Graffiti is third anti-Semitic attack in past week
Ottawa’s Jewish community has been hit by its third anti-Semitic attack in a week, as worshippers in Alta Vista arrived early Thursday to find swastikas and white-nationalist hate messages spray-painted on their synagogue.
Congregation Machzikei Hadas, on Virginia Drive near Featherstone Park, was defaced overnight with red swastikas on its front doors and slurs — including one that encouraged murder to “save the white race” — sprayed across its brick walls. Ottawa police hatecrime detectives are investigating the attack.
The synagogue’s Rabbi Reuven Bulka denounced the vandalism but downplayed its significance.
“This was a diabolical act by some crazy nut,” he said. “A fellow came intending to do evil and did it. The Ottawa community, all of the religious leaders, we all work together. It’s a very integrated community. All of the communities have called to express their outrage. You don’t want one lowly nut to define who we are.”
Bulka said vandalism at the synagogue was rare — he recalled just one other incident over the past two decades.
And he refused to tie the attacks to a wave of anti-Semitic and antiimmigrant sentiment sweeping across the U.S. following the election of Donald Trump.
But Bulka also said he knows of several instances of vandalism to Jewish community buildings that went unreported.
The incident marked the third such attack in less than a week on a Jewish place of worship, including Ottawa’s other main synagogue.
Stuart McCarthy, co-president of Kehillat Beth Israel congregation near Carling and Kirkwood, confirmed Thursday that their synagogue had suffered a similar spray-paint attack last weekend.
On Tuesday, graffiti was found on the front door of a Jewish prayer centre in the Glebe. Police are still investigating that incident.
Officials at Kehillat Beth Israel chose not to publicize the incident, although police were called.
“We decided not to publicize the attack because we felt that publicity was likely the sort of thing these vandals want,” McCarthy said.
“These are vandals and their validation comes with publicity.”
McCarthy said few members were around at the time of the incident and the damage was cleared up in an hour.
He said he was satisfied with security at the synagogue. He said he wouldn’t speculate on any possible links between the attacks.
Kehillat Beth Israel is the capital’s largest synagogue, created in July by the amalgamation of Agudath Israel Congregation and Congregation Beth Shalom. It describes itself as an egalitarian conservative congregation.
Thursday’s incident sparked a strong response from community leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“To the Canadian Jewish community: I stand with you,” Trudeau, in Argentina on an official tour, wrote on Twitter. “Our government denounces recent acts of anti- Semitism in the strongest terms.”
The Council of Imams of OttawaGatineau, the United Way and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson were also quick to denounce Thursday’s attack and say it has no place in society.
“The cowardly acts are completely unacceptable in our city and society,” Watson wrote on Twitter in response to the news. “This kind of hatred is not welcome in our city — a city that prides itself of being a tolerant and welcoming community for all.”
Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau also denounced the vandalism, calling the latest incident “very disturbing.”
“It’s disgusting, it’s cowardly and it’s hate,” he wrote on Twitter.
In a news release, Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi, the provincial attorney general, called the “cowardly” attacks “absolutely unacceptable.”
“There is no place for acts of hate in our community and they will not be tolerated,” his statement said.
Ottawa Muslim Association spokesman Ahmed Ibrahim said the vandalism is an attack against all Ottawa residents.
“Such hate crimes have no place in our communities and are contrary to the spirit of inclusion that makes our city such a safe and wonderful place to live,” he said. “We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters in solidarity. Anti-Semitism hurts all of us in the same way that any other form of hatred hurts us. We hope those responsible will be apprehended by the police so that justice can take its course.”
Andrea Freedman, president and chief executive of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, said she was buoyed by the support offered by other communities.
“These acts of cowardice are an affront not just to the Jewish community, but to all Ottawans and Canadians who share our core values of respect, tolerance and kindness.
“We have received an outpouring of support from Ottawa communities of many beliefs and denominations and from our elected officials,” she said. “It is reassuring to know they join us in standing up against all acts of racism, antiSemitism and bigotry.”
Congregation Machzikei Hadas also has a long history in Ottawa. It began in 1907 in a Murray Street apartment and moved to the corner of Murray Street and King Edward Avenue. The synagogue moved to its present location in 1973.
Anyone who may have information is asked to contact the Ottawa police hate crimes unit at 613-2361222, ext. 2466.