‘An expression of sleazeballness:’ Montreal synagogue hit with antisemitic graffiti – Montreal | 24CA News
Antisemitic symbols spray painted on a Montreal synagogue over the weekend have been erased.
Multiple black swastikas spray painted on the doorways and home windows of the Bagg Street Shul have been eliminated early Wednesday morning by the group Erasing Hate.
“This is a cowardly act that is done in the middle of the night to neighborhoods and we are not going to let that happen anymore. The hate goes up and within hours the hate goes down,” founder Corey Fleischer stated.
Michael Kaplan, president and director of the synagogue, says that is the primary blatant racist act that he has skilled, downplaying the importance of the vandalism.
“I interpret the recent incident of the last couple of days as being nothing more than an expression of sleazeballness – some halfwit with a spray can,” Kaplan stated.
“I have no reason to think other than positively about the people around this building.”
“The relationship between the synagogue and its neighbors has been nothing but cordial and warm in all the years I’ve been associated,” Kaplan stated.
The desecration of the century-old place of worship has garnered sturdy political reactions on all sides.
Anthony Housefather, federal member of Parliament for Mount Royal, took to Twitter calling the act “horrifying and unacceptable.”
Montreal mayor Valerie Plante described it as “horrible” in her Twitter publish Tuesday, saying antisemitism has no place in her metropolis.
The Jewish group is rocked by the incident in keeping with Marvin Rotrand of B’nai Brith Canada.
In an open letter to the mayor, the group referred to as for the town to do extra to honor and shield the town’s massive Jewish group.
“We recommend a declaration to mark Yom Hashoah be inscribed on the April 18 City Council meeting,” the letter reads.
B’nai Birth claims incidents of hate concentrating on Jewish individuals in Montreal rose 20 per cent in 2021 in comparison with 2020 with a reported 36 incidents – essentially the most in Canada.
Montreal police are investigating the incident.
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