TORONTO — Toronto-area leaders and police officials have issued a unified and stern condemnation following a series of targeted shootings at synagogues across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) over the past week. Gathering on Sunday outside the Shaarei Shomayim synagogue in North York—one of the buildings struck by gunfire—officials from all levels of government declared that these “disgusting acts of antisemitism” would be met with a relentless law enforcement response. The latest violence occurred early Saturday morning when suspects in a dark sedan reportedly opened fire on the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT) in Thornhill, followed just twenty minutes later by a similar attack on the Shaarei Shomayim congregation.
While authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported, the frequency of the attacks has left the community on edge. These weekend incidents follow a separate shooting on Monday night at Temple Emanu-El in North York, where bullet casings and structural damage were discovered. Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw and York Regional Police Deputy Chief Kevin McCloskey confirmed that their departments are coordinating closely with the RCMP and national security agencies. Chief Demkiw emphasized that investigators are exploring the “time and space relationship” between the shootings, though they have yet to formally confirm if the same perpetrators are responsible for all three incidents.
Prime Minister Mark Carney described the attacks as an “assault on the rights of Jewish Canadians to live and pray in safety” and a violation of the nation’s core values. He pledged the full support of federal resources to assist local police in bringing those responsible to justice. Meanwhile, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both reiterated their support for the Jewish community, with Mayor Chow calling the shootings “violent acts of intimidation” that have no place in the city.
In response to the escalating threat, Jewish community leaders are calling for more than just verbal condemnation. During Sunday’s press conference, representatives from the UJA Federation and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) urged the federal government to provide immediate and direct financial assistance to bolster security infrastructure at synagogues and schools. They argued that the current climate of “emboldened antisemitism” requires an urgent, tangible shift in how vulnerable community sites are protected, as police continue to maintain a heightened presence around Jewish neighborhoods throughout the region.
