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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

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

Why do we love? Do we love because of what we can get out of a relationship or because of what we can give into a relationship? God, our Father, has given us good examples of what a loving father is to be like. We have a Father in Heaven who loves us unconditionally and gives us wonderful gifts. We have a Father who cares for our pains, trials and triumphs. God tells us not to worry and takes care of our needs. God longs to hear from you, His child. Don’t miss your chance to do the very same thing for your Father in Heaven, who loved you so much He sent his Son to die for you.

MATTHEW 7:11

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

KJV

I don’t know about you, but Father’s Day really conjures up a lot of conflicting emotions for me. I am blessed to be the father of two wonderful children. I am also equally blessed for having a good father in my life. I was not the best kid and I was not the worst kid either. While others judged and even pronounced me a failure, “My Dad” just kept on loving me. I attempted to run from that love, but like the “hound of heaven,” he would not let me get away. His influence in my life cannot be overstated. “My Dad” – he really loved me. And, by the way, I turned out okay (crazy, but okay)! I really don’t know if we can love our kids too much. But, I do know that love needs to be expressed and valued. Your children – regardless of their lot in life or their adherence to your desires – need to know your love for them is constant and secure. You can love them and not support the lifestyle they have.

PSALM 103:13

“The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.”

NLT

So, if you are a father, turn the tables on your kids on Father’s Day. When they tell you how special you are, make sure they know how you feel about them. You might even say, “Son/daughter, I love you!” There is no doubt in my mind that my dad knows how much I love him. It is also nice to say why sometimes.

Some of you may not have a pleasant memory of your father or you might not have any memories at all. This may be the time to start down the road to forgiveness and/or reconciliation, or it may be a chance to thank others in your life who have offered you fatherly wisdom and tell them why you appreciate them.

I can’t help but feel slightly conflicted, for when have I shared this kind of a moment with my Heavenly Father? Maybe your prayers often reflect more of what you want and less of how wonderful the Lord is, or more of what you need and less of how thankful you are for what you have.

Father’s Day is not that far away, so begin to plan now. Plan to tell your father why you love him and appreciate him. Also, if you have children, make sure you tell them that you love them and why.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor for Christian Love Fellowship Church.

I just read a story about a wedding guest … a member of the bride’s family, who refused to let go of the groom (during a dance) and when the bride tried to cut in, she got so violent that she had to be escorted off the premises.

I am tired of the negative stories. I want to focus on the positive ones, which brings me to a recent wedding, which included items of members of the family from generations past — a great grandmother’s ring, a chupa (wedding canopy) made by a grandfather, a wine goblet from the groom’s Bar Mitzvah and another from the bride’s Bat Mitzvah, and an embroidered handkerchief from the bride’s momma of blessed memory.

After the traditional breaking of the glass, the bride and groom went to a private room for a short time and, then, the music started. The bride and groom entered for their first dance together as husband and wife. Then came the ever-popular father/daughter dance. I looked at the father’s eyes and I could just imagine him picturing her as a baby, as a toddler, as a young girl and, now, here she was all grown up and ready to start a family of her own.

They held each other and started to sway to the music and then I heard the father tell his daughter that he still remembered how they used to dance and how much it meant to him and right then and there, the bride took off her shoes and did what she used to do as a child … she put her right foot on her daddy’s left foot and she put her left foot on her daddy’s right foot and as he moved, he lifted her right along with him.

Of course, I overheard him say it was not quite as easy as it was so many years before, but there was no mistaking

that a memory was not only being relived, but a new memory was being created, something to pass down from generation to generation. It was, indeed a beautiful moment … a moment to cherish for all time.

Now let me tell you about the other touching moment … one that came during a very different right of passage … a funeral. During a recent eulogy, I talked about the deceased’s talent with a pair of knitting needles and some yarn. I talked about how she made sweaters and afghans and I talked about how nothing can make you feel warmer than your momma’s afghan; if you put it on, you can feel all her love surrounding you..

A few hours after the service, I called the daughter of the deceased, who had a three-hour ride home after the service and she wanted to get home before it got dark. But I found out she did not go straight home. She went back over to her mother’s condo. Do you know why? That’s right, she went to get the afghan that her mother made for her many years before and she told me that whenever she feels sad or sick, whenever she has a fever with the chills, she is going to grab that afghan. I, for one, can’t think of a better medicine. Now, if only she had her momma’s recipe for chicken soup.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

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

Pastor Deron revisits his memories from last Memorial Day.

This past Memorial Day weekend [5/30/11], I had the opportunity to travel to upstate New York where I grew up. I always enjoy going back there for a visit. This place is in the heart of the Adirondack National Park. The town, Schroon Lake is a small community with a population of 1,735, according to City- Data.com. It transforms itself into a thriving metropolis the day after Memorial Day.

