CIJA

Second suspect arrested for firing on Jewish school

Local Journalism Initiative / The Suburban / August 6, 2025 / CIJA, gun, Joel Goldenberg, Yeshiva Gedola School

By: Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

A second suspect has been arrested for firing a gun at Yeshiva Gedola School in November 2023, a month after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 250.

The suspect is Feijhoo-Leito Joseph, 19, of Vaudreuil.

Numerous Jewish institutions in Montreal, throughout Canada and around the world, were attacked in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre perpetrated by Hamas. Yeshiva Gedola, located on Deacon Road at the eastern tip of Côte des Neiges-NDG, was fired upon twice in late 2023, on Nov. 9 and 12.

Joseph was arrested the morning of Feb. 19 for the Nov. 12 shooting and has appeared at the Montreal courthouse. Last May, police arrested Mahdi Ahmed Abdirazak, 20, of Les Cedres, also for the Nov. 12 shooting. He was charged with discharging a firearm, theft and receiving stolen vehicles.

The SPVM investigation had continued after the first arrest “regarding the possible participation of one or more other individuals. Various elements collected by the team responsible for the investigation made it possible to identify a second suspect.”

A CIJA announcement welcoming the arrest provides more information, that the second suspect was arrested for discharging a firearm and theft of an Acura, as well as aggravating hate factors.

“While this is a welcome development, far more must be done to send a strong message that those who have sought to terrorize Montreal’s Jewish community since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” the CIJA statement says.

The organization added that while it recognizes the efforts of the police that led to the arrest, “it is now up to prosecutors and the courts to ensure this case leads to meaningful and lasting change.

“A strong sentence will deter those intent on continuing this campaign of hate, which has resulted in violence, shootings, firebombings and vandalism. We will use every available tool to push this objective forward.”

Henry Topas, Quebec regional director of B’nai Brith Canada, praised the SPVM for the latest arrest.

“A strong message must be sent,” he added. “Those behind this cowardly act of intimidation against the Jewish community must be held responsible for their antisemitic acts.” n

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“Unlearn it” program to fight antisemitism launched in Quebec

Local Journalism Initiative / The Suburban / August 16, 2024 / Christopher Skeete, CIJA, Eta Yudin, Federation CJA

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The Centre For Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), Federation CJA and the Quebec government recently unveiled a Quebec version of Unlearn It, the educational resource that “supports parents and educators in teaching youth how to identify, unlearn, and stand against antisemitism.”

The program for elementary and high school students, announced at a Gelber Centre press conference by CIJA Quebec vice-president Eta Yudin, Quebec Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism Christopher Skeete and Federation CJA board chair Steve Sebag, comes at a time of skyrocketing antisemitic incidents, in words and deeds, in Quebec since Oct. 7, including antisemitic smears directed at Jewish students in school classrooms and playgrounds, and on social media.

The Unlearn It program, a free, bilingual resource launched in Ontario in 2023, “offers short educational videos and discussion guides to frame constructive, courageous conversations – at home or in the classroom – centred on Canadian Grade 6-8 students’ lived experiences with antisemitism and online hate.” Animated videos, in French and based on actual antisemitic incidents, were shown at the press conference.

Yudin said that “at a time when the figures show a frightening rise in hate crimes and incidents – in Montreal, the SPVM noted a 67 percent increase in hate crimes and a 138 percent rise in hate incidents – and when we have sounded the alarm many times about the ravages of antisemitism in our society, a new, effective educational tool to combat this scourge is sincerely welcome.

“With this choice, the Quebec government is following its words with actions.”

Yair Szlak, President and CEO of Federation CJA, said that “since education is often the best weapon for destroying prejudice and confronting hatred, we’re delighted to have been able to adapt the Unlearn It program. It will also help combat hatred among fellow students. This program will help protect our community by providing a new educational weapon to combat hateful prejudice.”

Skeete said that raising awareness is “crucial in countering prejudice and preventing discrimination in its various forms.

“I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), the advocacy agency of Federation CJA. Through their collaboration with our government, they have brought to fruition a valuable and innovative tool for promoting peaceful coexistence, thereby strengthening our shared commitment to fostering a more inclusive and harmonious society.”

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