Anti-semitic graffiti mars Westmount synagogue

A major Montreal synagogue was vandalized with anti-semitic graffiti Wednesday afternoon.

Rabbi Adam Scheier of Shaar Hashomayim, one of the largest synagogues in Montreal, said in a letter to members of the congregation that a man had spray-painted swastikas on the doors of the temple around 2 p.m.

Scheier said the man was quickly detained by a security guard, adding that police arrived soon afterwards and arrested him.

The synagogue said the man was carrying a canister of gasoline when he was arrested.

Montreal police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller, who represents a nearby riding, condemned the vandalism in a post on Twitter, calling it an “utter disgrace.”

Rabbi Reuben Poupko, co-chair of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) Québec, said the Jewish community was “outraged by today's vile assault on Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Westmount. This attack targets the entire community and all those who embrace civility and tolerance. Coming in the wake of other violent anti-semitic attacks, it is yet another reminder of the dangerous role social media continues to play in the spreading of hate and the provocation of violence.”

B'nai Brith Canada said in a communiqué it was “outraged and alarmed by a serious act of anti-semitism targeting a synagogue in Montreal.”

“Anti-semitism can rear its ugly head anywhere and any time, and we must always do our part to combat it when it does,” said organization CEO Michael Mostyn.