The Calvary Chapel in West Boca recently hosted a Spa Day for the women of Sandalfoot. Women received manicures, foot baths, hairstyling and clothes. All who attended enjoyed a free lunch donated by Chick Fil A.
Over forty women attended the event. Cavalry Chapel is located at 10660 Sandalfoot Blvd in Boca Raton.
Category: Religion
MLK Interfaith Service in West Boca
Congregation B’nai Israel and Ebenezer Baptist church held a joint Martin Luther King Day interfaith service on Sunday, January 18 at the church. The service marked a 30-year partnership between the two religious institutions, both in Boca Raton, which join forces twice each year to further the cause of Black-Jewish relations in Palm Beach County and to help feed families in need. The guest speaker at the service was Reverend Henry Willis, the former Pastor of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.
The service was a powerful and uplifting tribute to Dr. King, filled with musical and spiritual offerings from both congregations. Reverend Winston Anderson, Rabbi Robert A. Silvers, the Cantor’s Chantors (CBI’s choir) and B’nai’s Big Beat Band led by Cantor Stephanie Shore all participated in the service.
In November, the two religious institutions fed Thanksgiving dinner to nearly 4,000 families in need. And, in 2014, Congregation B’nai Israel hosted the late Dr. Maya Angelou as part of the 2014 Martin Luther King Day partnership, in what turned out to be one of her last public appearances.
The relationship between these two congregations was initiated in 1984 when Congregation B’nai Israel approached Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, the largest and oldest African-American church in Boca Raton. The early 1980s was a time of reported conflict between Jewish and Black relations in the U.S. and the two congregations wanted to do something locally to quell the negativity. The first Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. interfaith service was held in 1985, the year before this day became a national holiday.
Temple Hires Convicted Felon To Teach Kids?
Update: Congregation B’Nai Israel has issued a statement regarding this incident
Statement from Sharon Wagman
Executive Director
Congregation B’nai Israel
Prior to Judy Schelin’s employment in the infant program at Congregation B’nai Israel, she underwent a background check administered by the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. This is the standard employee policy for Congregation B’nai Israel for all teachers and teaching assistants in our Pre-School and Religious School. In both cases, she was cleared with: “A check of this agency’s records failed to indicate an arrest history for this person.” (Background check documents attached). This means she was cleared by the State to work on our campus. In addition, Ms. Schelin signed a document in which she attested, under the penalty of perjury, that she has never been fined or the subject of a disciplinary action.
Months into her job, she alluded to past legal issues, but did not disclose a felony conviction.
The welfare and education of our children is of the upmost concern and our top priority, and Ms. Schelin’s care of the infants in our program was superb. Ms. Schelin did not at any point have access to school funds, nor was her salary impacted by VPK funds, as she worked in CBI’s infant program (children ages six weeks to two years).
However, in further review of her background and concealment of her conviction, Ms. Schelin has been terminated from CBI effective immediately.
The release included documents from both the state Department of Children and Families as well as the county sheriff supporting that they did a background check and that it was clear.
West Boca’s Congregation B’Nai Israel is in the center of controversy after our friends at Boca News Now alleged that they are employing a convicted felon as a teacher. Two readers contacted us about it.
Back in 2010 a woman named Judy Perlin pled guilty to accepting $40,000 in bribes while running a youth education program. Not long after that the Palm Beach Post reported Ms. Perlin continued to receive a lot of federal and state money while running day cares serving kids in Broward.
Now Boca News Now says that Ms. Perlin is working at B’Nai Israel under the name Scherlin (which might be her maiden name). We called the temple to see what they had to say and we got a quick “No Comment.”
After that call we heard from an irate reader who self-described as a member of CBI Boca and asserted that the management at CBI knew about Ms. Perlin/Scherlin’s history and hired her anyway.
Please note that, mainly because of CBI’s “No Comment” response, we are unable to verify that the woman working at CBI is in fact Judy Perlin. But we do have more than one source saying it is her.
Ms. Perlin is listed on the property appraiser’s website as co-owner of a home in Boca Grove.
This is the second recent controversial incident involving CBI. A couple months ago one of their former maintenance workers was arrested on child pornography charges. At that time: “The school also said all employees and permanent vendors must pass a full background check before they’re allowed to work on campus.”
Considering that statement we wonder how Ms. Perlin/Scherlin managed to pass a background check.
Good Things in Sandalfoot with Calvary Chapel
West Boca News previously invited this reader to send us notice of events and other good news. We extend the same invitation to all churches, synagogues and other organizations in West Boca.
I have written you in the past about the reporting done regarding the Sandalfoot neighborhood and how it’s always negative. I have compiled a short list of some positive things going on in the neighborhood that you maybe were not aware of.
Since Calvary Chapel West Boca, led by pastor Joe Ferraro, opened our doors 4 years ago:
The Mens Ministry built a ramp for one of the people in the neighborhood with special needs. Members of the body went to a high school ministry’s home and cut her grass, washed their cars and windows because her father had been sick for quite a while.
We have a Bread Ministry thanks to donations from local vendors and go door to door delivering food to the neighborhood, offering prayers with many positive results.
We have gone and helped a single mom by putting in some landscaping in her yard. Yearly backpack outreaches give free school supplies and backpacks to the kids in the neighborhood
We offer help to the homeless in the neighborhood by giving them food, guidance, clothing thanks to the other people in the neighborhood and their donated items.
We have a free after school program every Monday Wednesday Friday for the middle and high school kids where they can come for homework help, mentoring , basketball, football, skateboarding, etc.
Yearly we do the Operation Christmas child shoe box outreach where we fill shoe boxes full of gifts and send to children all around the world Thanksgiving outreach where we deliver thanksgiving dinner to families in the neighborhood including a turkey and all the trimmings.
I’m sure there is a lot more to offer you but I am personally inviting you to come and meet us our address is 10660 Sandalfoot Blvd West, Boca 33428.
Also check out our Facebook page Calvary Chapel West Boca and see lots of pictures of us doing what we are called by God to do.
God bless and thanks for listening.
We also noticed from their Facebook page that they had an outing to Bedner’s Fall Festival:
Temple Beth El Golf Fundraiser at Boca Rio
Temple Beth El’s Brotherhood is having their annual golf fundraiser at Boca Rio Golf Club on November 17th.
It’s $300 for one golfer, and the proceeds will support the temple as well as a charity providing emergency shelters in Israel.
Attorney David Pratt is being honored. Lunch is at 11:45; Shotgun start at 1:15 pm; and reception starts around 5:30.
See the picture below for details or check out the event page on the Temple Beth El website.
