Once-in-a-lifetime thing Boca Boys & Girls Club fete

The girls were wearing sparkly antlers when they got off the Boys & Girls Club buses at the entrance to Boca West Country Club.

Waiting were volunteers like first-timer Leslie Wolf to escort the children into the clubhouse. Superheroes hung out in the hallway and the ballroom was dressed up in red plaid for the holidays.

It's not often they make Mickey Mouse pancakes, said one of three chefs at the buffet. Not to mention sprinkles and whipped cream on waffles that were available.

This was the fifth year the Boca West Foundation, the country club's philanthropic arm, went all out for the children. More than 100 were there from the Boca Raton Boys & Girls Club alone, and another 60 or so from other clubs.

"The more the merrier," was foundation head Arthur Adler's take on the number of children they took shopping with $50 each at Old Navy in West Boca, then fed at the luncheon, where magician Karl Koppertop entertained with slight of hand. Volunteers also staffed tables filled with toys to give out, and families got a food gift basket to take home. Read more here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/west-boca/fl-wbf-foundation-1224-20141224-story.html

The Symphonia|Boca Raton To Premiere “All Saints Harpsichord” During First Ever Fort Lauderdale Performance

Ft. Lauderdale, FL (December 4, 2014)—The SYMPHONIA|BOCA RATON will appear in its Fort Lauderdale debut at All Saints Episcopal Church, 333 Tarpon Drive, Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, December 20th at 7:30 p.m. The evening will feature the “All Saints Harpsichord,” which has recently been acquired by the church, and is one of the finest harpsichords in the state of Florida.

The baroque concert, conducted by David Kim, concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, will feature Vivaldi’s highly acclaimed Four Seasons, with Kim as violin soloist, Corelli’s Concerto Grosso, opus 6, no. 8 and Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, David Kim and Mei Mei Luo, violin soloists. Tickets are $30 (general seating) and can be purchased at www.thesymphonia.org or by calling 1-866-687-4201. Ticket proceeds will benefit Women in Distress.

“We are particularly excited to be appearing in Fort Lauderdale for the first time, and have the opportunity to work with this magnificent harpsichord,” said Steve Pomeranz, Board Chair of THE SYMPHONIA. “Performing Vivaldi with this fine instrument is going to be a spectacular show music lovers won’t want to miss.”

About the All Saints Harpsichord

This is the debut concert for the Neupert “Bach” harpsichord, which was recently added to the music ministry of All Saints Episcopal Church. This instrument was made possible through the generous bequest of the late, Larry Shields, who had been a choir member at the church. It is a two manual instrument: I manual 8’, 16’ (16’ lute) – II manual 8’, 4’ (8’ lute). Read more here: http://www.bocaratontribune.com/bocaratonnews/2014/12/the-symphoniaboca-raton-to-premiere-all-saints-harpsichord-during-first-ever-fort-lauderdale-performance/

Boca's oldest cold case: Famed sculptor's family revisits 1948 double murder

Boca Raton's oldest cold case started with a Palm Beach society sculptor and his wife lying lifeless in their bedroom. Both had been shot at close range, their corpses on the floor next to their bed.

Who cut short the flamboyant lives of famed sculptor Leno Lazzari, 48, and his wife, Louise, 40, is a mystery that has endured for 66 years. The case is cold enough that death has likely put the perpetrator far from the reach of the justice system.

But getting a satisfying answer for why the Lazzaris were slain, and finding the sculptor's remaining art, has his family on a quest. Lazzari's great-grandson Danilo Lazzari, 37, recently traveled from his home in Munich, Germany, to South Florida. He reviewed police records and even put himself at the spot where his great-grandfather was found dead in his studio off North Federal Highway in Boca Raton all those years ago.

The murders have haunted his family, Lazzari says, to the point his relatives want to know the information as he gets it. Read more here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-boca-cold-case-20141205-story.html#page=1

Boca Raton PD holiday safety video features kids; ... wait for it.... goes viral

Boca Raton police don't find holiday crime cute, but followers of their Facebook page sure find the department's latest approach to stopping it adorable.

A one-minute video in mid-November features kids playing out a scenario police say they see too often: people's cars being burglarized because they left holiday gifts in plain view.

More than 1.7 million people have seen the video on Facebook, and it's been shared more than 30,000 times. Facebook representative Andy Stone said it's one of the most-shared videos from any government agency in the country this past week.

A little girl, chatting on her cell phone in Mizner Park and carrying shopping bags and a Starbucks cup, struts over to her mini-Cadillac Escalade and places her bags inside. Two perps roll up in a kid-sized Jeep Wrangler and make a run for the bags. Read more here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-boca-raton-safety-video-20141205-story.html

Chabad to have menorah in Town Center Mall.. we can't wait.

For the 25th consecutive year, Chabad-Lubavitch of Boca Raton will put up a public menorah at Town Center Mall (6000 Glades Road) in Boca Raton, to be highlighted by a community-wide candlelighting celebration at 6 p.m. on Dec. 18, which will take place in the mall directly across from the Saks Fifth Avenue store.

The candlelighting ceremony will feature a menorah lighting by Congressman Ted Deutch, followed by a special Hanukkah Puppet Show for children. There also will be traditional Hanukkah foods, such as latkes and sufganiyot ("jelly doughnuts"), as well as dreidels for all.