We used to say, “They roll out the sidewalks on Memorial Day and roll them back up on Labor Day.” A short drive through Schroon Lake belies the sparse population as you see small houses, cottages really, scattered along the shores of the lake. The reason for the inconsistent population, however, is the summer residents. They begin to invade Schroon Lake not long after Memorial Day, as tradition dictates, and return home around Labor Day, leaving behind a little ghost town … our little ghost town.

I try to make it a habit to spend 4th of July in Schroon Lake … parade, patriotic concert on the beach and the most amazing fireworks you could ever imagine. I went there last July with my kids, believing there is no way it would live up to my memories. I was wrong. It’s not that it’s the biggest parade, it’s actually quite small. The concert is not the best, just local artists singing their best in honor of God and country, and the fireworks are not the biggest, but quite impressive for a small mountain town of only 1,800. What makes this place so spectacular? Tradition. You’ve heard the saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Well, that’s Schroon Lake.

I talked with an 89-year-old man a couple of weeks ago that used to vacation in Schroon Lake. He showed me a picture of the town from 1985. When I arrived on May 27 and drove down main street. That picture from 1985 could’ve been taken today and it would look exactly the same. Stewarts is still one of only two gas stations and the only one that serves Ice

Cream. “Make your own sundaes” are their specialty. Then there’s Decesear’s Pizza – the only pizza place you pay $20 for a pizza you would pay $10 for anywhere else and you still feel like you got a bargain. Why, it’s the only pizza place in town. Then there’s my personal favorite, Pitkins, the local diner where the owner, Marie, still waits tables with a smile as she sits down at your table and talks about the good old days. She’ll remember your name and even ask you how your family is doing. It’s a place where every stranger feels at home. It’s a place where it’s still like it used to be in the “good ole days.”

Do you have a Schroon Lake? Do you have a place that always feels like home, which never seems to change, that

you can count on year after year?

At our church, we celebrate Jesus Christ. You know what it says about Christ in Hebrews 13? It says, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” Isn’t that amazing? Finally, something you can count on, someone who cares, someone who loves you enough to die on the cross for you, someone who says, “There is no one left to judge you, and neither do I.” Someone who will receive you with open arms and someone who you can depend on day after day. While trying to keep up with our fast-moving, ever-changing world, there is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.

Deron Peterson is a pastor at First Baptist church.

“Whither thou goest, I will go.” (The Book of Ruth)

We recently celebrated Mother’s Day, and I had a scene replay in my head about my mother of blessed memory that I thought I would share with you today.

It happened many years ago, when I was much younger than I am now. I had had a major upset and did not like my mother’s response to it. The truth is that I no longer remember what it was that had gotten me so upset, but I do remember the rest of the story. I got so angry that day that my 7-yearold self decided I was not going to stay in my house, I mean, my parent’s house, a moment longer. And so, I screamed at my mom that I was going to run away from home.

My mother might not have had more than a high school education, but she had a lot of saichel, a lot of common sense, and her response to my anger was truly amazing. She told me that if that’s the way I felt, she would go get a suitcase for me. I followed her upstairs and watched as she went into the closet and pulled out not one, but two, suitcases.

I said, “Momma, I’m only 7 years old. I don’t have all that much to take with me. I only need one bag.”

And she said, “I know, but the other bag is for me.”

I asked her why she needed a bag and she said that if I was going to leave, then she was going with me. And she added, “Why don’t we go downstairs for a minute and I’ll make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for each of us in case we get hungry on the road.”

It sounded like a good idea to me. After all, I was already feeling peckish. But as I watched her, I noticed that she made three sandwiches.

I asked why and she said, “Well, I think when your father hears that you are leaving, he is going to want to go with you too.”

Then she took out more bread and put together two more PB & J sandwiches and I asked who those were for. She said they were for my brothers because she suspected that if I was leaving, they were going to want to go too to protect me and make sure I was okay.

Funny thing … I never left the house that day … and, I learned a very important lesson about family sticking together.

My mother and father may no longer be on this Earth, but my brothers are still here. We talk to each other pretty much every day, and, even though we live quite a geographical distance from one another, we still look out for and protect one another.

A part of me is with each of them and a part of them is with me. I can’t think of a better Mother’s Day gift for our dearly-departed mother and father. Nor can I think of a better way to honor their memory.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

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

We go through many ups and downs in life. We have times where we feel great and everything is going wonderful in our lives. However, we have those moments where we feel the complete opposite of great and wonderful.

Today, most of us have a cell phone and/or electronic device and we have learned how to do an amazing thing called “charging up our phone or device.” It is remarkable how we will charge our phones and electronic devices so we can continue to use them without interruption.

