Community leaders demand concrete action after second shooting in 5 months at Jewish girls’ school

Members of the Jewish community are calling for concrete action following the second shooting in five months outside a Jewish girls’ elementary school in North York.

A tarp covers the front window where bullets shattered the glass at the Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School on Chesswood Drive after police say shots rang out from a motor vehicle just after 4:00 a.m. Saturday.

On Sunday, the school’s rabbis along with community leaders gathered outside the school to condemn the violence and call on all three levels of government to step up and take action, calling for stiff mandatory judicial sentences for hate crimes of this nature.

“We need the federal government, we need the RCMP to act, we see people downtown carrying the flag of terrorist organizations, designated terrorist organizations and we need the RCMP to step in,” said Coun. James Pasternak. “Calling for the destruction of Israel and the genocide of Jews and the boycotting and destruction of Jewish businesses is not Charter protected, that is not freedom of expression.”

Daniel Held, the Chief Program Officer with the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, called this weekend’s shooting a “predictable consequence of a year of Jews and Israelis being victimized and dehumanized here in this city.”

“The time has come for words of concern to be replaced by concrete action. The first responsibility of any elected official is to protect our society and our democracy. This is the second time that this Jewish school has been targeted by gunfire. How many times will those students and staff of the school have to wake up to shattered windows and bullet holes before our leaders take real action,” said Held.

Police say since the October 7th attack on Israel, Toronto has seen a 69 per cent increase in hate crimes against Jewish people.

A spokesperson for Canada’s Public Safety Minister tells CityNews that the government is making major investments to combat hate crimes, including through the new Canada Community Security Program, which funds local projects to protect communities at risk of hate crimes.

“We are working closely with all partners, including provinces, territories, and security agencies, to ensure everyone in Canada can continue to live free from fear,” read a statement.

“We know that Jews alone can’t fix antisemitism. It takes all of us standing up. Our leaders at every level of government need to lead and the time for words is over,” said Michael Levitt, president and CEO of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre.

MP Ya’ara Saks, whose federal riding includes the area where the shooting took place, says every member of the Jewish community must feel safe.

“There is no place in this country where Canadians should not be safe to express their faith to worship where they want to worship.”

Rabbi Nochum Sosover, the school’s principal, says this second attempt to spread fear across the Jewish community will not succeed.

“A message to the perpetrators – we will not be scared, each time we get stronger, and we get more united,” Sasover said, noting the school will reopen on Monday and it will be business as usual.

Police in neighbouring York Region say in response to Saturday’s shooting, they have added additional patrols focusing in the Bathurst Street corridor to their already increased presence around faith institutions, schools and community centres.

“There is no immediate threat to our region and these patrols are in place to support all members of our community,” police said in a statement.