Supporting Shuls and Police Amid Violent Threats
Folks, by now many of you have read about the attempted attack on the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario (east of Toronto) on the Kol Nidre night of Yom Kippur, our holiest day of the Jewish year. I would like to suggest positive ways of supporting the congregation and their community and police.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-officer-critical-gunman-fighting-for-life-after-shooting-near-ontario-synagogue-on-yom-kippur/
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-909199
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/officer-belleville-synagogue-shooting
While the ‘official story’ is that the motive for this attack has not yet been determined by police (a continuation of the ‘lone nut’ Canadian denial of terrorism and networks targeting Canada’s Jewish community), recent news of a similar arrest in a community east of Toronto suggests possible criminal conspiracy and online radicalization and a potential terror motive.
https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/whitby-man-accused-synagogue-shooting-threats
The wording of the Belleville Police and SIU update to the public was potentially misconstrued by Canadian reporters. The Belleville synagogue had requested additional police presence a week before Yom Kippur, as its usual practice, according to media reports. Israel’s National Security Council had issued warnings to Jews abroad to be vigilant over the high holiday period.
There were similar reports of ISIS – linked networks targeting Pittsburgh synagogues thwarted by the FBI.
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/attack-thwarted-jewish-federation-pittsburgh-reaction/
At this late stage I find it ludicrous to see our Canadian civic leaders and media so slow on the uptake as to potential motive and decentering obvious threats to the Jewish community, suggesting that perhaps the assailant in Belleville had a grudge against the police officer or others in the area. If the Belleville Police officer was shot first, it may have been to gain easier access to the synagogue. How naive do our Canadian networks and leaders think we are at this point?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/belleville-police-shooting-siu-synagogue-9.7351776
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-909266
While none of us would want to compromise our Canadian police investigations, it should be said that our Canadian intelligence community is often dependent on tips from fellow law enforcement agencies, especially the FBI, and that even Canada’s intelligence community has issued reports warning of extremist radicalization threatening the Jewish community, from both the far left and far right.
In Canada, violent far right antisemitic extremists and neo-Nazis are actively recruiting members with military and weapons experience, even in ‘fight clubs’ networking in many small Canadian cities, including my own. The assailant in Belleville, Sean Ward, has posed online in military uniform and allegedly served in the Canadian Armed Forces in Edmonton, Alberta. Our Canadian military has had previous difficulties with neo-Nazi networks and recruitment in its ranks. I note that both Belleville and Whitby are in close proximity to a major Canadian Forces base, CFB Trenton as well as Kingston’s Military College.
Here again are those reports. Let’s connect the dots, please. Lives are at stake.
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/index-en.aspx
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/active-club-canada-us-fascist-9.7199601
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlmntry-bndrs/20220914/21-en.aspx
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/whitedate-canada-military-9.7117307
https://ucalgary.scholaris.ca/items/bf3bdf48-b794-4673-a9dc-8bfa1e70bb73
I circulated a memo immediately following the attack in Belleville suggesting that readers donate to the Sons of Jacob Synagogue to help them repair their lovely stained glass windows that were damaged by gunfire. Please send a card or letter with a donation cheque payable to Sons of Jacob Synagogue with your comforting message to the congregation. Their address is on the link. Please respect their privacy as police continue their investigations. Here is their link:
https://www.sonsofjacobsynagogue.ca/
Second, many of us have offered our thanks to the Belleville Police and related police services and civic leaders for their support, especially to the heroic police officer, Constable Jeff Smith, who was seriously injured by the attacker and continues to recover in hospital. Thankfully he is making progress in his recovery, but if you would like to go the extra mile, here is the link to the Belleville Police Service. Check the sub-link under ‘contact us’ to send messages of commendation. Your messages will be forwarded to Constable Smith and his family by the Office of the Chief, Belleville Police. Please respect their family’s privacy as he continues to recover.
It's often traditional in the Jewish community to offer charitable donation cards and prayers for the recovery of those who are sick, and I have suggested making donations to the United Way of Belleville region, in honor of Constable Jeff Smith and the Belleville Police, and directed them to send donation cards in honor of Constable Smith with prayers for his speedy recovery to the Office of the Chief, Belleville Police, and they will forward these to Constable Smith and his family.
In the 'notes' section for your online donation, instruct the United Way office to direct your donation card to: Office of the Chief, Belleville Police Service, 459 Sidney Street, Belleville, Ontario, Canada K8P 3Z9. Here is the link to the United Way of Hastings and Prince Edward County, serving Belleville and surrounding areas: unitedwayhpe.ca.
Members of the public in Belleville held a community vigil on Monday evening in support of the Sons of Jacob Synagogue and Jewish community and local police and stood together against hate. That's what we all need to do, every day and in every way.
Risks to our Jewish community are ongoing, so if you see something, please SAY something to police or your community leaders. It might save a life or prevent an attack! Pikuach Nefesh or saving lives is the highest value in the Jewish tradition, and we salute our first responders and those who keep us safe.
Please join me in prayers for the speedy recovery of Constable Smith and please join me in thanks to the Belleville Police and area police departments and our civic leaders who have spoken out against this heinous crime and in support of our right as Jewish Canadians to live and worship freely without fear. Please join me heartily in this Prayer For Canada:
https://opensiddur.org/prayers/collective-welfare/nations/canada/prayer-for-canada-by-victor-reinstein-1993/
This musical version of the Mi Shebeirach Prayer for those recovering from illness is one of my favorites. It is performed by Cantor Aviva Rajsky and band at Congregation Habonim in Toronto. That's my buddy Tom Bellman on electric guitar!
Stay well, stay strong, let's support one another and let's stay vigilant. If you see something, say something! Police depend on community tips. Don't be afraid to contact your local police or civic leaders.
Am Yisrael Chai. We send our love from Canada.
