Jewish Homeowner Invites Jewish Comedian Who Makes Jewish Jokes In Video. Board Of Directors Outraged. Sanctions. Homeowner Sues.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Is a Jewish comedian making fun of Jewish life in a Boca Raton country club offensive or funny? That’s the core of a $50M federal lawsuit filed against the Boca Grove Property Owner’s Association in Boca Raton.
The Scharf family, which lives in Boca Grove and is Orthodox, claims it’s being discriminated against by the country club’s governing association after patriarch Isaac Scharf invited Jewish comedian and golf “influencer” Jake Adams to the country club for a round of golf. Adams did what Adams is known to do — record an edgy video as he rates “Jewish Country Clubs.” Part of his shtick: conducting a “Bar Mitzvah” dance at the 13th hole. Even though Adams is Jewish, the video was allegedly “offensive” to Boca Grove Jewish and non-Jewish homeowners who are accused of uniting in an effort to suppress the growing Orthodox community within the association. Watch the video as posted to Instagram, or view it below.
The Boca Grove Board of Directors apparently didn’t think it was funny — even though some apparently “liked” the video on Instagram and other social media channels. From the lawsuit obtained by BocaNewsNow.com and published — in its entirety — below:
“When Adams released a short video of his visit to Boca Grove in January 2025, in which he rated Boca Grove a 9.2/10 Jewish country club, the Board’s anti-Orthodox members were furious. They were enraged that Adams’ video brought attention to Orthodox Jewish life at Boca Grove and made the community look inviting and welcoming to Orthodox Jews, thus interfering with their goal of driving the Orthodox community away and reducing its visibility. They swiftly moved to pretextually punish Isaac and all members of the golf outing for an “offensive social media video” that contained “references to religious practices that have been deemed offensive to a reasonable person.”
“The Board did this despite Isaac explaining the video’s overwhelmingly positive reception, Isaac’s and Adams’ positive intentions, Isaac having no control over the content of the video, and Adams’ offer to edit or clarify his post about the Boca Grove review to address any of the Board’s concerns. The Board imposed a 90-day suspension on Isaac, banning him from all the community’s amenities and events. The punishment was subsequently ratified by Boca Grove’s hearing committee at a hearing in which Isaac was denied all of his proposed witnesses, board members appeared to improperly interfere with the final result, and Isaac was informed that the Board was punishing him because Adams’s “offensive social media video” had offended anti-Orthodox members of the community and the Board through its positive portrayal of Orthodox Jewish life at Boca Grove. During the hearing, Isaac was directly told that the “reference to religious practices” that the Board had deemed “offensive to a reasonable person” was the image of Isaac helping Adams wrap tefillin at the clubhouse, and that the Board was punishing him not because Adams’ video was offensive to Jews who wrap tefillin, but that the sight of Jews wrapping tefillin at the clubhouse was itself offensive to the anti-Orthodox members of the community and the Board who despised their presence. The hearing made clear that Isaac was targeted and punished for being visibly Orthodox at Boca Grove’s clubhouse.”
“Without notice or process, the Board subsequently extended the suspension to Isaac’s entire family. Because of certain board members’ vicious antipathy to Orthodox Jews, Isaac’s wife, Plaintiff Danielle Scharf, and five children, Plaintiffs Edward, Alex, C. S., H. S., and R. S., have all been banned from Boca Grove’s amenities, events, and social life. The Scharf family members had nothing to do with the video or the incident – they were punished anyway. As a result of Defendant Boca Grove’s discriminatory anti-Orthodox interference with Plaintiffs’ right to enjoy their community and its amenities, Plaintiffs have suffered mental and emotional harm and financial costs for which Boca Grove is liable.”
