not supposed to be one big party, but I have always believed in’ work hard and play hard.’ I have found that it does wonders for you physically, mentally and emotionally. So, with all the signs pointing to summer and relaxation, I did something that may seem a little crazy.

I made a decision for my life that I want to share with you. Like so many others today, I have decided to go back to school. I received my B.A. in Pastoral Ministry from South Florida Bible College & Theological Seminary, which is right here in Deerfield Beach. I am going to pursue a Master of Divinity degree. So I called my old school and began the process of reenrolling in college.

I believe that we all need to have the attitude that there is always something to learn. After that, I began to think, am I the teacher or the student? I teach and preach to people every week in church and I love it. However, if I could learn more, I could improve myself and also be better equipped to do what I love – help people. Knowledge is good and we all need to makesure we are continually learning with every opportunity we get, but it’s the wisdom that we need to go along with the knowledge. We can know the information, but God wants to help us with the application and give us His wisdom.

Titus 2:12

12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. NLT

James 1:5

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. NLT

With God’s wisdom and understanding, it becomes easier for us to do what He wants in our lives. I did not say it was easy to always do the right thing and make the right decisions, but, with God, it sure is easier.

So does that make me the teacher or the student? I believe I need to be both teacher and student. We should always be learning to improve ourselves and our knowledge, but we should always be teaching and helping others.

Be a constant student always learning and growing, but make sure you are passing your knowledge and wisdom to others as well.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Our children and grandchildren, who have probably been a little more rambunctious than usual, are busting out of school and into summer vacation.

Let me take a moment to applaud all teachers as you have dedicated yourselves to an amazingly holy task. I hope and pray that you enjoy your summer vacations, as I can’t think of anyone who deserves such a break more than you.

I hope that even though the kids are out of school that they will not miss out on some important birthdays that occur in the merry month of June.

For instance, for those of you who grew up on Sesame Street, Oscar the Grouch will be celebrating his birthday this month.

June is also the month in which that most famous of fable writers, Aesop, was born. And I have no doubt that summer will be all it’s “quacked” up to be because it was back in June of 1934 that Donald Duck was born. And, June should be a super month because Superman also celebrates his birthday at this time.

While I hope that the kids remembered not to sit in class texting on their cell phones, June happens to have a celebration known as “E-Mail Week.” But, I hope that we will all keep in mind that June is also National Drive Safe Month. Please, remember, don’t text and drive.

Father’s Day is in June, and, if you happen to be alive, then you have a father to thank out there. Of course, June also happens to be National Bubba Day. While the day is really meant to be a day to celebrate those who are named Bubba (like Forrest Gump’s best Friend), for those of us who know a bisseleh Yiddish, Bubba’s Day has a very different meaning. You see, a Bubba is a grandmother, and I hope you get to spend lots of quality time with your Bubba this summer.

As many of you know, becoming a grandparent gives us a great chance to spoil our little angels and June is a perfect time to show them how sweet life can be as we celebrate National Chocolate Ice Cream Day. Yummy, Yummy!

There is another reason that the month of June is big with members of The Tribe because we also celebrate Adopt a Katz Day … and I have no doubt that Mr. and Mrs. Katz would love for you to adopt them as a part of your family. Okay, it’s not really Katz Day … it’s Cat’s Day and I, for one, think that that’s just “purr-fect.”

There is one more day I would like to bring to your attention. June happens to have National Columnist Day. I am not mentioning this to toot my own horn; I just wanted to thank all of the teachers I have been blessed with because, without them, I would not be able to write a single word, let alone a regular newspaper column.

So, to the children who are reading this column and to those of you who are having it read to you, I have an assignment for you … that’s right, homework. Check and see if you can find the dates in June for each of the special days I mentioned in this article. I know you can do it, and if you can, thank a Teacher!

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. If you like his column in the Observer and would like to hear him speak, guests and visitors are welcome to attend Saturday morning services at 10a.m. (The Temple is on Military Trail just South of Hillsboro Blvd.)

As Floridians, you and I are well aware of the damage that can be caused by a powerful storm. With hurricane season approaching our own shores, we’ve watched with empathy as the people of Oklahoma have faced the destruction and aftermath of last week’s tornados. Unfortunately, devastating storms are an unavoidable part of life in certain areas of the country. As long as we live in their path, we run the risk of coming face-to-face with the havoc they wreak.

Still, while natural storms like hurricanes and tornados aren’t easy to weather, they often pale in comparison to the other types of storms we face throughout our lives – the difficult situations and unexpected circumstances that whip in and leave us shattered.

Marriage problems, illnesses, financial crises and the death of loved ones are just a few of the storms we’ll all have to deal with at some point. Communities can be rebuilt and buildings restored, but these personal storms have the potential to damage us in unseen, irreparable ways.

As a pastor, I’ve had the opportunity to work with thousands of people facing the hurt, loss and confusion that are often the result of life’s storms. When listening to what they’re going through, and when facing difficulties in my own life, I’m always reminded of a principle I learned while riding out a literal hurricane years ago: You and I can survive the storms of life if we have the right foundation. Storms will come, but we can be unshakable in their midst.

