More than 100 Jewish institutions across Canada were targeted with bomb threats in a series of emails early Wednesday morning, prompting police investigations. Community groups reported that the threatening emails claimed bombs had been planted at various Jewish premises and would be detonated later in the day.

By Wednesday afternoon, no bombs had been found, though investigations remained ongoing. “This was a threat that we took very seriously,” a spokesperson for B’nai Brith Canada told CP24. “We’re very grateful for the swift response from law enforcement.”

Eta Yudin, Quebec vice-president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), reassured the public that the threats appeared to be “nuisance emails designed to disrupt lives” and posed “no imminent threat.”

Montreal police responded to an emergency call from a shul at 7:10 a.m. and conducted sweeps of several threatened locations. Similar actions were taken by police in Toronto and Ottawa. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed it was working with local authorities and engaging with community leaders to provide information and support.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the threats on social media, calling the incident “blatant antisemitism.” He assured Canadians that the RCMP was coordinating with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of Jewish communities across the country. “Jewish Canadians will not be intimidated,” he added.

Despite the alarming nature of the threats, Rabbi Reuven Poupko of the Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation in Montreal said, “The purpose of that email is really an assault on the psyche of a community. But if that was the intent, it certainly failed. Every synagogue [in Montreal] was open.”

This incident follows a disturbing rise in antisemitic attacks in Canada. Last month, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Anthony Housefather as an adviser on combating antisemitism after violent incidents at shuls and Jewish schools in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver earlier this year.

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