What do we do (if anything) to charge up our batteries when we get worn out and run down? We need to make sure we give ourselves and our bodies just as much attention as we do our phones and devices. We have to find ways to recharge our batteries. I am sure we all have many different ways to do this. Some may simply do nothing, read a book, go to the beach, go shopping, exercise, etc. The list could go on forever. With all the things that we do differently to recharge our batteries and regain our strength and focus, I must point out one common thing that can recharge all of our batteries. We must look at spending time in God’s presence.

PSALM 16:11 “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

NLT

God can charge you up, no matter what has drained you – and He is the only one who can do that. Be sure to spend time with God. We can do that by going to church, praying (just talking to God), reading the Bible, and by singing worship songs and hymns. There is also one other thing that I have found that helps me recharge – helping other people in a time of need, which not only brings great joy to your life, but brings you a new energy that you did not have before. We can create an environment for ourselves to recharge anywhere and anytime we need. So remember to keep your batteries charged so you can keep going.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

I remember a time many years ago when one of the most used holy books in my library was falling apart. I discovered that the library at FAU had some wonderful craftsmen on the floor of the Judaica Collection. These artists have a knack for bookbinding … and, let me tell you something, it is not easy to find a good bookbinder these days. It is a dying art.

I brought my book over to them and one of the binders gently took it in his hands. I could see by the way he held it that he knew this was a holy book. I got the impression that this was a man to whom all books are sacred.

I asked him what I should do and he told me to leave it with him and he would see if he could give the book some added life. In the end, he was able to bind that book back together so well that I have been using it for a good 12 years now. What a wonderful job this master binder did.

When I think of my love for books, I can’t help but think of a novel called Farenheit 451. It was about a time in the future where firemen have a very different job than they do in our current world because, instead of putting out fires, in the futuristic world of Farenheit 451, a fireman’s job was to start them and, sadly enough, it was books that they were supposed to burn.

One of the closest people in my life is in a book club. She was supposed to get a particular book to read called Fifty Shades of Grey. I called the library to find a copy of it for her and found out that it was deemed too risqué for the Broward System. So, I called Palm Beach and found that they have a few copies of the book. I also found that the book that one library may as well have chosen to burn was so popular in the other that, if I put in on reserve, I would be waiting weeks or months until after her book club had already finished reading and discussing the book in detail.

A book can be banned and a book can be burned, but, sometimes, when you ban a book, you only make it more desirable, more popular. While fire can destroy a book, the heat from a fire can also be used by one who sees books as holy to seal the glue that binds the pages back together again. A fire can be used to burn books, even holy books, but a flame can also provide us with the light we need to see the written

word.

Lag B’Omer is soon upon us. It is a time when we traditionally light bonfires and those fires remind us of the light that can be found in the Torah and in those who teach the inner meanings of G-d’s word.

May the flames of literacy grow inside you and may the books you choose to read warm your heart and light your soul.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

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

The Scarlet Letter begins in 17th Century Boston, then a Puritan settlement. A young woman, Hester Prynne, is led from the town prison with her infant daughter, Pearl, in her arms and the scarlet letter “A” on her breast. A man in the crowd tells an elderly onlooker that Hester is being punished for adultery. Hester’s husband, a scholar much older than she is, sent her ahead to America, but he never arrived in Boston. The consensus is that he has been lost at sea. While waiting for her husband, Hester has apparently had an affair, as she has given birth to a child. She will not reveal her lover’s identity, however, and the scarlet letter, along with her public shaming, is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy. On this day, Hester is led to the town scaffold and harangued by the town fathers, but she again refuses to identify her child’s father.

Hester supports herself by working as a seamstress. Shunned by the community, she lives in a small cottage on the outskirts of Boston. Community officials attempt to take Pearl, her daughter, away from Hester, but, with the help of Arthur Dimmesdale, a young and eloquent minister, the mother and daughter manage to stay together. Dimmesdale, however, appears to be wasting away and suffers from mysterious heart trouble, seemingly caused by psychological distress.

Hester and Dimmesdale arrange to flee Boston together. The day before their departure, the townspeople gather for a holiday and Dimmesdale preaches his most eloquent sermon ever. Dimmesdale, leaving the church after his sermon, sees Hester and Pearl standing before the town scaffold. He impulsively mounts the scaffold with his lover and his daughter, and confesses publicly, exposing a scarlet letter seared into the flesh of his chest. He falls dead, as Pearl kisses him.

Hester and Pearl leave Boston, and no one knows what has happened to them. Many years later, Hester returns alone, still wearing the scarlet letter. When Hester dies, she is buried next to Dimmesdale. The two share a single tombstone, which bears a scarlet “A.”

