outrage as montreal synagogue hit by second firebomb in 13 months
last november, molotov cocktails were thrown at the synagogue
3 minute read
cantor henry topas, left, and rabbie emeritus dr. mordecai zeitz at the fire-bombed entrance to congregation beth tikhvah in montreal on dec. 18, 2024.
john mahoney
/
montreal gazette
a montreal community centre and synagogue that was the target of a firebomb just over a year ago has once again been damaged by fire. the centre on west park boulevard in the suburb of dollard-des-ormeaux is occupied by congregation beth tikvah synagogue, the hebrew foundation school and the west island offices of the federation cja. police say they received a 911 call shortly before 3 a.m. wednesday morning about a fire outside the building.
police quickly extinguished the flames and found the remnants of a crude firebomb. a window was smashed and there was smoke damage to the building. no injuries were reported.
montreal police spokesperson véronique dubuc said witnesses reported a suspect at the site before the arrival of police. investigators will examine local surveillance cameras to try to determine the circumstances leading to the fire. dubuc said police have not yet determined whether the fire constitutes a hate crime.
friends of simon wiesenthal center (fswc) said in a statement that it was deeply disturbed by the latest firebombing.
“this vile act of violence, occurring so close to hanukkah, is a direct assault on the jewish community as well as a stark reminder of the alarming rise in antisemitism and hate crimes targeting jews across canada,” said michael levitt, president and ceo of fswc.
advertisement
he added: “such attacks cannot be ignored or dismissed as isolated incidents, nor can we allow these attacks to become the new normal. we call on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, hold the perpetrators accountable, and take immediate action to address the growing threats faced by jewish institutions and individuals.”
rabbi saul emanuel, executive director of the jewish community council of montreal, also released a statement decrying the attack.
“this second attack on the same location is deeply disturbing and a stark reminder of the persistence of anti-semitic hatred,” he said. “this is not an isolated incident — it is a repeated assault on a cornerstone of our community that serves as a hub for education, faith, and social services.”
conservative party leader pierre poilievre also took to social media to denounce the attack.
“another brazen act of antisemitic hate and violence overnight,” he wrote on x, adding: “after 9 years of justin trudeau, canada has become a more dangerous place for people of the jewish faith. i condemn these cowardly acts and call on this liberal government to finally show a backbone and do something to protect our people.”
yair szlak, president and ceo of federation cja, called the attack and others “chilling reminders of what happens when politicians fail to call out antisemitism and prevent the escalation of violence on our streets.”
advertisement
he called on montreal mayor valerie plante “to crack down immediately on the unacceptable rise in antisemitism in montreal,” adding: “our community is outraged, but we are also determined in our demand for action. we know that the silent, moderate majority in quebec is disgusted by the extremism and violence targeting our community and threatening our society. we expect the authorities to treat this incident with the highest level of scrutiny and consider all likely motives. enough is enough.”
this is the second such attack on the centre in just over a year. last november, molotov cocktails were thrown at the synagogue and a second small fire ignited at the back door of the federation cja building across the street from the synagogue. montreal police have not yet reported making an arrest in connection to that incident.
with files from the canadian press
our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here.
share story
