The black paint was still fresh on the swastikas when members of the Chai Center walked into their synagogue on de Courtrai Ave. for sabbath prayers yesterday morning.
On the walls and windows of the synagogue in the Cote des Neiges area, the vandals had left five swastikas, a damaged Star of David and three “SS” signs - synonymous with the dreaded Nazi death squads.
But when a member of the congregation called Montreal police last night, he was told constables were “extremely busy” and a patrol would only be made available this morning, a distraught Rabbi Yossi Kessler told The Gazette.
Police ‘too busy’ to investigate Nazi graffiti
The black paint was still fresh on the swastikas when members of the Chai Center walked into their synagogue on de Courtrai Ave. for sabbath prayers yesterday morning.
On the walls and windows of the synagogue in the Cote des Neiges area, the vandals had left five swastikas, a damaged Star of David and three “SS” signs – synonymous with the dreaded Nazi death squads.
But when a member of the congregation called Montreal police last night, he was told constables were “extremely busy” and a patrol would only be made available this morning, a distraught Rabbi Yossi Kessler told The Gazette.
“It’s probably because we don’t have enough staff,” Montreal police Constable Laurent Gingras said.
Gingras said the media relations department had not been made aware of the incident by press time yesterday.
But for the 150 Jewish faithful, the graffiti served as a grim reminder that anti-Semitism is evident – even in Montreal, home to more than 85,000 Jews.
“Some people were crying,” said Maya Atkin, 25. “It’s the history that comes with this sign.”
This is the first time the Orthodox congregation has had to deal with such an event since 1993, when the synagogue, part of the Chabad Lubavitch, movement first opened its doors.
The swastika hit especially hard because the building also houses a youth centre, Kessler said.
“It’s shocking,” said Kessler, 50, who has been with the congregation since its early days. “Even the children, when they came here, they said: ‘these are the signs to kill the Jews.’ ”
Wants action
Jews need to unite, and fight this anti-semitsem, and this french canadian’s police pigs.
SPEAK UP!
WHY DO JEWS LIVE IN MONTREAL?!? ITS A ANTI SEMITIC-JEW HATING FRENCH AREA!!! THE GOVERNMENT DOESNT EVEN LET HATZOLAH USE THIER AMBULANCE!!! I WOULD NEVER LIVE THERE, (besides for the fact thats its -10F over there all year)why would i want to live somewhere where i would be treated like im not wanted, why would anyone!?!?!?
To Speak up
Where would suggest they live? In Isarel? There are no bigger anti semites than the the non-religious govenment there.
No other government in the world would dare thrrow out Jews from there homes solely because they are Jews.
No other government in the world would dig up graves like they do in Israel.
anonomous
Pple live there because some of them are on shlichus. Same reason why pple live in Israel.
speak up
ok shlichus is a fair reason, but i didnt suggest they move to israel. what really bothers me the most is the chutzpah that they cant use the ambulance there! its REALLY chutzpah!
CH Jew
MOntreal is a COld sick place.
They have let an influx of Arabs like the US hasnt in the name of being a good friend of oppresed people.
They will wake up one day and relize the mistake they did and will realize the US was right in fighting Terror.
The place is cold the Govt is anti Jew and Arabs Packies and Morrokans are moving in in large numbers the Parnosah suucks
Answer is to move where the Rebbe Wants to Cak Tzivah Hashem es Habrocha
montreal-er
the truth is i live their and im not so happy with all the facts
proud mtl-er
hey quit it this can happen anywhere ok? so now ur siding w/ the retarded iran-man to ship all the jews to alaska???
jews need to be in the places they need to be, & trust me, coming from mtl, i’ve been to al lot more dangerous places.. ok diff style, but if anti-sem. is gonna exist, it can take place a/where, ex: CH, & yes that guy is right.. just look @ israel, holiest place in the wld 4 jews, yet so unsafe… it’s clear to c
out of town hatzolah
just for the record most places in the world hatzolah is not allowed to use thier own ambulances. your just too used to living in us but welcome to reality.
-not that i love quebecuas
chill!!!!!!!
To:SPEAK UP!
wow dude!!!!!!
u have got to calm down man, noone is moving out of montreal. where should they go? crown heights is even worse!!!!
:P
definetly scary!
i live like around the corner, freaky no?
:P
when did webby take these pics?
new yorker
Anti-semitism is there whether u like it or not……..i htink that if something like this happened the Board of Judaism should do something!!!!
Why Not Montreal
Why shouldn’t any Jew live anywhere in the world they choose to? Montreal has a great history of Jewish life that is important both to Canadian and Jewish culture.
There is no reason why a Jew or anyone else should not feel safe and free to live anywhere without fear of discrimination
Should Jews only live in New York and Israel?
The answer is not to say Jews shouldn’t live there, the answer is to say anti-semitism will not be tolerated.
what is the world coming to?
i think people should do more than just go to the police take it into their own hands
do something
something should defintely be done aboout this because people cannot stand to live in threat and to be constantly reminded of their terrible past.
