Over the course of one week, three synagogues were targeted with gunfire, adding to the recent attacks on Jewish institutions in the Toronto area. On March 2, officers responded to reports of gunshots and found evidence of gunfire damaging the Temple Emanu-El Synagogue in North York. No injuries were reported.
The attacks occurred on the evening of Purim, a holiday commemorating the saving of the Jewish people from a threatened massacre in ancient Persia, according to events in the Book of Esther. Purim was celebrated over March 2 and 3. A few days later on March 7, shots were fired overnight at synagogues Shaarei Shomayim, also in North York, and Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT), located in Vaughan. The shootings reignited fears of antisemitism both on and off campus, harkening back to previous attacks on Jewish institutions.
According to Shoshi Lipschultz, Hillel Ontario Director at York, while students on campus are feeling a variety of emotions — chief among them shock and anger — the community is standing strong and drawing from a shared, resilient history. He affirms, “We will not be intimidated — we will support each other and continue to thrive.” The response from authorities has provided some reassurance, though the hard truth is that significant funds are being spent on securing Jewish institutions. Regardless of the costs, the community is continuing to remain proudly Jewish.
For Lipschultz, “Jewish life on campus is vibrant, proud and unshakeable.” Hillel York is offering safe spaces, check-ins, and Shabbat gatherings, while condemning the attacks and offering a united response. Hillel York also encourages the York University community to take a moment to have a conversation with Jewish students and ask questions. Lipschultz concludes that, most importantly, “this is a moment to learn, connect, and stand together, not just in solidarity, but in genuine understanding. The more we engage, the stronger our campus community becomes.”
These sentiments are echoed by Menachem Guttmann, whose family members are long-standing members of BAYT. The shooting at their synagogue means requesting increased security from officials and institutions and taking “even more responsibility for protecting our own people.” He highlights how these appeals from community members have been met with mixed reception. Additionally, funds that are normally put toward community programming, member support, and improving synagogues now must be put towards security, requiring extra fundraising so “people can feel safe attending synagogue or community events. At the end of the day, safety has become the number one priority.”
Guttman emphasizes that “people are upset, shaken and angry, but they are not giving up,” continuing to proudly inhabit public and community spaces. He also notes that many people did not seem shocked, and that the reaction speaks to the normalization of these occurrences “after years of threats, rising antisemitism, and attacks on Jewish institutions in Canada and elsewhere.” Many Jewish individuals are making personal safety decisions in their everyday lives, with some no longer feeling safe to take transit or even walk in public areas while visibly representing their faith.
After the attack in Vaughan, Mayor Steven Del Duca immediately visited BAYT and spoke to members. However, Guttman adds that in Toronto, there is a sense of receiving “less visible support from the broader leadership around them,” fostering deeper uncertainty and isolation. He also struggles to understand the lack of police presence — while officers and vehicles were present post-attack, it seems to Guttman that meaningful protection seems to appear only after a synagogue has already been attacked.
Guttman believes that the issue is one of universal safety: “When one minority is attacked, every minority is made less safe,” he concluded. “This should not be seen as only a Jewish issue. This is an issue for Toronto and the GTA as a whole, and it is time for people to act like it.”