According to Attorney Matthew Sarelson of Dhillon Law Group in West Palm Beach, Boca Grove is trying to downplay the growing number of Orthodox in the country club:
“Anti-Orthodox members of the community have banded together in the last several years to lead initiatives to cancel or diminish the Club’s kosher amenities and make Boca Grove unwelcome to Orthodox Jews in the hope of discouraging further Orthodox families from moving in and pushing existing Orthodox families to leave or cease enjoying the community’s offerings.”
Boca Grove had not filed a response to the 59-page federal lawsuit as of Tuesday. Read the complete complaint here. Share your thoughts, below.
Whole story sounds bizarre
BEWARE Boca Grove is notorious for this kind of behavior. No rules apply to the board or their friends. They do whatever they want. Don’t bother going to your hearing since their decision is made before you even arrive to explain your side. I found that out personally as did a few other people I know. I was even told by a friend who was close to one of the board members that my fate was decided way before the hearing of the grevience committee.
They have their so called rules and policies that apply to the people they decide they don’t like. As I said I experienced it personally. I also remember the fighting that went on regarding a kosher kitchen. They are entitled and think they are above it all
Sound’s like the Board is way over the top on this one. It’s terrible what they are doing to a member of their community all because of a harmless video. People can be offended if they choose, but that’s their problem.
Ridiculous
I thought it was cute
Sounds like blatant anti-Semitism to me.
Since when do Orthodox golf?
This is typical Jews hating Orthodox Jews. They do know they own religion, but somehow they feel guilty so what do they do? Discredit the believers.
I know that, I used to be like them…
Do I understand this correctly?? So Boca Grove isn’t upset that the comedian ridiculed the development, but instead are upset that he’s showing off Orthodox life and more Orthodox families will start buying and boost the real estate market there???
And they are sanctioning a homeowner who did not make the video? And what did the wife and children do??
Good golly people … Cool off!!
All this is doing is creating a bigger divide and once again making those of the Jewish faith, no matter sect, look bad in the community and the world.
Did this really need to be a public issue? A childish matter which will now be ridiculed by all, because everyone has to sue everyone.
Band together to address issues in a reasonable manner; going to extremes will only hurt not help.
It is amazing how Board reacted to some Jew haters complaints. I hope that Isaak and his family will win. They will not win $50,000,000 but any amount and apology will be satisfying and it will be a lesson to everyone else.
My 91 year old father was the person mention in the suit and the ONLY person who was not orthodox ( but Jewish) to be penalized for being accused of saying something to a staff member and it was considered sexual harassment! No warning, no witness, no nothing! Just the accuser’s word against my father’s. The didn’t even tell him what he did or said until the time of the hearing! He could not even enter the “interrogation” room with my mother or sister! After 30 years of living there, the penalty destroyed my parents and they felt forced to move out as my father felt humiliated and betrayed. My father is now deceased but during his last years of life he could never let this go. He was forced to relive the past every time the mention of Boca Grove was spoken. Shame on these people I hope the club and their board members have to pay the entire amount to the Scharf family!
Orthodox or Jewish aside, this is typical of country club boards. My husband was on the board at our club, and I was appalled at the behavior. Decisions were often made on who the person was rather than the facts. To the point at hand, I found the video endearing. But, at a time when Israel is being held in such a bad light, and being Jewish translating to pro-Israel’s behavior, I don’t know if it was the wisest move.
As my brother already mentioned, my father was the subject of paragraph 55 and the supposed sexual harassment. My parents lived there 30 years, he served on many committees, and to be stripped of ALL amenities and conveniences was ridiculous and humiliating. He had to hire an attorney just to find out what it was they thought he said. At their so-called hearing, his attorney was told at the start that he was not allowed to speak. When the staff member cried her story, I interrupted to ask if anyone at the meeting had actually read her complaint because it was far different than what she claimed at the hearing. I called her out on it and was thrown out of the meeting, for trying to uncover the truth of what actually happened. As someone already mentioned, his fate was decided well before the hearing.
I truly hope the Scharf family is awarded the full amount and let the BG board and club suffer the financial consequences.
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