Jesse Kline: Jew hate is a growing Canadian pastime. This is the result - National Post
Bullet holes are be seen on the stained glass of the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ont., after a shooting that left a police officer injured on Sept. 20. Photo by Courtesy of Doug LobelArticle contentIt would appear as though the antisemites have finally succeeded at preventing Jewish-Canadians from gathering to worship in peace, after shots were fired outside an Ontario synagogue during Yom Kippur services on Sunday evening. I’d say this should serve as a wake-up call, but how many wake-up calls does one country need?
The incident occurred outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ont. Its president, Norman Weddum, told National Post that he was ushering people into the sanctuary at around 7 p.m. when he heard the gunfire, prompting congregants to seek cover on the floor. Officials estimate that between 20 and 30 shots were fired. Images from the scene show numerous holes in the synagogue’s stained-glass windows.
Police allege that 29-year-old Sean Ward showed up to the site with a shotgun and was involved in a shootout with police that left an officer wounded and the suspect in life-threatening condition. While police won’t say whether the synagogue was the target, it’s not hard to connect the dots, as the last three years have seen a rash of violence targeting Jewish schools, houses of worship, businesses and community institutions.
Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings.
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Yet this represents a significant escalation, as previous attacks against synagogues have taken place late at night, when few people, if any, were inside. The only reason to hit a synagogue on Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days of the year, would be because the perpetrator knew there would be lots of people inside.
Such an attack sends the message that Jews are not safe anywhere in the country. While most of the antisemitic violence has taken place in large cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, Belleville, which is located 190 kilometres east of Toronto, is a city of about 55,000 with a small Jewish population: Sons of Jacob is the only synagogue in the area and has just 60 members, according to its website.
While residents of the normally peaceful bedroom community were rightly shocked by the violence, it’s not like Canadians weren’t warned. Half a year ago, the federal government’s Integrated Threat Assessment Centre said that there was a “realistic possibility” of an attack against the Canadian Jewish community within the next six months.
