Mayor John Tory and leaders in the city’s Jewish community held a press conference on Wednesday to condemn the recent discovery of anti-Semitic notes inside a Willowdale condo building.
Post-it notes bearing a Swastika and reading ‘No Jews’ were found on the front doors of several Jewish residences in the building on Beecroft Road, in the Yonge Street and Park Home Avenue area on Sunday.
A number of residents also reported the theft of a mezuzah, which is a Jewish religious symbol, from their front doors.
Police are investigating the incident as a “hate bias crime,” however no arrests have been made to date and no information has been released about a potential suspect or suspects.
“We are here today to say that there is no palace for these acts of hatred, for these acts of discrimination and for these acts of Anti-Semitism,” Tory told reporters at the news conference. “This is inconsistent with who we are and this is inconsistent with the story of Toronto that has made us one of the most admired cities in the world.”
Tory told reporters that it is the “collective responsibility” of all Torontonians to “say no” to the kind of hatred expressed by the person or persons behind the Anti-Semitic notes.
He said it is “not who we are” and really goes against everything the city stands for.
“This is not the hallmark of a city who prides itself on respect for people because of their differing faiths and because of their differing backgrounds, nationalities and culture and everything else. That is how we thrive here,” he said.
Rabbi calls on Jewish community not to be intimidated
In addition to Tory, several representatives from the Jewish community also attended Wednesday’s news conference to express their dismay with Sunday’s incident.
One of those people, Rabbi Moshe Steiner said he went to the Willowdale condo building after he heard its residents had been targeted and was alarmed to hear from some of the victims who wanted to “lay low” and not immediately replace their stolen or vandalized mezuzahs.
He said he was relieved to hear those same residents then change their tones after a brief discussion.
“The answer…is absolutely not to say, ‘Let’s recede into the shadows,’” he said. “We dare not be marginalized. Whoever did this is trying to intimidate us...trying to force us to cower into the shadows. We cannot do that.”
Police say they continue to investigate the vandalism and have already received numerous tips.
Police also say that they have recovered surveillance camera footage from the building but do not have images of a suspect to release at this time.
“We aren’t closing any doors at this time,” Detective Sgt. Sean Brosnan said when asked whether the suspect likely lived in the building on Wednesday.
According to Brosnan, the party responsible for the vandalism would face charges of mischief and theft. Police would then determine whether to make a hate crime designation.
