Canada Pledges $10 Million for Jewish Security After Toronto Synagogue Shootings

Canada announced up to $10 million in new security funding for Jewish communities on Wednesday after three synagogues in the Toronto area were struck by gunfire within five days. The funding, unveiled by Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, will support security upgrades at Jewish institutions including schools, day cares, camps, and places of worship.

The investment will be distributed through the Canada Community Security Program (CCSP), which provides grants for protective barriers, reinforced doors and windows, security assessments, training to respond to hate-motivated incidents, and time-limited licensed security personnel.

“Our government is unwavering in its commitment to keep Canadians safe and to combatting all forms of hate,” Anandasangaree said. “No one in Canada should ever feel unsafe because of who they are, how they pray, or the community they belong to.”

The funding announcement follows three shootings targeting synagogues in the Greater Toronto Area earlier this month.

On March 2, shots were fired shortly before 11 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El in North York. Police responding to reports of gunfire found shell casings and damage near the synagogue entrance. Then just before midnight on March 7, suspects in a dark sedan opened fire at Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto in Thornhill, leaving bullet holes near the entrance. Approximately 20 minutes later, gunfire was reported at Shaarei Shomayim in North York, about 6.5 miles away, where investigators found several bullet holes in the synagogue’s front door.

Authorities are examining whether the two March 7 shootings are connected. Police said the incidents are being investigated by firearms and hate-crime units, while patrols around Jewish schools, synagogues, and community institutions have been increased across the region.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the attacks, describing them as “criminal antisemitic assaults,” and said federal agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, would assist in the investigation.

Evan Solomon, Canada’s minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, said the funding represents an initial step in addressing the security concerns facing Jewish communities.

“At this critical moment, when the community is feeling so vulnerable, we are taking direct action,” Solomon said, while urging lawmakers to move forward with Bill C-9, proposed anti-hate legislation currently under consideration.

“Reports that three separate synagogues were struck by gunfire within a single week are alarming and cannot be treated as isolated incidents,” said Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “The level of security now required to protect Jewish Canadians in Canada is shocking,” Shack added.

Other Jewish groups echoed the call for stronger action. Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center Canada described the funding as “an important step,” while B’nai Brith Canada urged governments to establish a national antisemitism emergency task force, treat the attacks as domestic terrorism, and deploy national security resources to protect Jewish institutions.

Israeli leaders also expressed concern over the incidents. During a call with Canadian Jewish leaders, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said, “I am deeply alarmed by the shocking rise of antisemitism in Canada ever since the October 7th massacre.”

Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli also urged the Canadian government to take stronger action in a letter sent March 10 to Prime Minister Carney. “Reports that three separate synagogues were struck by gunfire within a single week are alarming and cannot be treated as isolated incidents,” Chikli wrote. “These acts represent a serious escalation in threats directed toward Jewish communities and their places of worship. We call on the Government of Canada to stand by its commitment and act with the necessary determination to protect its Jewish citizens,” he added.

According to Canadian police statistics and data cited by Jewish organizations, Jews are the most frequently targeted religious group in the country for hate crimes. In 2024, authorities recorded 920 antisemitic incidents nationwide, despite Jewish Canadians representing roughly 1% of the population. A Jewish Canadian is about 25 times more likely to be the victim of a hate crime than the average Canadian.

Police said investigations into the synagogue shootings remain ongoing.