synagogues

By Joel Ceausu
The Suburban

Antisemitism and inappropriate protests are on the rise in CDN-NDG, borough council regular Michael Shafter told council last week. “Our Jewish schools, synagogues, Westbury Y, Federation building, and other on-island institutions have been targeted with vandalism, hateful graffiti, bullets, and offensive protests all serving to instill fear in our peaceful population, which is always willing to do good deeds for others.”

Shafter remarked that every week citizens peacefully march in Snowdon to highlight “Let my people go!” for hostages of Hamas terrorists, and that it requires court injunctions “to keep the bad protesters away: that is no way to live.” Shafter suggested the borough erect posters on its Décarie building promoting “love for yourself and stop the hate.”

Borough Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa replied: “We could not agree more that these days and times that we’re living in, people need to be reminded that we’re all human beings that need to be respected and that we need to show each other some love… It’s clearly about education, we need to educate people more, so people could remind themselves or understand that we are all human beings that deserve respect and love but we’re not going to do that with posters.”

Indeed, since the October 7 terrorist massacre of Israelis including Canadians, apart from repeated antisemitic incidents on McGill and Concordia university campuses and the firebombing of a synagogue and community centre on the West Island, the borough of CDN-NDG has been Montreal’s focal point for anti-Israel and antisemitic actions.

These include aggressive mobs flashing Hamas symbols and Nazi salutes, physically barring citizens from entering the Jewish community campus; chanting in residents’ yards while circling buildings to block exits; shouting profanities and setting off smoke canisters outside a synagogue in a residential area; as well as firebombings, shootings at school buildings, and the spectacle of borough employees dispatched to rip down small posters of people, including elderly and toddlers, held hostage by an avowed genocidal terrorist group.

“As the city’s point-person on discrimination, racism and hate,” Shafter asked Katahwa, “do you have a better initiative to stop the hate talk and hate action? Please enlighten me: what is the city prepared to do? What are you prepared to do? What would you like to do?”

She responded, “We have to recognize that since October 7, there is a rise of antisemitism incidents and crime and same thing with Islamophobia, so I’m right now looking for leaders in different parts of the city to make sure that we are able to have a conversation among the different groups of citizens so we could address that rising antisemitism and Islamophobia.”

The Suburban asked if Montreal’s existing Jewish community organizations — most if not all headquartered in her borough — were insufficient to engage with. “I’ve had the chance to meet with leaders of the community on multiple occasions, especially in the last few months,” she said, explaining that “looking for leaders” means “I’m aiming to broaden our dialogue. Beyond the vital work of established Jewish organizations in CDN-NDG, the nationwide surge in antisemitism and Islamophobia demands we invite more voices to ensure Montreal’s safety and unity,” adding Montreal and CDN-NDG are stronger and better because of its diversity. n