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Bay Area Jewish community prepares for celebratory, yet somber Passover

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Bay Area Jewish community prepares for celebratory, yet somber Passover


SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — As calls continue to bring the hostages home, the Bay Area Jewish community is preparing for a celebratory yet somber Passover Monday.

“I really hope that this holiday is what really brings us together is our humanity and compassion for each other,” said Berkeley resident Yael Nidam Kirsht, who is still holding out hope Hamas will release her brother-in-law. “We are struggling, we are working, we are doing everything we can”

“It is very difficult this year knowing so many are not free,” said Rabbi Mark Bloom of Temple Beth Abraham. “We’re about to celebrate a festival of freedom and our brothers and sisters in Israel are actually in hostage situations.”

And he says despite the weight of the October 7 attack on Israel, they will celebrate.

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MORE: Calls to ‘bring them home’ continue for Israeli hostages 6 months after Hamas attack

“Having known many holocaust survivors – they say celebrate when you can no matter the circumstances,” said Rabbi Bloom, adding people are finding ways to remember the hostages.

“Leaving an empty chair for those who can’t celebrate Passover. I have other people I know who are putting these mini chairs in the center of the table.”

“You know, usually we leave out a cup of wine for Elijah but I’m leaving it out just in case a hostage comes back and wants to join us,” said Oren Rubinstein, a Pacifica resident. He lost a cousin on Oct. 7 and had two other loved ones held hostage both freed and he’s hoping the same for the others.

“I think Passover is the perfect time to really demonstrate our hope that they are free and that they are safe,” Rubinstein said.

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And across the U.S., the FBI is warning of possible threats.

MORE: FBI on alert for threats to the Jewish community ahead of Passover, director says

“I want you to know that we at the FBI are closely tracking these very real threats that have your communities on edge and we’re actively hitting back at the perpetrators full force. “Christopher Wray, FBI Director.

Meanwhile in Oakland, Rabbi Bloom says they’re upping protections.

“We’re having private security, we’re installing upgraded glass, we’re making every door is very secure, getting codes, all these things,” he said.

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And with precautions are in place, he’s hopeful for a peaceful Passover.

“You just never know so it is in the back of our minds, but we’ve been reached out to by our friends, and our neighbors, and the police and we think we’re going to be safe here,” Rabbi Bloom said.

If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

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San Francisco, CA

Court document details attack on SF mayor’s bodyguard as Lurie responds to incident

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Court document details attack on SF mayor’s bodyguard as Lurie responds to incident


SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — For the first time since the attack on San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s bodyguard, one of the suspects was in court on Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins filed charges against the man. Those charges include:

  • Resisting an executive officer


  • Assault with force to cause bodily injury


  • Willful disobedience of a court order


  • Unlawful lodging at the same location from a previous citation

Mayor Daniel Lurie said the incident won’t deter him from walking the streets of the city doing what he was doing moments before his bodyguard was attacked last week.

PREVIOUS STORY: SF mayor was ‘worried’ about 2 men on street, checked on them before bodyguard attack

Multiple angles covered a dramatic altercation between one of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s security detail and individuals on the street.

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“I think I need to be able to see it myself and not just stay cloistered up and not be out of the streets. I walked the streets this morning and had some great interactions and was able to help some people,” said Mayor Lurie.

We obtained the detention motion, which revealed specific details about the incident.

The document said Mayor Lurie was riding in a car northbound on Larking Street with two of his security detail. The mayor asked the driver to stop and got out of the car with one of the officers to approach four people who were blocking the road; “two were sitting on the sidewalk… one was actually sitting in the street.” The document says one of the individuals “was aggressive” and “stepped towards the mayor,” after he asked them to move out of the road a few times. This led the bodyguard to position himself between the mayor and the individual. The document states the individual “got very close” to the officer and threatened him and said, “Bruce Lee I’ll kick your a**!”

