Toronto Synagogue Vandalized On Eve Of Walk With Israel

Toronto Police are investigating after a window was smashed at Mishkan Avraham Synagogue in North York overnight Saturday, hours before the annual Walk with Israel was set to take place nearby under heightened security.

The synagogue, located at 2797 Bathurst Street near Glencairn Avenue, was damaged on the eve of one of Canada’s largest Jewish community events. Police said no injuries were reported and no suspect description was immediately available.

Toronto Police described the incident as “mischief damage” and said officers responded to reports of damage at a synagogue, where “a window was broken with an unknown object.” Police said the damage was “believed to have occurred overnight.” The Hate Crime Unit is investigating.

The incident came as Jewish families in Toronto prepared for Sunday morning’s United Jewish Appeal Walk with Israel, a nearly 2.5-mile march through North York. Police had already announced an expanded security plan for the event, with officers deployed along the route and support from nearby police services.

The vandalism also came less than 24 hours after an attempted firebombing at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Westmount, near Montreal. Authorities said no one was injured in that incident, and a suspect was arrested.

The Israeli Consulate in Toronto condemned the attacks, saying two Jewish houses of worship had been targeted in two major Canadian cities within less than a day.

“The Jewish community has heard many statements over the past 2.5 years. It has attended countless announcements, roundtables, and consultations. Yet synagogues are still being shot at. Firebombs are still being thrown. Jewish schools, community institutions, and places of worship continue to require extraordinary security measures simply to function,” Consul General Idit Shamir said.

“Canada must demonstrate, through concrete action, that antisemitic violence will be confronted with the full force of the law,” she added.

According to the Toronto Sun, a bullseye-like reflective target was also found at the scene near the damaged window. The report said the marker appeared to be a Leica reflective target, commonly used with laser or optical measuring instruments. Police have not publicly confirmed whether the object was connected to the vandalism.

B’nai Brith Canada also linked the incident to the wider rise in antisemitism across the country. Richard Robertson, the organization’s director of research and advocacy, said the attack came less than a week after Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed Canada’s Jewish community and spoke about the need to protect Jewish Canadians.

“This incident exemplifies how the approach to combatting antisemitism presently being undertaken in this country is not enough – it fails to capture the gravity of the national crisis of antisemitism,” Robertson said.

Toronto Police said before the march that officers would be present on foot, bicycles and horseback, with additional assistance from York, Durham, Peel and the Ontario Provincial Police. Police said hate crime experts would also be positioned along the route.

Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said police would respect lawful protest but warned that criminal conduct would not be tolerated. “No one should be subjected to intimidation, harassment, threats, hate-motivated criminal acts, or other criminal behaviour,” he said.

The incident follows Carney’s June 1 remarks at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, where he said “Canada’s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians” and announced new measures to combat antisemitism. Roughly 70% of Canada’s religion-based hate crimes in 2024 targeted Jews, although Jews make up about 1% of the country’s population.