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5h ago

Toronto-Area Synagogue Shootings Trigger Coordinated Probes and Demands for Stronger Anti-Hate Action

With no arrests announced, pressure mounts for concrete enforcement steps.

Pedestrians pass by a police car parked outside Shaarei Shomayim synagogue in Toronto, on Sunday, March 8, 2026. The synagogue was struck with gunfire overnight.
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The Beth Avraham Yoseph, pictured here, and the Shaarei Shomayim synagogues in Toronto were hit with gunfire on the weekend.
The Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue in Thornhill, Ont. on Mar 9, 2026. This synagogue and another synagogue, Shaarei Shomayim, around 10 km south, were hit with gunfire on the weekend. (Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail)

Overview

  • Gunfire struck Temple Emanu‑El in North York, Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto in Thornhill, and Shaarei Shomayim in North York over five days, with property damage reported and no injuries.
  • Toronto Police and York Regional Police have active investigations, with Chief Myron Demkiw vowing a relentless pursuit of those responsible.
  • Jewish leaders describe the shootings as attempts to intimidate the community and are urging faster security funding, tougher hate‑crime measures, and decisive enforcement.
  • Ontario Premier Doug Ford condemned the attacks, and Toronto police data show 22 antisemitic incidents this year, accounting for 63% of reported hate‑motivated crimes in the city.
  • Israeli President Isaac Herzog held a Zoom call with Canadian Jewish leaders to express alarm over rising antisemitism and to convey solidarity with Toronto’s Jewish community.