|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Gunfire struck a synagogue in Toronto’s North York district on Monday night, shortly after a Purim celebration was held there. The building was damaged, but no one was injured in the incident.
Officers responded to reports of shots fired at Temple Emanu-El at approximately 10:49 p.m. When they arrived, they found bullet holes in the synagogue’s front windows and other signs of gunfire.
Investigators have not identified a suspect. The Toronto Police assigned the case to the department’s hate crime unit.
Rabbi Debra Landsberg was inside the synagogue at the time of the shooting.
“I’m a bit shaken up, as you can tell,” Landsberg told reporters on Tuesday. “This congregation has been part of this neighborhood in this community for almost seven decades, and our neighbors are good and supportive. And this, on a certain level, shattered that.”
“That might sound strong, because we will repair our glass and we will stay strong as a community, but it is devastating that there are those in this society that want to shatter what we have here, in Canada, which is an incredibly diverse community where we can all find our home, and this synagogue is our home,” she added.
“Purim is celebrating unity and community against those who hate and survival,” Landberg noted. The shooting “makes the Purim story immediate in a different way and I can’t assume it was a randomly chosen evening. It seems very, very directed.”
Noah Shack, CEO of the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), stated, “All Canadians should be alarmed by what’s happening in our country. This isn’t solely a threat to the Jewish community — it’s a threat to every Canadian who wants to live in peace and safety. The escalation of intimidation and extremism targeting Jewish Canadians will inevitably lead to much worse — and the consequences are potentially lethal. As we witnessed in Australia, when incitement goes unchecked and synagogues are threatened, we can expect to see mass violence and tragedies that could have been prevented.”
“All Canadians should be alarmed by what’s happening in our country. This isn’t solely a threat to the Jewish community—it’s a threat to every Canadian who wants to live in peace and safety,” said Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
Please see our… https://t.co/J3XaCWRWdW
— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) March 3, 2026
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow condemned the incident, saying, “We will not tolerate antisemitic hate in our city. Toronto Police are investigating and will increase their presence in the area to keep the community and congregants safe. Toronto’s Jewish community has the right to practice their faith without fear, intimidation or violence.”
“As we have seen repeatedly, incidents increase across our city as international events unfold,” she added. “I want to be clear: it is never acceptable to target faith communities or cultural groups.”
Authorities continue to review evidence from the scene. Investigators are asking anyone with information or relevant video footage to contact police.
Toronto Police are investigating after gunfire struck Temple Emanu‑El in North York at 10:49 p.m., leaving multiple bullet holes in the synagogue’s front windows. No injuries were reported. The Hate Crime Unit is leading the investigation. pic.twitter.com/gzmb3RhCYy
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) March 3, 2026
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
