Watch today’s press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbTHcjnKdr8
Montreal, QC – November 9, 2023 – The Jewish community in Montreal is demanding justice and swift action after two Jewish schools, including an elementary school, were shot at overnight. Bullet holes at the front entrance of both buildings were discovered this morning at Azrieli Talmud Torah and Yeshiva Gedola. While no one was in either building and the damage was minimal, this discovery represents a worrying escalation in the violence Jewish Canadians have been experiencing.
This afternoon, Federation CJA and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs held a joint press conference to address the incident and the troubling increase in antisemitic incidents that are increasingly violent and threatening. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbTHcjnKdr8
“This is a clear escalation in the antisemitism the Jewish community has experienced since October 7, when the terror group Hamas committed mass atrocities against Israelis,” said Yair Szlak, President and CEO, Federation CJA. “To most Canadians, the war may feel as if it is on the other side of the world, but, for Jews, we’re experiencing the hate and feeling the danger right here in our home communities, and this latest act of violence toward Jews has us all saying ‘enough.’"
“It is unconscionable that anyone would fire a gun toward a school in Montreal – whether there are children present or not,” said Eta Yudin, Vice President, Quebec, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “This incident represents a significant escalation in the threats we’ve experienced in the past month. The stress and anxiety this creates for the Jewish community cannot be understated, but it is also of utmost importance that we continue to take part in Jewish life. We will stay vigilant, but we will not be intimidated.”
Leadership from Federation CJA and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs met with Montreal’s acting chief of police to discuss the need for increased police presence at Jewish schools and community institutions. FCJA’s Community Security Network will continue to work directly with local security teams and the SPVM to ensure the Jewish community’s safety.
Federation CJA and CIJA remind community members that, in an emergency, they should always call 911 first. When safe, they are encouraged to report incidents to the Community Security Hotline at 514-343-4343 or use the online form at https://www.federationcja.org/en/how-we-help/security/contact-security/. People are urged to upload any photos or video they capture to that portal.
About the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is the advocacy agent of Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA, representing Jewish Federations across Canada. CIJA is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and protect Jewish life in Canada through advocacy and to advance the public policy interests of Canada’s organized Jewish community.
About Federation CJA
For over one hundred years, Federation CJA has been at the heart of the organized Jewish community in Montreal. In partnership with a vast network of agencies and organizations locally, nationally, and internationally, Federation CJA builds and sustains this community by providing leadership and by supporting the delivery of services and programs to care for the vulnerable and those in need, to ensure a bright Jewish future, to represent communal interests, and to positively affect issues in the wider society.
Media Contact
For more information or to coordinate interviews, please contact:
Henry Lovgren
Associate Director, Communications and Marketing (Quebec)
Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
514.710.6861
[email protected]
Nicole Amiel
Director, Media Relations and GTA Communications
Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
416.525.2592
[email protected]
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