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Fire Destroys Montreal Kosher Restaurant as Police Open Arson Probe

Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage while community leaders press for the case to be treated as a possible hate crime that echoes a recent rise in attacks on Jewish businesses.

Overview

  • A two‑alarm blaze gutted Nöam on Décarie Boulevard in Montreal’s Côte‑des‑Neiges neighborhood early Saturday, firefighters contained the fire and no one was hurt.
  • The Montreal police handed the case to the SPVM arson squad and said they are reviewing security video; outlets report footage showing a person in a white T‑shirt apparently igniting the fire but no arrests have been made.
  • Elected officials and Jewish community groups urged investigators to consider a hate‑motivation and called for a transparent probe, while the building owner said it is hard to believe the kosher restaurant was not targeted.
  • Some reports describe footage that shows a masked individual spreading an accelerant before setting the blaze, but police have not confirmed those details and investigators say motive remains undetermined.
  • Nöam was part of Montreal’s concentrated kosher dining corridor and its loss has economic and symbolic impact on the local Jewish community as advocacy groups point to a documented increase in antisemitic attacks in Canada this year.