CIJA and UJA Respond to Sentencing in GTA Synagogue Shootings

Toronto, ON—November 10, 2026—Following the sentencing of a young offender to two years in a custodial facility followed by one year under supervision in the community—the maximum allowable sentence for these offences under the Youth Criminal Justice Act—for his involvement in the March 2026 shootings at Shaarei Shomayim and Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT) synagogues, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto (UJA) issued the following statement:

“Today’s sentencing is an important step toward justice for Jewish families across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The court's decision to impose the maximum sentence available under the Youth Criminal Justice Act for these offences reflects the gravity of attacks that struck at the heart of our community. These were not just buildings that came under fire. They were places where families gather, children learn, and generations of Jewish Canadians have come together to practice their faith. As the judge recognized, these coordinated attacks on Jewish institutions left lasting fear across an entire community.  

These shootings did not happen in isolation. They followed almost three years of escalating antisemitism, intimidation, harassment, and violence against Jewish Canadians. Protests had moved into Jewish neighbourhoods, increasingly targeting synagogues, schools, and community centres. What began as intimidation has, in the most disturbing cases, escalated to gunfire directed at places of worship and schools. Today’s sentence sends an important message that this violence carries serious consequences. But it cannot be where accountability ends.  

“The young offender has been sentenced. The question now is who put him up to it. As Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw asked last summer: “Who’s paying for this?” He noted methods used in these shootings, including demands to film attacks, were consistent with criminal-for-hire operations involving individuals recruited through encrypted messaging apps. Those who recruit, direct, and finance such attacks must face justice, not just those who carry them out. The dangers posed by these criminal networks have already claimed the life of Constable Marc Pinizzotto, who was killed in the line of duty while executing a search warrant connected to the U.S. Consulate shooting and other linked attacks.” 

“The threat extends well beyond any one offender or any one attack. Canada's Integrated Threat Assessment Centre has warned that the increasingly frequent and normalized targeting of Jewish communities can drive susceptible individuals toward more violent acts. The shooting at Belleville’s Sons of Jacob synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur is another stark reminder that Jewish communities, large and small, continue to face serious threats.  

“We cannot ignore the potential role of hostile foreign actors in fuelling violence on Canadian soil. The use of criminals-for-hire raises serious concerns over the threat posed by Iran’s Islamic regime here in Canada. Canadian intelligence has warned of a ‘realistic possibility’ that the Islamic regime is directing local criminal elements to target Canadians. Recent U.S. Treasury sanctions against eight Canadian businesses linked to Iranian sanctions evasion further underscore the reach of the regime’s networks in Canada and the urgent need to confront foreign-state threats, organized crime, and terrorism financing. We must determine whether these networks played a role in the attacks on our community and hold those responsible to account.  

“Canada is at a crossroads. The federal government's new National Security Strategy recognizes these evolving threats. But recognition alone will not protect Canadians. We need decisive action to prevent young people from being recruited into criminal networks, confront the role of antisemitism in motivating violence, and give police and security agencies the lawful tools and resources needed to identify and confront the threats posed by Iran's regime and its proxies. 

“Today’s sentence is a significant step, but justice will not be complete if those behind these attacks remain free to recruit others and strike again. Jewish Canadians deserve more than accountability for the person who pulled the trigger. They deserve to know that those who ordered, financed, and enabled these attacks will be brought to justice.” 

-30-