A Jewish girls’ school in Toronto was struck by gunfire early Saturday morning, marking the second such incident this year, as Canada faces an alarming rise in anti-Semitic violence following the escalation of conflict in Gaza. The Bais Chaya Mushka school in North York was hit by shots fired from a vehicle at around 4 am, with no reported injuries. The only damage was a broken window, according to local authorities.
This attack comes just months after a similar incident at the same school in May, and police believe the two shootings are connected.
The timing of the attack, coinciding with Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, has heightened concerns within the Jewish community. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his outrage over the incident, stating that he was “very disturbed” by the shooting. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Trudeau shared his sympathies with the school community, adding, “Anti-Semitism is a disgusting and dangerous form of hate—and we won’t let it stand.”
According to a May report by Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith Canada, anti-Semitic incidents have more than doubled in the country between 2022 and 2023, signaling a troubling rise in hate crimes targeting Jewish communities. In November 2023, another Jewish school in Montreal was shot at twice in one week, though no injuries were reported.
The investigation into the Toronto shooting is ongoing, with law enforcement urging the public to remain vigilant. Authorities are working to establish the full circumstances of the attack and are actively seeking those responsible.
