Dear Community Members,

Thanks to the diligent work of Federation CJA’s Community Security Network (CSN), police were able to swiftly arrest the suspects that perpetrated the antisemitic acts of burning the Israeli flag. The incident occurred yesterday during a celebration of Israel's 75th anniversary at a Yom Ha'atzmaut event in the West Island.

The two male teenagers removed and burned Israeli flags from the grounds of Hebrew Foundation School, a private Jewish elementary school in Dollard-des-Ormeaux (DDO), after students had been dismissed for the day. The youths posted a video of the incident to social media, which was caught on school surveillance cameras and reported to the Montreal Police Department (SPVM) and Federation CJA's CSN.

Upon becoming aware of the incident, the school administration informed both the SPVM and CSN. The SPVM Hate Crime Unit investigated the incident, and both the SPVM and DDO Public Security immediately increased their presence around the school. CSN volunteers have been deployed in large numbers around our schools across the city to ensure the safety and security of our community.

I want to emphasize that antisemitism is unacceptable anywhere in the world. Protecting our community and preventing antisemitic acts in Montreal is key to the mandate of Federation CJA and the CSN. We also continue to work closely with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) to advocate for the Montreal Jewish community.

In addition, we are grateful to the many volunteers of the CSN and the SPVM who were present at yesterday’s Israel 75 Rally downtown, ensuring the safety and security of our community. Numerous protectors were deployed in the area, demonstrating the effectiveness of our investment in the CSN. Thanks to their vigilance, a suspicious individual was identified, immediately questioned, and brought to the attention of the SPVM, leading to their arrest.

It is important to reiterate that there is no reason to believe that the incident at Hebrew Foundation School or the rally downtown is indicative of an increase in the threat to our community. We remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of our community at all times.

Since 2019, Federation CJA’s CSN has trained over 100 community members in critical security skills, including threat awareness and active security threats. I am proud of our CSN protectors and want to thank the many volunteers and SPVM for their dedication to protecting the Montreal Jewish community, ensuring our community had the opportunity to celebrate safely.

Sincerely,

Yair Szlak, LL.B
President and Chief Executive Officer,
Federation CJA