When the storms of life hit, the first and most important thing you can do is make sure you are building your life on a solid foundation. Whether you realize it or not, you are building your life on some sort of foundation – one that reflects whatever it is you have faith in. And you do have faith in something. We all do; we all have a set of beliefs through which we filter the world. Over time, those beliefs become our bedrock.

What do you have faith in? Yourself? Your spouse? Your business partners? A religious tradition? Karma? The universe? If your faith is built on the right foundation, you’ll be able to stand strong through life’s most intense disasters. But if you put your faith in the wrong place, you will struggle when difficult circumstances come and, all too often, collapse completely when the strongest storms start raging.

The only foundation capable of withstanding life’s storms is a foundation of faith in God and his son, Jesus Christ. In the scriptures, Jesus himself says: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me, (John 14:5-7). Later, he asks his disciples: Who do you say that I am (Mark 8: 29). Eventually, we all have to answer the same question; we all have to make a decision about who we believe Jesus is. Who do you say he is?

When you make faith in Jesus your foundation, God will give you what you need to face everything this life throws your way. When things go wrong, you won’t be anxious; you’ll let yourself rely on God’s strength.

You’ll have the confidence to move forward, knowing that he is protecting you and that he has a plan for your future. From this solid foundation of faith, you’ll be able to weather every storm, making it to the other side of each one stronger for having taken the journey.

Nelson Searcy is the lead pastor of The Journey Church in Boca Raton.

You’re invited to attend The Journey this Sunday, June 2 for the kick-off of the new GOD ON FILM teaching series — where you will discover the meaning behind the biggest summer blockbuster movies. Every firsttime guest will receive a FREE Cinemark movie ticket.

The Journey meets Sundays at 10:30 a.m. at Boca Raton Community High School (Glades Rd. and I-95, exit 45, beside Whole Foods).

Learn more at: www.Boca Journey.com

Do you need a prescription for a wisdom-filled today? Do you sometimes make unwise decisions even about simple things? Perhaps you are at a major crossroads in your life and you want to be sure to get it right. Welcome to the human condition! The Good News is the pharmacy is open this weekend at Steeple on the Beach.

The bad news is there is no drive-up window, no quick fix and no pill for you to take that will make you wise, but I do pray you realize there are more than a few biblical principles to bring you wisdom’s way …

This is a time of year for graduations and welldeserved celebrations. It is a great time for the graduates, and for the rest of us, to reflect and respond to our pressing need for wisdom, how we might best achieve it, how we might best hold onto it should God grant that we receive it.

We have to embrace the need.

The human condition is short-lived and, however much we learn, there is always so much more.

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

We have to want it and work for it.

Wisdom does not come easy. Seeing the need and wishing for it is not enough. Thank God for the graduate who walks through commencement exercises still thirsting for wisdom.

“Seek wisdom like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure.” (Proverbs 2:4) “Prize her highly and she will exalt you; she will honor you for your embrace.” (Proverbs 4:8)

We have to pray for it.

Wisdom is a supernatural gift from God. It is not something we achieve on our own.

Dennis Andrews Ed. D. 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.

The Ten Commandments are referred to by many Sages as The Ten Utterances. The Ten Commandments were carved in stone, but, before they were written, The Children of Israel stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and heard those utterances. Some say we heard the words as though they all came at once. Others say that we each heard the utterances one word at a time, and still others say that each of us heard the utterances in our own way, to the best of our understanding. I adhere to this particular theory. I believe we hear most everything through a filter; not just the filter of our ears, but through the filter of our knowledge, our experience and our culture.

Perhaps that is why, each time we re-hear a chapter in the Torah chanted, we can glean something new out of it. The Torah hasn’t changed at all. It has the same words it has always had. But, hopefully, we have changed. We have grown, and, with that growth, we hear the words in a whole new and exciting way.

Words of Torah are, indeed, words we should listen to. But there are other words … mean words, nasty words, gossip that we should try to avoid letting into our ears.

In ancient days, it was suggested that we have a flap on our ears for just that reason. Of course, it has also been said that G-d gave us long fingers so that we could stick them in our ears for the very same reason. And, that G-d gave us feet so that we could walk away from evil speech. Wow, three ways to avoid having to listen to something sinful.

Austin O’Malley said, “We should thank G-d that He did not give us the power of hearing through walls, or we would have no friends.”

And there is even an expression that sums up the Ten Utterances well … you will all recognize the words, “Hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil.”

The ancients asked the question, “Why did G-d give us two ears but only one mouth,”and the answer was that so we should listen at least twice as much as we speak.

But poet Ralph Waldo Emerson reminds us that “The hearing ear is always found close to the speaking tongue.” Of course, we know that if we listen to Loshen Hora there is a good chance that we are going to repeat it; after all, as human beings, we seem to get some great joy in being able to say something bad about someone, as long as that someone is not us.”

