“I want to go to sleep, I am so exhausted from all the events,” said the Israeli-born co-owner of Oakland Kosher. “I only hope it’s just people mad about the situation in the Mideast, only bubbemeysas.”
Boudana’s stressful month began when a visitor claiming to be a field inspector for the U.S. Department of Agriculture came in the store on the morning of Aug. 5. Identifying himself as David Hori, the man did not check the refrigeration unit or any meat, but he left quickly after being told an Alameda County health inspector was due momentarily for a scheduled visit.
USDA spokesman Matt Baun said it would be highly irregular for an inspector to visit a restaurant. The man left a business card that Oakland Police told Boudana looked as if it was printed off a home computer. Baun was uncertain if a David Hori was employed by the USDA.
Health inspector Jennifer Eberle’s subsequent visit came in response to an anonymous complainant, who claimed, among other charges, that Boudana stored garbage in his refrigerator, served soups that had been refrigerated for 10 to 12 days, made sandwiches out of green, rotted meat and was selling wine without a liquor license. None of these charges checked out.
Shortly after the visit, however, Boudana received the first in a series of threatening phone calls.
A female caller speaking poor English with a Mediterranean accent told the 38-year-old butcher, “We know the health department did not shut you down. We will make sure you shut down.”
Later that day, the same caller added, “Since the health department not shut you down, we blow you up as Beth Jacob.”
Nearby Orthodox Beth Jacob Congregation was the victim of an arson attack in May. Police characterized the fire as a hate crime.
Boudana received one more call, and asked the person at the other end of the line if she wanted “something, money, anything I can negotiate with you.” She replied, “No, the High Holy Days are coming, we poison you, we destroy you guys, poison your food.”
On Aug. 14, a little more than a week after the threatening calls, Boudana’s frazzled nerves received another jolt when a bomb squad detonated a suitcase left in a vacant lot across from his store. The case turned out to be empty. Yet Boudana was forced to call police again that afternoon when a suitcase was left in his store. Much to his relief, the luggage turned out to be left by a jet-lagged traveler.
Since whoever made the threatening phone calls mentioned the health department visit, Boudana believes the person who made the spurious complaint may be involved.
“How did that person know? I’m not Columbo, but I know she said, ‘The health department did not shut you down,'” said Boudana, whose business partner, Yuval Atias, has been in Israel throughout the past month. “Why did she make that comment? How did she know?”
Eberle does not have the complainant’s name, but she does the complainant’s phone number. She also said she called an Oakland Police Department voice-mail line on Aug. 7 and again on the next day, but as of press time, she had not received a call back.
A phone number for Capt. Jeff Israel is given on the voice-mail message, but Eberle did not call it.
Israel said Eberle was in possession of “great information,” and was puzzled as to why she hadn’t called him. “I’m very excited to hear she has that information. Obviously, it’s critical we get that phone number,” Israel said. “I’m surprised she stopped” with a voice-mail message.
Israel added that Eberle should have received a call weeks ago from a police officer. He had left a message for Sgt. Paul Balzouman of the arson department to call Eberle.
Boudana said he was frustrated that it took more than two weeks for the police and health departments to get in contact with each other. “If somebody dropped the ball, I will contact a higher authority. I will call the FBI…write to my senator, to the president.
“I will write to the president of the federation, the consulate; I will not keep quiet,” he said.
In the meantime, Boudana has decided to beef up security for the High Holy Days and limit access to the kitchen.