San Francisco, CA
Bay Area Jewish community prepares for celebratory, yet somber Passover
![Bay Area Jewish community prepares for celebratory, yet somber Passover Bay Area Jewish community prepares for celebratory, yet somber Passover](https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/14712498_042124-kgo-jewish-flag-img.jpg?w=1600)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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San Francisco, CA
San Francisco shooting leaves young girl injured, per witness
![San Francisco shooting leaves young girl injured, per witness San Francisco shooting leaves young girl injured, per witness](https://media.nbcbayarea.com/2024/08/34059865556-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=1200%2C675)
A shooting in San Francisco left an 8-year-old girl injured on Friday, according to her father.
The San Francisco Police Department said officers were called to the unit block of Chicago Way at approximately 5:24 p.m. for reports of a shooting. Upon the officers’ arrival, they found a young girl suffering from injuries, although police did not confirm she was shot. Police only said she was transported to a nearby hospital with “life-threatening injuries.”
Police did not provide other information.
However, according to the girl’s father, the family was setting things up for dinner when a bullet came into the house and hit his daughter.
Officers are still at the scene conducting their investigation.
San Francisco, CA
Racist graffiti, noose at San Francisco park tied to dog dispute
![Racist graffiti, noose at San Francisco park tied to dog dispute Racist graffiti, noose at San Francisco park tied to dog dispute](https://images.foxtv.com/static.ktvu.com/www.ktvu.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1280/720/graf2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Noose, racist graffiti at San Francisco park tied to dog dispute
Someone spray-painted racist graffiti and left a noose at a San Francisco playground, days after a dog owner was told her pet wasn’t allowed there.
SAN FRANCISCO – Racist graffiti and a noose found at a San Francisco park happened days after a woman was told she could not have her dog in the playground by the head of a youth organization.
The woman vowed to do everything possible to shut down this group, officials said on Friday during a news conference at the park hours after the vile messages had been painted over.
“That disgusting racial slur that was written all over this building does not define who we are as a city,” said Maria Su, director of the city’s Department of Children, Youth and their Families.
SEE ALSO: Alameda County firefighter accused of racist rant on paid leave
The vandalism at Merced Heights Playground on Shields Street is being investigated as a hate crime and a direct attack on the nonprofit called Youth First.
“This is not tolerated. And it will not be tolerated. We will continue to celebrate Youth First,” Su said.
Renard Monroe, Youth First’s founder and executive director, said that someone had spray-painted “N- First” on the building.
“It was destroyed by hate,” Monroe said. “The N-word. It said, ‘N-word First’ because we’re called Youth First, so they were kind of aiming that word toward our program.”
Officials believe the vandalism is a direct response to an incident at the park last week when a woman with her toddler daughter and their dog were near the playground, in the upper terrace area, where dogs are not allowed.
When Monroe told the woman to take her dog to the lower terrace of the park, where dogs are allowed, she told him, “No (N-word) is going to tell me where to go,” he recounted.
Supervisor Ahsha Safai said, “Then it turned into the N-word. It turned into threats. And the woman said, ‘I am going to make it my job to shut down your organization.’”
Following the threat, state licensing officials visited the park based on an anonymous tip, questioning whether Monroe’s operation was a childcare facility when it is actually an after-school program.
“People show up saying the music’s too loud. And then today he (Monroe) shows up and there’s spray paint and a noose hanging on the door,” Safai said.
Officials said the incident is a grim reminder that there is still division and hatred, even in a city as diverse as San Francisco.
“Everyone that doesn’t believe that racism is still alive – and still alive in San Francisco – it absolutely is. But guess what? We’re not going to be broken by it,” the supervisor said.
While no suspects have been publicly identified, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins assured that once the case reaches her office, “We will do everything to make sure the person or persons responsible for this are held accountable.”
Jenkins said, although the messages were abhorrent, the hate beneath the vandalism can’t be ignored.
“We have to bring attention to it, as much as we don’t want to give what this person did attention, San Francisco has to recognize how much work it still needs to do,” Jenkins said.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Giants Star Infielder Discusses Outlook on Rest of the Season
![San Francisco Giants Star Infielder Discusses Outlook on Rest of the Season San Francisco Giants Star Infielder Discusses Outlook on Rest of the Season](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5885,h_3310,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/giants_baseball_insider/01j6gwr6ab812s7j8c4v.jpg)
The San Francisco Giants once again fell to under .500 after a loss on Thursday and they now sit 6.5 games out of the Wild Card. After bringing in a new manager in Bob Melvin and giving out a lot of money in free agency, as well as a big trade, there was a lot of optimism surrounding San Francisco heading into the season.
Although there have been bright spots, such as the emergence of young players like Heliot Ramos and Tyler Fitzgerald, the season as a whole has been a disappointment. One of their big free agent acquisitions, Matt Chapman, expressed that.
“It’s not fun. We know how precious each win is and how important these games are, so this one stings. We get back to San Fran and we’ve got another important series coming up — obviously, you look at the standings, and you know, it’s not looking great for us right now, just because we need to climb back into this thing. But we do play the teams ahead of us still coming up. And I think we can still control our own destiny,” the third baseman said.
It will definitely be an uphill battle if the Giants want to have a shot at playing in the postseason. After games wrapped on Thursday, there are currently three teams ahead of them for the third Wild Card spot. The New York Mets, who are the first on the outside, have a 3.5 game lead.
“There are still 27 games left, so a lot can happen. In September, everybody’s tired. Sometimes, you’ve just got to dig deep. We do play the Padres and the Diamondbacks quite a bit. … Everybody else is playing tough games too. There’s no reason why we can’t make a run. I think we know we have the talent in this room, we just have to get things going. We’ve had bad road trips before, and it seems like when we go home, we get hot again,” the 31-year-old continued.
While he is correct in that they play two teams in their division who are ahead of them in the Wild Card, it’s still going to take a lot of work. San Francisco will have to play their best baseball over the last month of the season to make a dent.
In 2024, the team’s longest winning streak is just four games, something they will likely need to surpass if they want to make a run. The Giants will have to dig deep, to say the least, and they will need to stay healthy and rely on their pitching.
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