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An antisemitic vandal targeted a Winnipeg synagogue late last week, intensifying concerns about Jewish safety in Canada.
The perpetrator spray-painted swastikas and the word “hate” across Congregation Shaarey Zedek on Friday, defacing its stone exterior and glass entrance panels. The markings clearly signaled an attempt to intimidate the Jewish congregation.
Soon afterward, the Winnipeg Police Service removed the graffiti and opened a criminal investigation. Detectives from the major crimes unit took charge of the case.
Swastikas were sprayed on the entrance of Winnipeg’s oldest synagogue just hours before Shabbat on Friday.
This targeted act of antisemitism deeply disturbed the local Jewish community.
In 2025, dozens of Jewish institutions across Canada were vandalized: antisemitic graffiti,… pic.twitter.com/woqKrryjOx
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) January 5, 2026
Police Respond Again After Report of Suspicious Item
Then on Sunday, police returned to the synagogue after someone reported a suspicious object on the property. Officers secured the item and collected it for examination. After reviewing it, authorities confirmed that it posed no threat to public safety.
Meanwhile, synagogue leadership urged heightened awareness. Executive Director Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze asked congregants to report any unusual activity to security personnel and staff. At the same time, she emphasized the synagogue continued to coordinate closely with police to protect those attending services and events.
“In these difficult times, we must not be daunted by this act of antisemitism,” Elbaze wrote in a message to the community. “We must, as we have always done, persevere, transcend, and go forward.”
Jewish Organizations Warn of Escalating Antisemitic Targeting
In response, Jewish organizations across Canada condemned the vandalism and warned of escalating antisemitic intimidation.
B’nai Brith Canada said the attack underscored the persistence of antisemitic threats at the very start of the new year. “Just hours into 2026, Winnipeg’s Jewish community was targeted by hate when Shaarey Zedek synagogue was defaced with antisemitic graffiti, including a slew of Nazi symbols.”
Just hours into 2026, Winnipeg’s Jewish community was targeted by hate when Shaarey Zedek synagogue was defaced with antisemitic graffiti, including a slew of Nazi symbols.
This incident comes on the heels of a devastating year for global Jewry, one which ended in the… pic.twitter.com/w0dh5vBojA
— B'nai Brith Canada (@bnaibrithcanada) January 5, 2026
The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg also condemned the vandalism as a deliberate act of antisemitic intimidation and warned that the incident reflects a wider national pattern.
“Governments and other authorities must take decisive action to hold perpetrators accountable and address sources of hatred,” the federation said in a statement. “At the same time, political, business, faith, community leaders, and all Canadians who believe in our shared values, have a responsibility to speak out clearly against antisemitism and all forms of hate.”
Additionally, the federation noted that while recent incidents have appeared most often in Montreal and Toronto, antisemitic threats now extend well beyond those cities.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) issued a separate condemnation and called the vandalism a “vile anti-Jewish hate crime.”
“Words are not enough,” the organization said. “Leaders at all levels of government and authorities must back up their condemnations with concrete action to hold perpetrators accountable and address the sources of hatred.”
As the peace of the Sabbath ends, we are deeply disturbed to learn that Congregation Shaarey Zedek — whose roots in Winnipeg date back nearly 140 years — was targeted in a vile anti-Jewish hate crime.
Words are not enough. Leaders at all levels of government and authorities… pic.twitter.com/KgsoveSYsR
— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) January 3, 2026
As the investigation continues, the Winnipeg incidents underscore a growing reality. Antisemitic hostility increasingly targets Jewish institutions themselves, in plain sight. Consequently, Jewish leaders stress that public condemnation must translate into sustained enforcement and accountability.
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.
