Three Toronto synagogues shot at in five days

The incidents happened across Toronto and nearby Thornhill. No injuries were reported, but the shootings left visible damage to synagogue buildings and rattled local congregations. Bullet impacts and shattered glass were documented at several of the sites, reports Global News.

Late Friday, York Regional Police responded to reports of shots fired at the front entrance of the BAYT Synagogue in Thornhill. Minutes later, Toronto police were called to the Shaarei Shomayim Congregation on Glencairn Avenue near Bathurst Street after gunfire struck the synagogue’s front door there as well.

A separate incident had already taken place earlier in the week at Temple Emanu-El Synagogue in North York, according to Rabbi Debra Landsberg. She permitted cameras inside the building to show damage where bullets struck reinforced glass designed to protect the interior.

“This was an act of terror meant to intimidate and frighten our community,” Rabbi Daniel Korobkin said of the attack. Leaders say the repeated incidents have intensified concerns about safety.

“Three shootings in five days. It is very, very real,” said Sara Lefton of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

Korobkin said attacks on places of worship carry a broader impact. “When your house of prayer, the place where you seek spiritual connection (is shot at), it does create destabilization,” he said.

Landsberg said the synagogue shooting in North York reflects a troubling trend. “There is the sense we are part of this larger story, and the story is ugly.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford condemned the incidents, stating: “These despicable acts of hate have no place in Ontario.”

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said investigators are working to identify those responsible. “We are going to be relentless and leave no stone unturned,” Demkiw said.

“Dispense with the thoughts and prayers and get to work,” Korobkin said.