Three synagogues targeted in recent shootings as advocates warn weak responses risk emboldening further violence.
TORONTO— Over the past week, gunmen have fired shots at three different synagogues in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Temple Emanu-El Synagogue was targeted and gunfire has damaged the building in which Jewish community members were celebrating a holiday just hours before the attack.
The rabbi who was still on site after the evening's celebration even heard the gunshots.
Toronto Police have reportedly identified "multiple shell casings" but not the suspect.
Two other synagogues were attacked over the Jewish Sabbath with gunmen firing shots at the front doors of Shaarei Shomayim Congregation and Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT). These are significant and vibrant places of worship attended by hundreds of families.
As these crimes designed to threaten and intimidate Jews receive international attention, the Toronto Police can barely bring themselves to acknowledge the antisemitic nature of the attacks.
Initially described by Deputy Chief Frank Barredo as a random act of violence, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw has since clarified the hateful nature of this act against the Jewish community.
"Performative press conferences do not save lives. Canadian families deserve law enforcement that will prevent attacks and prosecute criminals," says Amanda Achtman, Director of TDF's Religious Freedom Program.
Terrorists in Canada's largest city are now being emboldened by the predictably tepid response of those responsible for public safety.
Despite Jews being a small minority of the population, 81% of religiously-motivated hate crimes in Toronto were perpetrated against Jews according to the latest reports.
Achtman recalls, "I will always remember being at one of the two Toronto synagogues attacked this past weekend in 2018 when we got the news after Shabbat that 11 Jews had been massacred at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. That was the deadliest single attack on Jews in American history. A scheduled concert took place late that Saturday night during which a rabbi said, 'Some of you might have wondered whether this event might get cancelled in light of the devastating news. But, under no circumstances would we cancel our event because if we cancelled our celebrations every time there was a Jewish tragedy or an anniversary of a Jewish tragedy, then we wouldn’t have celebrations.'"
While the Jewish community is resilient, all Canadians should be adamant about seeing Jewish institutions protected from violence, especially from these kinds of attacks that could obviously become deadly.
TDF has launched the Religious Freedom Fellowship to seek an inaugural cohort of rising Canadian leaders (ages 18-35) committed to combating discrimination against Jews and Christians in Canada. To learn more about the fellowship program and to apply, visit ReligiousFreedomFellowship.ca.
About The Democracy Fund:
Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education and relieving poverty. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education. TDF supports an access to justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic.