Canadian police are seeking the public's aid in identifying the vandal who defaced Victoria's Congregation Emanu-El Synagogue, with the Victoria Police on Monday releasing CCTV of a suspect loitering outside the house of worship.
The grey-haired Caucasian man is suspected of scrawling threatening antisemitic messages on a pillar at the entrance of the synagogue on August 2, warning that "in the future Palestinians will get their revenge against you child-killing Jew monsters."
"Jews are evil! Because genocide is evil! Stop genocide, stop the Jews!" read the graffiti. "Jews are murdering thousands of gentile children."
The incident is being investigated by the Victoria Police General Investigation Services in collaboration with its Hate Crimes Coordinator.
Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto encouraged residents to contact the police with any information about the vandalism of the oldest synagogue in western Canada.
"Hate has no place in our community. Victorians are kind and welcoming, and this incident does not represent the values that I know Victorians share," Alto said in a statement last Wednesday.
"I want the Jewish Community in Victoria to know that this behaviour is unacceptable, and my heart is with you. Together, we all must stand up against hate, and I will continue to work to make Victoria a safe and welcoming place for all."
'A disgusting act of hate'
British Columbia Public Safety Minister and Victoria provincial legislature member Nina Krieger also decried the incident in an August 3 social media post, adding that the government was seeking to expand the Hate Crimes Unit for the province.
BC Premier David Eby called the vandalism a "disgusting act of hate."
The defacement of the Conservative congregation's synagogue was met with cross-denominational support from other Jewish congregations. Chabad of Vancouver Island Rabbi Meir Kaplan stated on Facebook that such a crime was directed against all Jews.
"This is not about 'what Israel is doing.' To believe that antisemitism is caused by Jewish actions is both dangerous and false," Kaplan wrote on August 3.
"The accusation that Jews murder children—an ancient and murderous blood libel—has resurfaced, driven by the same age-old hate."
Kaplan noted that the vandalism occurred around the fast day of Tisha B'Av, which mourns the destruction of the Jerusalem Temples, but explained that the day not only reminded the community of suffering but also of the ability to persevere through that suffering.
The Kolot Mayim Reform Temple also issued an August 4 letter to Congregation Emanu-El, assuring the sister congregation that they were not alone.
"What impacts one part of our Jewish community impacts us all. We at Kolot Mayim stand shoulder to shoulder with you—not just in sorrow, but in shared resilience, strength, and purpose," read the letter. "This painful incident only strengthens our resolve to continue living Jewishly, openly and unapologetically, to build and nurture community, and to stand firm in the face of hate. May we all find courage and comfort in the strength of our shared heritage and values."
Congregation Emanu-el thanked all those who reached out with support and solidarity.
"For over 160 years, Congregation Emanu-El has proudly stood at the core of downtown Victoria, and we will continue to stand here as a strong and thriving Jewish community committed to Jewish tradition, culture, education, and social action," the Emanu-El Board of Directors said on Facebook on August 5.