According to the Chabad sect of Orthodox Judaism, the menorah serves as a universal symbol of religious freedom. Read more here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/news/palm/fl-jjps-chabadhanukkah-1210-20141208-story.html

Boca Raton author publishes new teen novel.. "Diamonds in the Rough."

Most visitors ambling through a hotel lobby, even if it is the colossal Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, are probably not inspired to write a book.

But as she explored the colorful, ornate Wynn during several visits with her family over the past few years, Michelle Madow, of Boca Raton, began brainstorming her new novel, "Diamonds in the Rough."

In the novel, three teenage sisters reconcile with their billionaire father and move to Las Vegas, beginning life at a new high school, where they "uncover explosive secrets that turn the girls' lives upside down," according to promotional materials. The book is the second in Madow's trilogy, "The Secret Diamond Sisters."

The book was published in October by Harlequin Teen. Madow will sign copies at Barnes & Noble, 1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton, beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday.

"I love teen fiction because there are not a lot of limitations," said Madow, 27, a 2010 Rollins College graduate. "Teens go through so many new experiences. You can write about vampires, time travel, science fiction; there's so much flexibility."

Although some observers have lamented young adults' apparent lack of interest in reading books, the market is flourishing. Read more here:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-author-michelle-madow-20141031-story.html

Synagogue in Boca Raton invites public to write caption for cartoon... Two men on a tiny deserted island

Two men on a tiny deserted island are in search of a clever cartoon caption writer.

Congregation B'nai Israel in Boca Raton is looking for a caption for this drawing by Bob Mankoff, the cartoon editor of The New Yorker. Mankoff will sign his new book, "How About Never…Is Never Good For You?" at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at the synagogue, 2200 Yamato Road.

The author will choose the winning entry, to be announced during his talk. The winner must be present to receive the prize: A signed copy of the cartoon with his or her caption and a picture with Mankoff.

In his book, Mankoff offers tips for New Yorker cartoon contest entries. He describes the cartoons as "benign humor, intended to intrigue or amuse but not to offend." He encourages contestants to relate the captions to current events and show them to friends to get feedback.

Read more here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-write-cartoon-caption-20141113-story.html

"Shabbos Project" takes place in Boca Raton.. We can all get a long.

On Oct. 24-25, Jews in more than 450 cities in 65 countries participated in "The Shabbos Project" — a worldwide Jewish unity initiative, founded in South Africa last year, to encourage Jews to observe one Shabbos at the same time.

About the project, Rabbi Warren Goldstein, chief rabbi of South Africa, wrote in a Jerusalem Post article: "The rhythms of Shabbat unite Jewish life in a very real way. We all read the same weekly Torah portion, light candles, recite Kiddush, abstain from the same acts of work, enjoy the same festivities, say the same prayers and sit together around the table as families.

"When we keep Shabbat, we are not alone in the world — we are connected to Hashem, to the Jewish people, to our families and, indeed, to ourselves. It grants us belonging and togetherness in a world of fragmentation. It has been our mainstay, guiding us throughout our journeys across continents, historic eras, political upheavals and amidst an ever-fluctuating world. We have worn it as a badge of honor and it has rewarded us with countless blessings." Read more here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/news/palm/fl-jjps-shabbatdkja-1105-20141103-story.html

Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s new $47M neuroscience institute... INSIDE LOOK.

Boca Raton Regional Hospital has opened the doors to its Marcus Neuroscience Institute, one of the most advanced medical facilities in South Florida.

The $47 million project was funded by a gift of $25 million from the Billi and Bernie Marcus Foundation, run by the former CEO of Home Depot, and other donations to the nonprofit hospital. The 55,000-square-foot facility has 20 beds, including eight for intensive care for neurological problems.

See the slideshows for photographs taken during a tour of the facility. The institute has four operating rooms. One of them has an intraoperative MRI and two have intraoperative CT scanners so surgeons can view real-time images of the brain. Read more here: http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2014/11/06/inside-look-boca-raton-regional-hospital-s-new-47m.html

Artist tells Jewish life stories through art.. And it is breathtaking.

As Jewish people, some of our fondest memories are being lifted in a "celebration chair" (or "simcha chair") during the dancing of the hora (the traditional Jewish dance) to commemorate our bar- or bat-mitzvah or our wedding. Can you remember those precious moments?

If you can, picture them now. However, do you still have the chair you were lifted in as a precious keepsake of those moments? Chances are, you do not. Well one local artist, Tomer Avivi, of Boca Raton, is out to change all that. Read more here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/news/palm/fl-jjps-tomer-1119-20141117-story.html

Kristallnacht commemorated.. the event was insane.

Michael Spett, 80, of Boca Raton, survived the Holocaust as a five-year-old child only through the heroism in 1940 of Aristides de Sousa Mendes — the Portuguese consul in Bordeaux, France. Sousa Mendes independently defied the direct orders of his government and granted visas out of Occupied France to an estimated 30,000 refugees (including approximately 10,000 Jews) — regardless of nationality, race, religion or politics. Read more here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/news/palm/fl-jjps-kristallnacht-1112-20141110-story.html

Would be cantor stars in 'Swing'... Your eyes will thank you.

Actress/singer Alix Paige teams with 13 dancers and a six-piece band starring in the musical revue "Swing," playing now through Nov. 16 at Wick Theatre in Boca Raton.

Although performed without dialogue in a 1940s era story told through swing dance numbers and songs, Paige played the same role that her idol Ann Hampton Callaway did when "Swing" was on Broadway. Read more here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/news/palm/fl-jjps-swing-1105-20141103-story.html