Hollywood released their version of the story years ago. I had enjoyed the book as a child and, therefore, I was eager to see the movie. I was disappointed. I believe that the people who wrote the movie really missed out on what the Scarlet Letter was really about. I believe the story is about Redemption. Hester has this Scarlet letter on her chest that she must where at all times. Instead of feeling sorry for herself and cowering away, she does all she can to help others. After several years, she becomes more famous for her charitable work than she is for her Scarlett letter.

The “A” no longer represents her sin, but instead, it represents the person she has become. That is why I believe that, even after she was given permission to remove the letter, she continued to wear it – until her death.

I believe this is one of the biggest misconceptions concerning Jesus Christ. Christ does not want you to carry a Scarlet letter around. He wants to take the scarlet letter from you. 1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” That word “confess” simply means, “to agree.” In other words, “Agree with God concerning your sin and He will make you clean.” What’s holding you back?
What prevents you from having the relationship with God that you were created to have?
Deron Peterson is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach.

I was recently talking to a group of young professionals and I asked them to tell me what they thought was the holiest city in the world today? Now, before giving you the answer, let me share the fact that about a third of those in attendance were Christian, about a third were Muslim, and about a third were Jewish. With that being said, can you guess?

Well, most of the Christians said Bethlehem, although a few called out Rome. Can you guess which city the majority of the Muslims in the group thought was the holiest? Mecca was the primary answer. And last, but certainly not least, can you guess which city the vast majority of the Jews in the audience called out? Okay, this one was a no brainer. They called out “Jerusalem.”

It is a question that I got from the writings of Rabbi Joseph Abrams of Atlanta. And then I decided to change the question just a tad. I was going to ask them if they could tell me what the holiest city in Florida is, but at the last minute I asked this instead, “What is the holiest house in all of South Florida. Several immediately called out their house. Others called out the house of their Priest, their Pastor, their Imam, their Rabbi.

I told them to think a bit more and they did. They started calling out Houses of Worship – St. Anthony’s, Temple Torah, House of the Good Shepherd, First Baptist. I told them that I thought they were really using their heads now, but I also let them know I disagreed. I let them know that I am a student of human behavior and that, rather than just listening to what people say, I tend to look at people’s behavior to get my answers.

So, do you have any idea what I said was the holiest house in South Florida? Here it goes. Are you ready for this? I said, the casino – the one in Hollywood or the one in Coconut Creek.

Now, before you prepare to condemn me for my answer, let me explain myself. The Casino is the one place I know that people of many different faiths gather together regularly under one roof. They gather together without getting into fights or arguments with one another. They enter and they obey the rules of the house. They bring money into the house and, while they are there, they pray more than they do most anywhere else. When they leave, they leave most of their money behind and, yet, amazingly, each one looks forward to coming back again.

So tell me, where else can we get people of so many different faiths to spend a day in peace together under one roof, where each one can pray in their own unique way, where everyone follows the rules of the house without complaint or need for explanation, where each brings money for the house and often leaves it there, where each expresses their desire to become a winner?

Life is a gamble my friends. Take a chance on life and make wherever you’re at a holy place.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

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

By Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Have you ever quit and now justify it in your mind as to why you quit? Have you ever heard someone give excuses as to why they quit?

We all have our reasons why we do the things we do in life. Let’s take a look at what Jesus went through for us:

• They plotted to kill Him

• One of his leaders betrayed Him

• Jesus knew one of the 12 would betray Him

• He asked God if there was any other way

• His best friends could not even pray for an hour

• He was arrested on false, made-up charge, then taken away and put to death

• Peter denied Jesus three times

• They spit on Jesus and struck him with the palms of their hands, when he was with the high priest

• They mocked and beat Him, made fun and laughed at Him

• They lied about Him

• He was found ‘not guilty;’ they had no evidence to convict Jesus of a crime

• The people wanted a rebellious murderer over the King of the Jews

• Pilate gave in to the people – I don’t think he did that very often at all

• They whipped Him with a cat o’ nine tails

• They mocked Him by placing a purple robe on Him

• They put a crown of thorns on His head

• They began to salute Him and spit on Him

• They struck Him on the head with a reed

• They bowed a knee and mock worshipped Him

• And then after all that, they nailed Him to the cross and He asked God to forgive them

• They laughed at Him and mocked Him, telling Him, “Save yourself if you are really the Christ”

• His own mother and his disciples had to watch his cruxifiction on a cross

• One of the men hanging next to him even mocked Him

• He cried out “it is finished” and died

• They divided His clothes, cast lots for them

JOHN 19:30

30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. NLT

Jesus finished what He started. He never quit and he never gave up. He suffered the sins of the world, then He rose from the dead. He empowered the disciples with a new message, the good news that He had defeated the power of sin and death. Jesus taught us to refuse to quit, and to fight with everything that is inside of us. Do not just remember what Jesus did, remember why He did it.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church