The officer, according to the document, proceeded to shove the individual away from him “with both hands to defend himself and to create distance,” causing the individual to fall backwards on the sidewalk.

The individual quickly stood up and “rushed at the officer.”

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Multiple people in the area captured the altercation on video.

We asked the mayor if he would do anything different in the future.

INTERACTIVE: Take a look at the ABC7 Neighborhood Safety Tracker

“I’m not going to stop doing it. I will consult with our detail and our chief and make sure we can do this safely,” said Mayor Lurie.

San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said he is glad the mayor sees the crisis on the streets up close.

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“A lot of people will cross the street to get away from it hide from it. We don’t want our city hiding from this problem,” said Supervisor Mandelman.

Kevin Benedicto, vice president of the San Francisco police commission, said they will be looking into the incident.

“A number of commissioners are going to want to ask the chief about updates about the incident just to make sure we have all the policies and procedures in place,” said Benedicto.

The Individual who attacked the mayor’s bodyguard has been charged in the past for criminal threats in 2019 and 2020.

One of the arraignments is set for Wednesday at 9 a.m.

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San Francisco, CA

Where the wild things dine: Inside Wolfsbane, San Francisco’s most exciting new restaurant

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Where the wild things dine: Inside Wolfsbane, San Francisco’s most exciting new restaurant


SAN FRANCISCO — There’s a new kind of magic happening in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood; the kind that arrives quietly, in nine courses, with a glass of rare Kentucky bourbon in hand.

Wolfsbane, named for the ancient plant of folklore said to keep werewolves at bay, opened its doors last Fall as a collaboration between Tommy Halvorson, a Kentucky-born chef and catering veteran, and the husband-and-wife duo behind the beloved Michelin-starred Lord Stanley, chef Rupert Blease and general manager Carrie Blease. Together, the three have transformed the former space of Serpentine, Halvorson’s previous restaurant, into one of the city’s most anticipated fine dining destinations.

The idea, Halvorson says, had been brewing for years. “I always kind of had in the back of my mind, I was like, we should have Rupert and Carrie,” he recalls. The opportunity came last year as both camps closed up their respective restaurants. “I texted Rupert and I was like, dude, it’s time. We need to open a restaurant.” Once the decision was made, there was no looking back. “We pretty much stepped on the gas and started rolling.”

The Bleases are no strangers to commitment. Carrie first met Rupert while interning at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in England, a storied Michelin two-starred property helmed by Raymond Blanc. “We worked at a lot of places together, probably more so than apart,” Carrie says. After years in London, New York, and the English countryside, San Francisco became home and eventually their life’s work. Lord Stanley ran for a decade before the couple channeled everything into this new chapter.

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The nine-course tasting menu is rooted in Northern California’s rich bounty. “We go to the farmer’s markets several times a week,” says Rupert. “We buy directly from farms. We use all of the local produce that we can possibly find when it’s in season.” Standouts include an edible sunflower fashioned from artichoke heart with toasted seed butter and poppy seeds, and the return of favorites from Lord Stanley, including its buttermilk cabbage dish and delicate onion petal appetizer.

But for all its refinement, Wolfsbane is deliberately unpretentious. “We don’t want to create a space where people feel uncomfortable because they think they’re going to be looked down upon because they don’t know which fork to use,” Halvorson says. The bar program reflects his personal obsession; rare bourbons sourced over years, including a barrel named after his family’s Kentucky farm. “When you get into really well-made bourbon, really high-proof, and it doesn’t feel like they are, that’s when you know you’ve got something special there.” What Halvorson says about bourbon also sums up Wolfsbane-high-concept dining that doesn’t feel like it, making for a special and unforgettable experience.

For more information, visit https://wolfsbanesf.com/

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Daniel Lurie sparked confrontation that injured security team: Police report

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Daniel Lurie sparked confrontation that injured security team: Police report


Mayor Daniel Lurie sparked the altercation that led to a fight and injuries to two San Francisco police officers in his security detail, according to a police report of the incident obtained by the Standard.

