Entire Bay Area Jewish Community Intimidated By One Man Army

San Francisco CA

Description

According to the Jewish News of Northern California, this one lone man has the entire Bay Area community of Jews, atwitter: Man threatening S.F.’s Beth Sholom is arrested and released A mentally ill man, Anatoly Smolkin, has been repeatedly and aggressively harassing families and staff at San Francisco’s Congregation Beth Sholom, according to executive director Vered Cohen. He has shown up about six times over the past six weeks. “Every time it got worse,” Cohen told J. She said Smolkin also sent threatening emails to clergy and staff. The news comes after the 37-year-old was arrested in August for disruptive acts at two East Bay Jewish sites, Berkeley’s Netivot Shalom synagogue and Berkeley Chabad on University Avenue. He was arrested and released soon after. Smolkin was arrested again last week, this time by San Francisco Police. The district attorney’s office did not press charges because they were unlikely to stick, Cohen said, and he was released. Cohen said Smolkin first appeared at the Richmond District synagogue at the beginning of September and followed up his visits with “really disturbing email about [how] ‘he’s going to bring justice’ and bombing.” After the first time, the synagogue immediately informed the police, as well as the S.F. Federation, and heightened its security. Smolkin continued to turn up, harassing staff and security, but the situation got more serious once kids were present. “He showed up and there were parents picking up their children,” Cohen said. “He threw a cup of coffee that was in his hand.” The next time, Smolkin threatened a security guard and said he’d harm the children as well, Cohen said. According to Smolkin’s mother, Natasha, a Jewish immigrant from the former Soviet Union currently residing in the Bay Area, she and her husband Zakhar know about their son’s behavior and “are devastated.” “The system has completely failed him,” she said. “It’s the same as 11 years ago.” That was when Smolkin’s mental health issues surfaced, she told J. At that time Smolkin was an attorney. He was disbarred after he was convicted for 30 felonies and 17 misdemeanors involving the harassment and stalking of 17 victims. He was released from jail in 2017 but arrested that same year for violating probation after writing a delusional letter to the Solano County district attorney’s office. Smolkin was arrested Aug. 7 in Berkeley after he walked into the sanctuary of Netivot Shalom in the middle of morning Shabbat services and shouted aggressive statements, congregants said. He then walked to Berkeley Chabad, asked for the rabbi and swore at a Chabad employee. Smolkin was booked and then released from Santa Rita County Jail. He has been living on the streets, his mother said. The family doesn’t know where he sleeps. “He has a little money,” Natasha Smolkin said. “Sometimes he stays in hotels or motels. Sometimes he rides the all-night bus until 4 a.m. and then goes to a Starbucks.” She said that when he does not take his prescribed medication, he gets angry and shouts. “If he got help, nothing like this would happen,” she said. “I feel terrible for people. I understand why they would be scared when he’s yelling like that. People don’t know he’s not violent. He just yells. But I would be scared, too, if I didn’t know.” But Beth Sholom is taking no chances, Cohen said. Leaders are continuing to work closely with the police and their security firm. Smolkin has stayed away this week, but already sent another disturbed email. Cohen said she has compassion for Smolkin but has real fears about what actions he could take. The whole experience has been “really scary,” Cohen said. It's not clear how these people deal with Halloween, or scary movies. Let's see Anatoly Smolkin's letters! Let's see what has him so upset! All this talk about all these threats and all these calls to the police to get him arrested and build up some sort of statistical basis for your OBVIOUS fear and hatred of whatever it is that he is trying to get an answer to. What's he saying in the letters that has rabbis shitting bricks? C'mon, Jews, publish the letters. Quit acting like rabbits. Every story has two sides. Let's hear Anatoly's side, you fucking bullies.