A synagogue in North York has been vandalized for the tenth time, according to Toronto police.
Authorities say they received a call at approximately 6:40 a.m. for reports of a smashed window at Kehillat Shaarei Torah temple, which is located near Bayview Avenue and York Mills Road.
Police tell CityNews four windows were damaged in total.
The lone suspect is still at-large and described as being a male in his late teens to early 20s. He was last seen wearing a face mask and a dark blue jacket/hoodie.
According to the temple’s executive director, Michael Gilmore, the suspect used a hammer to damage the property.
Glass doors and windows at the temple have been repeatedly smashed over the last year, with the most recent incident happening in December 2024.
“I honestly believe this continues to happen because of antisemitism,” Gilmore told CityNews. “People who are filled with hatred are being emboldened by people in power like the mayor.”
Over the weekend, Mayor Olivia Chow faced criticism from Jewish groups for recognizing the devastation in Gaza as a “genocide” at an event hosted by the National Council for Canadian Muslims.
“Blood libel is one of the oldest forms of antisemitism,” Gilmore explained. “That is the biggest thing that is allowing these crimes to continue to happen.”
Gilmore praised Toronto police for stepping up and providing extra security around the temple.
“They’ve been wonderful, but they can only do so much,” he added. “Politicians need to think about their comments and how it affects us.”
Ward 19 Councillor Brad Bradford echoed Gilmore’s comments saying, “Divisive words can lead to divisive action,” in a social media post shared Tuesday morning.
Authorities say an investigation is ongoing, but have not said if the incident is being investigated as a potential hate crime.