On Thursday evening at 5:38 p.m., Lurie, an aide, and two members of his security team were driving north on Larkin St. when they spotted several people sitting on the sidewalk on the corner of Cedar St., an alley in the Tenderloin. 

The mayor ordered the driver of his Rivian SUV, Officer Nicholas Boccio, to pull over. Lurie hopped out of the SUV. His second bodyguard, Officer Joel Aguayo, followed.

What happened next would result in two injured officers, a gun aimed at a man’s chest, two arrests, and renewed questions about the public safety under the mayor’s leadership. 

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While footage of the incident after the officer pushed one of the men has been published by Mission Local (opens in new tab), details about what led up to the fight have not been previously revealed. 

After leaving the safety of his vehicle, the mayor took matters into his own hands, the report says. Lurie attempted to get the group hanging out on Cedar St. to move, but one of the men refused. 

“On whose behalf do I need to move?” asked one of the men named Tony Phillips, according to Aguayo’s statement.

According to the narrative of the combined witness statements, “Mayor Lurie addressed the group and requested that they move along, as they were standing in the roadway. Phillips became immediately argumentative, stating that he did not have to move.” 

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Lurie told Phillips that Aguayo was an SFPD officer. Aguayo repeated that and requested that Phillips comply and move out of the way. Phillips again refused.

The police report said the mayor and Aguayo asked Phillips to move at least four times, at one point saying they would call uniformed officers to remove him. 

Still, Phillips refused, as the mayor paced a few feet away from Aguayo, video of the incident shows. 

While most of the group of four men appeared to stay put, according to footage of the incident, Phillips stepped toward Aguayo, who was standing in front of the mayor. 

According to the police report, Phillips then said, “I’ll Bruce Lee kick your ass.” Aguayo then swiftly pushed Phillips to the ground. Phillips got up and was pushed again before rushing the officer. The pair grappled and then fell to the ground, and Aguayo struck the back of his head. 

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During the fight, Lurie ran to the parked SUV to tell the driver, Boccio, that his partner was in trouble. When Boccio rushed to help, another man in the alley — Abraham Simon — grabbed the officer and reached for his waistband. Simon backed off after Boccio pulled his service weapon. 

Boccio then helped Aguayo but was unable to restrain Phillips. It wasn’t until several uniformed officers arrived that Phillips was taken into custody. 

Aguayo, who suffered cuts to the back of his head, facial bruising, and a back injury, said to investigating officers that he had to use force on Phillips because he was threatened verbally and got within inches of him. The officer also said he tried to de-escalate to no avail. Boccio’s hand was cut during the confrontation. 

No body camera footage was captured of the incident because officers in the mayor’s security detail did not wear them. 

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The incident, about which Lurie has made brief statements, has raised questions about whether Lurie’s freewheeling approach to walking the streets could put him into danger. The mayor told reporters last week after the incident that he asked the people to move because he was concerned for their safety and that of other pedestrians and drivers. 

“I’m out here walking the streets of San Francisco like I do every day. I believe that you can’t solve what you can’t see,” Lurie said in an Instagram post Monday, seemingly doubling down on his approach to interacting with San Franciscans. 

When asked for comment, the mayor’s spokesman Charles Lutvak referred to the Instagram post and a story Lurie shared in his State of the City speech about approaching a man who appeared to be an addict, who told the mayor to mind his own business. 

The mayor’s reply: “You are my business.”

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Lurie’s own account of the incident was not included in the police report, although the document says he later would be contacted for a statement. 

Phillips is set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges of threatening an officer, inflicting great bodily injury, and contempt of court for violating a stay-away order from the alley. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said her office will request that Phillips remain in custody as he is a threat to the public. 

Simon is also set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges of interfering with an officer. 

The incident is also being investigated by the Department of Police Accountability, according to The Chronicle.



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