Yeshivah Bochur
About Anti-Semitism its know that "Halochoh Hi Eisav Soneh Le
yaakov" they are always gonna hate us! and about why jews live in Mtrl,first of all every place has its problems ,some more some less but every place has its flaws,and there is a Maamar Chazal OB"M that says "Tzdokoh assah Hakodosh Baruch HU im Yisroel Shpizram bain hu-omos" and there is a Maamar from the Rebbe if I recall correctly in Sefer Hamaamorim Melukat Daled ,which explains his saying of Chaza"l Ob"M.
ch jew
Montreal is not an ideal place for a frum person to live first its freeeeeeezing 2nd its not a great place for Parnosah 3rd montreal and frenchies will eventualy seperate from the country or at least try over and over agaain.
But i do enjoy going there in summer ( for the few months thats its warm ) I have family there
But over the last 15 years the place has changed. Just walk up victoria and see the diff
1o
There where also these disgusting symbols on another shul in Montreal, Shemrom Laboker. Who ever did this should be shot!
1o
I just drove by ANOTHER shul in montreal named the Zichron Kadoshim (Rabbi Jack’s shul on Westbury near Queen Marry) and i saw all these nasty nazi signs ( swastika’s, ss’s and so on)
MONTREALER
i live in montreal and im alive and happy. i dont know what you are thinking but you dont walk out of your house and see an antisemitist glaring at you. ok so we have the occasional nasty comments and graffitti but hello these ppl dont only live in montreal that was really weird of SPEAK UP 2 say that comment
NO NAME
montreal is not freezing we just have all the 4 seasons and its known that ppl that come from those kinda climats are naturaly more how do i say it…. better ppl!
and WE HAVE OVER 8500 JEWS LIVING IN MONTREAL ALONE AND THE NEIGHBORING CITIES (LIKE 5 MINUTES AWAY) R ALL JEWISH …. SOOO YOUR (SPEAK UP) POINT IS??????????????
U THINK CH IS SO GREAT??
i am a born and bred montrealer and i would like ro specify a few facts here.
#1-montreal is a beutiful city and all we have is four seasons nothing else! the winter is a bit too long but who cares and i seriously dont know why the weather was brought up on this subject.
#2-the french canadians are not huge antisemites and if they are their anti semetic acts are only axpressed rarely in a case like this which is VERY RARE in montreal
#3-this is addressed to SPEAK UP the parnasa here is great therre are many wealthy families and WHAT THE HECK DID THET HAVE TO DO WITH SWASTIKAS???????
#4-it IS NOT scary to live here, united nations or not these ppl are human beings and they are ppl i suggest everyone look back at their ancestry and see if their families are emmigrants so who let you in america huh???? youd probably be rotting in poland or rusia for all we know!
SO KEEP YOUR SICK COMMENTS TO YOURSELVES!
U THINK CH IS SO GREAT?
and another thing-where does hatzoloh pop in??
MONTREALER
i’VE LIVED IN mONTREAL FOR A LONG TIME, AND DESPITE THE COLD WINTERS IT IS A GREAT PLACE FOR JEWS TO LIVE. UNLIKE THE US, THERE IS GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR YESHIVAS. THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF FRUM JEWS HERE INCLUDING MANY CHASSIDIM. THERE IS DAILY BUS TRANSPORTATION TO NY( YES, TO CROWN HEIGHTS!) THE WINTERS ARE ALOT COLDER THAN NEW YORK, BUT UNLIKE NY WE HAVE MORE THAN A FEW DAYS OF SPRING, AND MUCH LESS HUMID SUMMERS. AND, ALTHOUGH HATZALAH CAN’T USE THEIR AMBULANCES THEY COME VERY, VERY QUICKLY AND HAVE AN EXCELLENT RAPPORT WITH THE LOCAL AMBULANCE DRIVERS. SO UNTIL MOSHIACH COMES, WHICH IS VERY SOON ANYWAY, MONTREAL IS JUST AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER THAN MOST PLACES.
Missmontreal
wow , where did a anti-semetism act become so out of context! your complaining about montreal? hello have you looked around you ? CH any better ? France any better ? Asia Any better ? … So if i was looking for an non anti semetism place to live … where do you suggest i go ???? every place on earth hate the jews ! thats not new !
I was raised in montreal but now live in CH , never once when i was living in montreal was i scared of being attacked from behind ! Not once was i screamed out words i dont want to repeat!
i cannot even compare montreal to CH , like another one wrote , montreal has the best schools ( Beid Rivkah that is ) the nicest community ! no polotics ! and every jew is unified! I wish i could go back and live their , my husband has a job here thats why we are here ! no other reason ! Montreal should be a place for everyone to look into , if they want proper chinuch , proper schools , proper housing (actually can buy a house there!!!!)))) And the cold , well yup its cold ! just buy a montreal coat ! that will keep you warm !!!!!
anonomous
I was on shluchus somewere and the shul as well as the Rabbi’s car was grafittied in the same manner. I’m ot sure what ended up happening but the Police said that since it was a hate crime the guy could get 10 yrs. in jail. I hope he did
no name
hi im a montrealer and here in montreal the chinuch is totally better then in ch we dont have half the community sneaking behind there parents backs and we dont have stabbings and muggings everyother day and despite the cold us montrealers are used to it if you come from ch and say its cold its obvious your not used to the cold our community is one and our beis rivkah is an auwsome school and all the girls speak french and learn all there subjects in french and they all managed perfectlly fine
dont think whenever theres a thret everyone should get up and mouve the world would go nuts
A Crown Heights-er
I live in Crown Heights, and tell me
which city is more dangeres mtl or NY?*
*if you say mtl just look @ the Crown Heihgts section and see for yourself!?!?