Montreal synagogue allegedly hit by arson, nearby Jewish office building damaged

By Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press on December 18, 2024.

A man fixes the lock of the doors of Congregation Beth Tikvah, as police investigate alleged arson at the synagogue in the suburb of Dollard-des-Ormeaux in Montreal on Wednesday, Dec.18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

MONTREAL – A synagogue in a Montreal suburb was allegedly targeted early Wednesday morning by arson – the second time the building was hit by an incendiary device in a little more than one year.

Montreal police received a 911 call shortly before 3 a.m. about a fire at the Congregation Beth Tikvah in the on-island suburb of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, police spokesperson Véronique Dubuc said.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and found an incendiary device at the scene. She said one window of the synagogue was smashed and the door to the building was damaged.

“Witnesses told us that they saw one suspect that was leaving rapidly shortly after the fire started,” she said, adding that the building was damaged by smoke but the overall consequences of the fire were minor.

There are no reported injuries and police have not made arrests in the case, Dubuc said, adding that police have not yet determined whether the fire is a hate crime.

The synagogue is not the only building frequented by the city’s Jewish community that appears to have been attacked on Wednesday. At around 7:20 a.m., officers at the scene of the fire noticed a smashed window and damaged glass door of a nearby building belonging to the West Island office of the Federation CJA.

Dubuc said police did not find an incendiary device at the second location and are investigating a possible link between the two incidents.

“It looks like it could be related,” she said.

The same synagogue and the CJA building were targeted by arson in November 2023, causing minor damage to the synagogue’s front door and the back door of the CJA office. No one was injured in the attacks, and Dubuc on Wednesday said police have not made arrests in that case.

Jewish groups and politicians condemned the targeting of the Jewish institutions on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying on X, “This vile antisemitic attack against Montreal’s Jewish community is cowardly and criminal.”

“I trust the perpetrators behind this hateful act will be quickly brought to justice.”

Also on X, B’nai Brith Canada said, “This repeated targeting of Jewish institutions is a direct result of a permissive environment where antisemitism is allowed to fester unchecked.” The group called for “stronger enforcement of hate crime laws” as well as “action to combat antisemitism in education and on university campuses.”

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said on X, “It’s intolerable that Montrealers live in insecurity because of their religion.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2024.