Beth Tikvah synagogue in D.D.O. hit by a firebomb
Prayer services at Congregation Beth Tikvah were held outdoors Wednesday morning, as the synagogue entrance was taped off after a crude firebomb was thrown through a window overnight.
It’s the second time the building has been attacked in 14 months. The synagogue was the target of a Molotov cocktail in November 2023, one month before Hanukkah. Wednesday’s attack took place one week before the Jewish holiday.
Mordecai Zeitz, rabbi emeritus at Beth Tikvah, said he is sad to see this happen again during “a season of brotherhood and celebration and family and unity.”
“We can have a difference of opinion by discourse, not disgusting acts,” he said.
Beth Tikvah synagogue is on Westpark Blvd. in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, near the Hebrew Foundation School and the West Island offices of Federation CJA.
Police arrived around 3 a.m. after receiving a report of a fire outside the building. They quickly extinguished the flames with a fire extinguisher and found the remnants of a crude firebomb.
A window was smashed, the surrounding walls blackened, and the entrance still smelled of smoke by midday Wednesday.
During an inspection at 7:20 a.m., police discovered two windows were smashed in the Federation CJA building across the street. No incendiary objects were found at that location.
Montreal police spokesperson Véronique Dubuc said witnesses reported a suspect at the site before the arrival of police. No injuries were reported, and investigators will examine surveillance cameras in an effort to determine the circumstances leading to the fire.
Investigations to find the suspect began Wednesday afternoon, police spokesperson Mariane Allaire Morin said. Police are investigating whether the attack may lead to hate-crime and mischief charges.
No suspect was found in the November 2023 attack, due to lack of evidence, Allaire Morin said.
Henry Topas, Beth Tikvah cantor and B’nai Brith Canada’s regional director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada, said Wednesday’s incident “is a terrifying reminder that Montreal is increasingly unsafe for Jewish people. This is the result of the failure of leaders at all levels to hold accountable those responsible for the hate and violence that is infesting Canadian society. Specifically, Mayor Valérie Plante must act now to stop the exponential rise in hate and antisemitism, which she has permitted to get out of control in Montreal.”
Federation CJA president and CEO Yair Szlak said that despite the incident, “Jewish life in Montreal will continue to thrive and we will continue to attend our Jewish schools and synagogues proudly.”
However, Szlak added that “in the last 14 months, this is the seventh instance where a Jewish institution has been targeted in Montreal and the second time these (particular) institutions are targeted.
“Let’s not mince words: This is a stark reminder of what happens when politicians fail to call out antisemitism and prevent the escalation of violence on our streets. We call on Mayor Plante to act immediately to crack down on the unacceptable rise in antisemitism in Montreal. Our community is outraged and so should all Quebec citizens. We expect the authorities to treat this incident with the highest level of care and consider all likely motives. Enough is enough.”
“Such attacks cannot be ignored or dismissed as isolated incidents, nor can we allow these attacks to become the new normal,” said Michael Levitt, president of the non-profit Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center. “We call on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, hold the perpetrators accountable, and take immediate action to address the growing threats faced by Jewish institutions and individuals.”
Zev Saltiel of the activist group Independent Jewish Voices Montreal echoed that the trend of targeting synagogues is “deeply disturbing,” and said fighting anti-Jewish hatred cannot happen in isolation.
“We are undeniably witnessing a surge in white supremacy and far-right populism,” said Saltiel. “Combatting antisemitism requires standing in solidarity with all marginalized groups, including those facing Islamophobia, racism and transphobia, and actively working to dismantle the systems of violence and oppression that harm us all.”
Despite the damage inside the building, Beth Tikvah will be open for services Wednesday evening, according to Zeitz.
Nearly everything inside the entrance hall of the synagogue was burned, except for two mezuzot, or parchment prayer scrolls encased in metal boxes on the doorposts. Zeitz called the mezuzah the “statement of Jewish identity,” and said the scrolls’ endurance during the attack symbolizes the endurance of the Jewish people.
“We’ve been here 60 years. The Jewish community has been here for thousands of years, and we will persevere.”
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 7:46 AM.
