A shul and synagogue in Toronto were vandalized on Sunday in what police are calling “hate-motivated” attacks. The Pride of Israel Synagogue, which is conservative, and Kehillas Shaarei Torah were both targeted, with rocks thrown through their windows and stained glass panels shattered.

The first incident occurred at the Pride of Israel Synagogue, where congregants arrived Sunday morning to find several windows broken and stones scattered on the bimah. The suspect, caught on security camera, was seen getting off a motorcycle and throwing rocks at the building before fleeing the area.

The second incident occurred at Shaarei Torah, which has been targeted twice since April. A vandal threw a rock through a window, and the suspect was seen fleeing the area on a motorcycle.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said that the Hate Crime Unit is investigating both incidents, which are being treated as suspected hate-motivated offenses. The police have increased their presence in the targeted areas.

The Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center condemned the attacks, writing, “These two incidents come amid a dramatic upsurge in antisemitism in Canada, including many antisemitic shootings, firebombings, bomb threats, and vandalism attacks on Jewish institutions and businesses since October 7.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)