Canadian synagogues vandalized with swastika, graffiti blaming Jews for 9/11

Two Canadian synagogues and a Chabad center were vandalized with antisemitic graffiti, including a swastika and slogans blaming Jews for the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.

By World Israel News Staff

Three Jewish centers were vandalized in eastern Canada over the weekend, including two synagogues.

On Sunday morning, worshippers discovered antisemitic graffiti spray-painted at the entrance to the Shaar Shalom Congregation in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The graffiti included a Nazi swastika and the words “Jews did 9/11,” referencing the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001.

Similar graffiti was also found spray-painted on the Beth Israel synagogue on Sunday, down the street from Shaar Shalom.

A third building, used as a Chabad center, was also targeted, with the “Jews did 9/11” graffiti painted on an exterior wall.

Beth Israel synagogue’s Rabbi Yakov Kerzner called the graffiti “disturbing,” and noted that the vandal or vandals likely spray-painted the building while congregants were inside praying on Saturday night.

“We haven’t experienced this until now in Halifax,” Rabbi Kerzner said, according to a report by CBC. “But this is an escalation which does concern the Jewish community.”

“It’s antisemitism, it’s pure anti-Jew hatred,” he added.

Rabbi Gary Karlin,of the Shaar Shalom Congregation said he was disturbed but not surprised by the incident.

“I’ve seen it … throughout Canada over the last two years…. I don’t know where this is going but I’m concerned about it.”

Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), and Atlantic Jewish Council Executive Director Yoram Abisror issued a joint statement Monday decrying the vandalism and calling for an “unequivocal and urgent response” from authorities and political leaders.”

“On the same weekend that extremists silenced fans from cheering on Team Canada, with protestors even publicly displaying the severed head of the Halifax mayor, a Halifax synagogue was defaced with hateful graffiti,” Abisror and Shack said.

“Whether intimidating sports fans, threatening elected officials, or targeting people at their places of worship, this is absolutely unacceptable in Canada — an assault on our core Canadian values. And requires an unequivocal and urgent response from police and political leaders.”