Orthodox jews in the Mile-End area of Montreal.John Morstad/The Globe and Mail
Police have opened an investigation after five synagogues and a Jewish school in Montreal were targeted by vandals within a few hours, sparking concern as well as condemnation from public figures.
The institutions, all limited to west-end residential neighborhoods with large Jewish communities, had windows broken overnight between Saturday and Sunday. Damage was minor.
Jewish institutions in Montreal, including schools and places of worship, ramped up security after a firebomb destroyed an elementary-school library in 2004. In the wake of the weekend attacks, Jewish community leaders are urging greater vigilance.
Police initially listed four synagogues as having been targeted, all during the early hours of Sunday, but added a fifth on Monday after damage was discovered to a window on the side of another building.
Reuben Poupko, head of a security committee for the Jewish community, said it's premature to speculate about a motive behind the vandalism, but noted it comes in a broader context of increased expressions of anti-Semitism in Europe and calls for anti-Israel boycotts in Canada.
"There are people who do seek to import foreign disputes to Canadian soil," Rabbi Poupko said. "The de-legitimization of Israel inevitably has collateral damage in terms of the Jewish community."
A family owned shoe store in Montreal's Plateau Mont Royal district has been the focus of a boycott by protesters, including Quebec MNA Amir Khadir, because it sells Israeli-made shoes. A number of provincial and federal politicians turned up at the store on St. Denis Street over the weekend in support of the shopkeeper.
Meanwhile, rabbis said the weekend vandalism, which appeared to be caused by rocks, was disturbing because it appeared to be orchestrated.
"On the scale of things it was a minor attack," said Ron Aigen of Congregation Dorshei Emet. The synagogue's front window was hit. "Nevertheless, because it was a coordinated event in which several Jewish institutions were targeted, this had an anti-Semitic intent that's worrisome."
Rabbi Aigen said he was heartened by numerous expressions of support, including from members of a Montreal-area mosque.
A spokesman for the Montreal police said the vandalism is being treated as a possible hate crime. Police are reviewing video footage from security cameras outside of at least one synagogue; they have no suspects and are seeking the public's help. "Whether it's a church, a Buddhist temple or a synagogue, breaking windows like this is unacceptable," said Constable Daniel Lacoursière, a spokesman for the Montreal police.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff condemned the vandalism, saying they "represent a series of hateful and systematic acts not just on institutions but on a religious community itself."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Jewish communities across Canada that once again have been made to feel that their congregations and the children in their schools have cause to fear for their safety," Mr. Ignatieff said in a statement. Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, whose riding includes the targeted institutions, called the attacks "a clear anti-Semitic hate crime."
The institutions were the Dorshei Emet, Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem, Beth Rambam, Beth Zion and Shaare Zedek synagogues, as well as the Académie Yavné school. They are located in the communities of Côte St. Luc and Hampstead.