After the Belleville Synagogue Shooting: A Hero Deserves Our Thanks

We emerged from Yom Kippur to horrifying images from Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville.

As members of Belleville’s small but vibrant Jewish community gathered for the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, a man armed with a shotgun exchanged gunfire with police outside the synagogue. Congregants took cover inside.

Constable Jeff Smith, a 13-year veteran of the Belleville Police Service, was shot and critically injured while protecting them.

He put his life on the line to safeguard our community. Now, I hope you will join us in thanking him for his bravery and sacrifice.

Donate to the Belleville Synagogue Attack Response Fund

Click here to send a message of gratitude

 

Police officers across this country spend Shabbat and Jewish holidays outside our synagogues. They stand outside our schools and community centres.

This Yom Kippur was a devastating reminder of the danger they can face while protecting us.

Constable Smith represents the very best of Canada. When members of our community were in danger, he did his job with courage and put himself in harm's way to protect others.

Today, he is in hospital, and our community is praying for his recovery.

For three years, our community has warned that escalating demonization of Israel and conspiracy theories can have consequences here at home. Now a police officer has been shot outside a synagogue while Jewish Canadians were gathered inside.

We should not need armed police outside our synagogues simply to pray safely. But while that protection is necessary, we should never take for granted the men and women who provide it.

So today, we are asking you to take two important actions:

• Click here to send a message of gratitude for Constable Smith, which will be compiled into a book to present to the Constable and his family as a lasting expression of our community’s appreciation.
  
  
• Click here to donate to the Belleville Synagogue Attack Response Fund, which will provide support and recognition of the heroic Belleville Police Service, and assist Belleville’s Sons of Jacob to address security needs.

In difficult moments, we see both the threats facing our country and the people willing to stand against them.

Constable Smith stood with us. Now it’s our turn to stand with him.

May Constable Smith have a refuah shlemah — a full and speedy recovery. 

Sincerely,

CIJA, in partnership with Jewish Federations of Canada–UIA, Canadian Women Against Antisemitism, and Jewish Federations from across Canada.