A Vaughan Jewish man was attacked by a man who had attempted to force his way into a Vaughan, Canada synagogue on Saturday, according to the York Regional Police and the Sephardic Kehila Centre.
A man, reportedly of Middle Eastern background and unknown to the synagogue, had attempted to enter the synagogue, though upon questioning, he admitted he was not there to attend prayer services. The man attempted to maneuver past synagogue security but was unsuccessful and, upon departing, discarded papers that appeared to contain verses from the Psalms.
The intruder then allegedly attempted to block the path of a congregant walking with his son to prayer services. The congregant moved past the suspect, but the intruder allegedly punched him in the face. According to the police and the synagogue, the victim did not suffer serious injuries.
“On Saturday, an intruder attempted to make his way into our building. He was questioned by our synagogue’s security team and ultimately turned away due to his suspicious behaviour," Sephardic Kehila Centre Rabbi David Kadoch told The Jerusalem Post. "After leaving the building, he walked past a member of our synagogue and proceeded to attack him from behind. It was a clear assault, and thankfully, our member was not more seriously injured."
York Regional Police said on X/Twitter on Saturday that its hate crime unit was investigating the incident and urged anyone with information to contact the authorities.
Kadoch thanked the police and Jewish Security Network for their response and work, but noted that the synagogue remained concerned that "attacks against our community are becoming more commonplace."
"The Jewish community, like all Canadians, deserve to be able to celebrate and practice our religion without this constant threat of violence," said Kadoch.
Vaughan Mayor: Protection of Jews 'top priority'
Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca said in a social media statement that the incident was disturbing and that the protection of Jewish residents remained a top priority.
"At a time when antisemitism and Jew hatred is on the rise, we must be vigilant and do everything possible to support and protect our Jewish residents," said Del Duca.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather called for the perpetrator to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
"We need to see justice be done," Housefather said on X.
Deputy opposition leader MP Melissa Lantsman warned on X that the normalization of such incidents could not be accepted.
United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto said in a statement that it was relieved that the Jewish community member was not seriously injured, but that it didn't lessen the severity of the attack, which reflected " a continued pattern of antisemitic violence targeting our community."
"As these incidents become more normalized, they erode public safety and our way of life as Canadians," said the UJA Federation. "This cannot be tolerated."
B'nai Brith Israel argued on social media that such incidents had already become normalized due to a permissive environment, due to the hesitation and weak law enforcement by authorities.