But, when we listen to The Ten Utterances, we are supposed to hear with more than just our ears … we are also supposed to listen with our eyes, our nose, our hands and, yes, our heart and our soul. This caused Groucho Marx to state, “One of the best hearing aides a man can have is an attentive wife.” I like that expression, especially as many have likened the event at Sinai to a marriage between G-d and The Children of Israel. If you are married, you had better take time to listen to your spouse when they need to talk. But, it is also true that if you really love someone, you have the ability to hear their unspoken needs. You can read the person you love like we read the Torah. You can hear the changes in inflection. You notice the little nuances. You listen, really listen, with every fiber of your being.

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. He is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach.

Are you ready for Mother’s Day? It’s almost here; don’t drag your feet. I know it’s a few days early, but I wanted the opportunity to give the ladies the honor they deserve.

For you history buffs, let me fill you in on some of the Mother’s Day details. Mother’s Day in the U.S.A. started long ago when Anna Jarvis organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her Appalachian community. She called it “Mother’s Work Day.”

When she died in 1905, her daughter began a campaign to memorialize her mom. In 1914, Anna, the daughter named after her mother, saw her hard work pay off when President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday. Today, the second Sunday of May has become the most “dined out” day of the year and telephone companies record their highest volume of calls. The flower and candy businesses are not bad either. Oh, let us not forget about “the card.”

2 TIMOTHY 1:5

5 “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”

NIV

You are important and you will leave a mark on this earth. It’s up to you as to what you leave behind and pass on. All throughout the Bible, women have played an incredible role in the plan of God. We see women being used by God in amazing ways, helping to fulfill His divine plan. Women have always played a key role in God’s plan, and I want to make sure that we never lose sight of how important they are to all of us. Take the time to thank the women in your life who have helped shape you into the person you are today.

PROVERBS 31:10

10 “A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman — who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.”

AMP

What’s the most important Mother’s Day ever? This one! Oh, I am sure you can recount some very special Mother’s Days — but the one you observe this year should be the best ever. Also, make sure your kids do the right thing. Honor the special ladies in your lives by recognizing the valuable contribution they make at church, as well as at home. It’s not easy being a wife, mother, churchwoman, bread-winner, homemaker, taxi driver—you name it! Let her know how you feel.

If I can speak to moms in particular and women in general on behalf of the husbands, fathers, brothers and sons today, I would like to say this.

The music of your life is beautiful. You are a beautiful flower with delicate petals and a wonderful fragrance. We envy the relationship that you have with our children and grandchildren. God created you beautiful in the depth of your being, and it is that beauty that draws us to you. We praise God for you and thank God for you, even though we don’t tell you nearly as much as we should.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

I miss my momma. I was blessed with a true Yiddishe momma. She kept the house so clean you could eat off the floor. Today, I am going to let you in on a little secret; I was not the easiest child to rear and, to this day, I have times when I wish I could cling to my momma’s apron strings again.

Since Momma was a Balabusta, she wasn’t just the Queen of Clean. She was the Queen of the Sabbath Day. She was an Eshet Chayil, a woman of valor, and she was Queen of the Kitchen. And, no matter how long I live, I will never understand how she put up with me.

But as difficult as I was to raise, before my mother of blessed memory passed away, she let me know how proud she was of my brothers and of me. She let me know how much she loved us and that we should always remember to be at peace with one another.

Shalom Bayit, peace in the house … One of the most peaceful moments in my memory banks from the days of my childhood had to do with the eve of the Holy Sabbath day when my mom would put a kerchief on her head and stand in front of the Shabbat candles. She would strike a match and kindle the candles, and she would close her eyes, saying a prayer as she gently waved her hands over the flames of those holy lights.

Those lights were meant to increase the Shalom Bayit. And, at that special moment, I felt the glow and the warmth of the candles and the love of my momma for everyone in the house.

But how does one fulfill this beautiful mitzvah when they have a child who is much more difficult than even I might have been; for instance, what does a momma do when she has a child who is autistic?

If one of the reasons we kindle the Shabbat candles is to usher light and peace into the house, then, lighting them around a child with autism just might be problematic. The truth of the matter is that an autistic child will probably be more prone to blow the candles out. After all, isn’t that what we do when we have a birthday and light the candles?

Sometimes, out of love for that child, and for the safety and peace of the house, the tradition needs to be changed just a tad. And that concept brought Frances Victory to do a study on this very subject for her dissertation and as she wrote “One mother of a child with autism said: ‘We do light Shabbat candles and she (her daughter) takes great pleasure in blowing them out. We do let her do that. She walks away when we light the candles but she comes back down when we sing Shalom Alecheim (Peace Be Unto You).”

I know there are those who will see such an act as sinful, but, blowing out the dangerous flame still allows the mother to recite the appropriate blessings and keep her child safe to enjoy the peace of Shabbat.

As one of the mothers interviewed so lovingly said, “Some people make their kid fit to their world. We fit into our daughter’s world.” Now, that’s what I call a momma!

Wishing you all the most beautiful and joyous of Mother’s Days.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. He is a Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains and serves in this capacity as part of the Pastoral Care Department in several healthcare settings throughout North Broward County.