After spending thousands of dollars on new fences, cameras, and security guards, Toronto’s Kehillat Shaarei Torah fell victim to another attack this week, marking the tenth the synagogue has come under assault since Hamas’s October 7 massacre.
Security footage captured a suspect late Tuesday night approaching the Bayview Avenue synagogue with a hammer, smashing several windows, and fleeing on foot. Toronto Police confirmed the incident is being investigated as hate-motivated mischief to religious property, handled by the Hate Crimes Unit. The suspect was described as wearing a black jacket with a hood, black pants, and black shoes with white markings.
The attack is the latest in a disturbing pattern that has plagued the congregation for nearly two years. Previous incidents included arson, signs set ablaze, anti-Israel stickers plastered on synagogue property, and a dead raccoon left on the lawn.
To protect itself, Kehillat Shaarei Torah completed major security upgrades in 2024 with reinforced fencing, new high-resolution cameras, and an overnight guard costing roughly $160,000. However, while the federal government is supposed to reimburse part of that cost through its Canada Community Security Program, bureaucratic delays have left the synagogue waiting months for payment.
Despite the latest damage, Kehillat Shaarei Torah’s daily 7 a.m. service went ahead as scheduled the next morning.
“We just kind of keep on moving on with our lives as it comes and goes,” Executive Director Michael Gilmore tells The Canadian Jewish News. “No one’s going to deter us from being proud Jews, but we’re tired of having to deal with it.”
Beyond the financial toll and repeated attacks, the Toronto congregation has been heartened by gestures of solidarity from across the community.
“We’ve gotten calls from people who say ‘I’m not Jewish. I’m a Canadian, and I feel disgusted with what’s been happening to you,’” says Gilmore. “Canadians are really realizing that this is a problem and that they don’t stand for Jew hatred, and they don’t stand for vandalism against religious institutions, and there’s been a big outpouring of support for that.”
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