Joanne and I really loved the Broadwalk at Hollywood Beach. In 1977, we lived with our son, Ron, on the beach at Hollywood Towers, a few blocks south of Sheridan Street. In those days, we went swimming, took long walks and invited friends over to enjoy the many restaurants on the beach.
With the prospects of future family growth, we decided to move inland to our new home. A new development in Three Islands, Hallandale Beach, was being planned. We decided to buy a townhouse that would be suitable for us. When Joanne, Ron, and I moved there in 1979, we sensed a great difference between living in a high rise building and a townhouse. For starters, we were able to pull right up to our front door - the elevator was a thing of the past.
In our development, it seemed every person living there was retired. The inactivity and relative quiet of the area strengthened its appeal to Joanne and me. The presence of Ron in the community lowered the average age considerably. He was by far the youngest one in the community by at least 30 years. He lived at home with us until his enrollment at Northeastern University in Massachusetts.
Looking back over the years, it was an excellent decision for our future life and enjoyment as a family. There is a beautiful saying in Hebrew, “You change your place, you increase your luck and good fortune.”
When our daughter Heather was born, my spirits were uplifted. I looked through the Bible to find a Hebrew name for her. I finally found it. The name was Cheftziba and it means “my delight is in her,” and she certainly has lived up to her name.
Heather and I enjoyed singing together at home. I remember asking her to perform a duet with me at several of our music festivals. Our concerts were drawing around 800 people at the time. She was nine years old then. Heather hesitated, was fearful, intimidated and a bit frightened by the attendance of so many people. “Just feel like you’re singing to an individual person - maybe that’ll help,” I said. Heather wasn’t convinced, but she did gather up all her courage to face a very loving crowd. What a major success it was to Heather, to conquer such a lingering fear. That describes Heather so well.
