Montreal, QC - May 22, 2024 - The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and Federation CJA applaud the arrest and indictment of the alleged perpetrator of the attacks on a Jewish school in the middle of the night on November 12, 2023. This attack represented a disturbing escalation in the violence suffered by Jewish Canadians.
On November 12, 2023, bullet holes were discovered in the morning at the entrance to Yeshiva Gedola. Although no one was present in the building and damage was minimal, the severity of the attack prompted the Jewish community to call for justice and swift action to restore their safety.
In a statement, Eta Yudin, CIJA Vice-President Quebec, said:
“This attack marked a significant change in the threats experienced by the Jewish community in Quebec since October 7th and well before. The stress and anxiety it caused the Jewish community since then cannot be underestimated, as we have had to endure intimidation after intimidation, as well as serial violence and anti-Semitism.”
“While the escalation of violence and hatred against our community only continues, we are nonetheless pleased that further charges may be brought against the suspect. This senseless act, this act of terror, must lead to more serious charges, as we have often repeated since the Hamas attacks. This will send a strong message that targeting a community with such acts is unacceptable. We must remember that some politicians had rightly declared that shooting at schools was a form of terrorism.”
“The safety of Jewish Quebecers is at stake, but so is the safety of all Montrealers.”
Yair Szlak, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federation CJA made the following statement:
“Our community had already made significant investments in terms of security, and this attack has forced us to redouble our efforts in this area. We do a tremendous amount of work with our Community Security Network to ensure the safety of our community. We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that the quality of Jewish life in Montreal is protected and that acts of hatred on our streets, on our campuses and targeting our community, schools and institutions are not tolerated. We thank the SPVM for their work in this investigation and hope that this arrest will make it clear that such actions are unacceptable in Quebec.
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