Canadians mourn synagogue attack victims,
MONTREAL — Surrounded by a heavy presence of police cruisers and security guards, hundreds of members of Montreal’s Jewish community, politicians and other mourners gathered Monday to remember the 11 Jews murdered over the weekend in Pittsburgh.
The rabbi of the Beth Israel Beth Aaron synagogue, Reuben Joshua Poupko, watched as people streamed into the main prayer hall, filling every pew and the balcony.
“This is the most important statement,” he said. “There are members of all communities here. The Jewish community doesn’t stand alone and it doesn’t grieve alone. The pain is shared.”
Representatives from the federal, provincial and municipal governments were on hand for the ceremony in Montreal, which began with a song and a reading of the names of the 11 victims of the mass murder on Saturday at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue.
The synagogue had hired its own security guards to pat down every person in attendance.
Brenda Gewurz and her husband, Samuel, were on the balcony overlooking the main prayer hall.
“Montreal is a very close-knit Jewish community,” Brenda Gewurz said, “And we stand in support of our communities across the world.”
“It’s a very sad day and I think it’s important that we acknowledge the sadness.”
Toronto’s Mel Lastman Square was crowded Monday evening with members of the Jewish community who gripped candles as they sang traditional songs
Lo Yisa Goy and Kol Haolam Kulo, and stood for a moment of silence.
Among those gathered were 20 family members of Joyce Fienberg, a 75-year-old who died in the shooting and had previously lived in Toronto.
Fienberg’s cousin, Judy Winberg, led the crowd with a prayer.
Sara Lefton, vice-president of philanthropy at vigil organizer the United Jewish Appeal Federation, said that amid tragedy, “it’s so important at a time like this for the broader community to come together and recognize that we have to fight back against hate.”
On Monday, leaders of a mosque in Quebec City that was the site of a 2017 mass murder carried out by a lone gunman sent condolences to Pittsburgh’s synagogue. “It reminds us of the difficult moments we went through, and it brings back some of that worry,” Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec co-founder Boufeldja Benabdallah said.
The January 2017 attack at the Quebec City mosque killed six worshippers and injured 19 others.
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadians are “horrified” by the Pittsburgh attack, which occurred at a Sabbath service.
“Our hearts are with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and across Canada,” he told the House of Commons. “May the families of those murdered be comforted and may the injured recover quickly and fully. We’re working with U.S. authorities and ready to assist.”
Monday’s vigils follow similar gatherings on Sunday in Halifax, Vancouver and Ottawa.