North York synagogue vandalized for the 10th time: police

A synagogue in North York has been vandalized for the tenth time, according to Toronto police, who say it’s being investigated as a suspected hate-motivated offence.

Authorities say they received a call at approximately 6:40 a.m. for reports of a smashed window at Kehillat Shaarei Torah temple, which is located near Bayview Avenue and York Mills Road.

Police tell CityNews four windows were damaged in total.

The lone suspect is still at-large and described as being a male in his late teens to early 20s. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a hoody, black pants and black shoes with white markings.

A photo of the suspect has been released.

According to the temple’s executive director, Michael Gilmore, the suspect used a hammer to damage the property.

Glass doors and windows at the temple have been repeatedly smashed over the last year, with the most recent incident happening in December 2024.

“I honestly believe this continues to happen because of antisemitism,” Gilmore told CityNews. “People who are filled with hatred are being emboldened by people in power like the mayor.”

Over the weekend, Mayor Olivia Chow faced criticism from some Jewish groups for recognizing the devastation in Gaza as a “genocide” at an event hosted by the National Council for Canadian Muslims.

Chow addressed the recent criticism at a press conference on Tuesday where she said, “What happens around the world reverberates in Toronto and I can feel the pain of people that have relatives in other parts of the world.”

The mayor also explained that her position is supported by international genocide scholars and pointed to UN reports on issues like famine, as well as the killing of aid workers and journalists.

“Blood libel is one of the oldest forms of antisemitism,” Gilmore explained. “That is the biggest thing that is allowing these crimes to continue to happen.”

Gilmore praised Toronto police for stepping up and providing extra security around the temple.

“They’ve been wonderful, but they can only do so much,” he added. “Politicians need to think about their comments and how it affects us.”

Ward 19 Councillor Brad Bradford echoed Gilmore’s comments saying, “Divisive words can lead to divisive action,” in a social media post shared Tuesday morning.

When suspected hate-motivated offences are investigated, the Toronto Police’s hate crime unit leads the investigation.