Two Toronto Sites Defaced with Swastika

As the Jewish community readies for the upcoming Jewish Fast Day of Tisha B’Av, there were two anti-Semitic incidents reported in Toronto on Thursday, August 4^th, one of which was made on the exterior of the Beth Tikvah Synagogue, located in the city’s Bayview and Finch area.

Using a stencil, the vandals spray painted a large red and black swastika on the exterior of the synagogue, with the phrase, “Islam will rule” written in large black letters.

Earlier in the day, the parking lot of an apartment located in Toronto’s Avenue Road and Roselawn Avenue neighbourhood, was also defaced by what appears to be the same swastika stencil.

Responding to the vandalism perpetrated at Beth Tikvah, Shimon Fogel, CEO of the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA), released the following statement:

“Beth Tikvah contacted CIJA (Thursday) evening for our assistance in responding to this alarming incident. Our primary concern is for the safety of Beth Tikvah, its staff, and congregants. We have been in close contact with police to ensure that immediate measures are being enacted to strengthen Beth Tikvah’s security, as well as Jewish community institutions in general. We will remain vigilant in the wake of this disturbing and offensive event. Earlier this week, CIJA issued greetings to our friends in Canada’s Muslim community on the occasion of Ramadan. We know that this outrageous act will be condemned by Canadian Muslims and members of all faith communities who share our commitment to security, peace, and respect for all faiths.”