At least 3 Montreal synagogues on Canada-wide list targeting Jewish institutions; RCMP investigating

The RCMP is investigating threats made to multiple synagogues in Montreal, after a threatening e-mail was allegedly sent to more than 100 Jewish institutions across Canada on Wednesday morning.

RCMP confirmed the threats were made to “a number of institutions, including synagogues and hospitals, across Canada.”

Montreal police (SPVM) confirmed to CityNews a call came into 911 just after 7 a.m. from a Rabbi at Adath Israel Poale Zedek Anshei Ozeroff on Harrow Crescent in Hampstead.

SPVM say the Congregation Beth Ora on Badeaux Street in Saint-Laurent was also targeted.

Rabbi Reuben Poupko, leader of the Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation synagogue in Côte Saint-Luc, says many more Montreal synagogues were on the e-mail list, including his own.

“This is a serious thing,” said Poupko, who added he was in touch with other Rabbis in Montreal. “It’s an attempt to terrorize. It’s an attempt to spread fear. And just because we are unwilling to bend to that fear doesn’t mean the intent of the criminal should in any way be diminished.”

The email, which CityNews read a copy of, alleges explosives were placed in backpacks and they would be set off a few hours later — which was not the case.

Montreal police spokesperson Sabrina Gauthier says the inside and outside of both synagogues were secured, as officers on site did not find any threat. Private security was helping with surveillance.

The SPVM also checked for potential threats at other Jewish establishments across the city.

“It’s hard to take seriously a bomb threat that goes to 150 different institutions,” Rappi Poupko said. “So we conducted ourselves with greater vigilance, but the synagogue remains open. Services took place this morning as normal as it did in all the synagogues.”

The SPVM was also consulting their hate crimes unit, as well as their anti-terrorism and emergency measures squad.

“We assume that they’re going to track down the origin of the email,” Poupko said. “You know, the person who wrote this email, through all the computer searches that they do and the internet searches they do, hopefully the person will be apprehended.”

RCMP investigating source of threats

The RCMP took over the investigation by mid-morning.

“The RCMP is aware of threats made today to a number of institutions, including Synagogues and hospitals, across Canada,” RCMP told CityNews. “We are working with local law enforcement, who are actively responding to ensure locations are safe and secure. Law enforcement is also engaging with faith-based leaders to ensure they have the information and support they need.

“We want to reassure the public that the safety and security of Canadians is our top priority. The RCMP can confirm that the Federal Policing National Security Program is investigating the source of the threats.”

Police in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary were among those responding to threats.

“Given the scope of the institutions targeted from coast to coast, Jewish institutions, as well as hospitals and medical facilities in the Ottawa area, I think that we can say that the intention of whoever is responsible for this threat was to intimidate and harass the Jewish community,” said Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy, B’nai Brith Canada. “That’s made very clear by the sheer number of Jewish institutions across the country that were the focus and the target of this threat.

“To the best of my knowledge, all the targeted organizations, institutions across the country received the exact same email. It was one mass email to dozens of Jewish institutions across the country and to the hospitals in the Ottawa area.”

Ottawa police said they were on site at several hospitals in the nation’s capital. A spokeswoman from the Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa said police determined the situation was “low risk” but an extensive sweep had been carried out at the hospital and grounds.

‘Hate-filled idiot with a keyboard‘

Poupko says Wednesday’s threats are part of a larger climate of hate that intensified at the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

“Being a Jew means you’re a veteran, and you’ve seen this before,” the Rabbi told CityNews. “And we know that the people who seek to do serious damage to us don’t tell us beforehand. Threats are more often than not from people who will never follow up. Again, we have to be careful. We’re not in the luxury of ignoring it. We take it seriously. But neither do we allow ourselves to sink into despair.

“We will not allow a hate-filled idiot with a keyboard to determine how we live.”

Montreal police say there were 199 crimes and hate incidents targeting the city’s Jewish community in the 10 months following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants in Israel.

“This has to stop,” said Eta Yudin, vice-president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “Government needs to take action against anti-Semitism and ensure that what is slowly becoming normalized is not allowed to take root and become the status quo in Canada.”

“Jewish Canadians will not be intimidated — we will continue to take part in Canadian society and Jewish life. We will stay vigilant, but we will never be intimidated,” she said.

–With files from Alyssia Rubertucci