Arson attempt at Montreal synagogue should be an ‘elbows up’ moment, rabbi says

MONTREAL – The rabbi at a Montreal synagogue targeted by an attempted arson attack early Friday says the crime should be a rallying call for society to take antisemitism more seriously.

Lisa Grushcow says it’s not the first time Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom has been a target, noting that someone painted a swastika on the building last year. 

She cited the recent fatal attack targeting Jews at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia and the stabbing of two Jewish men in North London as examples of what can happen if hate is allowed to escalate.

“When we look at what’s gone on in Australia or in England, at every stage the community has said we need to take this seriously, and in every place it has not been taken seriously enough until people have been killed,” she said. “And we really don’t want to be on that path.”

Gruschcow said the fire appears to have been triggered by a Molotov cocktail, tossed at a window.

Montreal police say they were called to the house of worship in Westmount, Que., on the Island of Montreal, shortly after midnight and were able to put out the fire with the help of the fire department and local public security.

Police spokesman Jean-Pierre Brabant said witnesses led them to arrest a 38-year-old man who is expected to face charges following the incident, although it doesn’t appear the suspect will be charged with a hate crime. 

Brabant said the hate crimes unit was consulted, but he added that the investigation is being led by the arson squad.

The synagogue was empty at the time of the incident, according to police.

Grushcow said the synagogue’s administration has been taking steps to improve safety, and those paid off.

Reinforced windows meant the incendiary device didn’t penetrate the building, limiting the damage to a broken window, along with some interior and exterior smoke damage. She said Westmount public security also pay special attention to the building and intervened quickly, with the help of building staff.

“The takeaway here is that the systems that we have in place worked and this could have been much worse,” she said.

However, she said the community is shaken.

In a speech earlier this week, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada’s Jewish population are facing “a surge of antisemitism to levels not seen in the postwar period.” He announced a new unity council that will assess what is driving antisemitism in Canada and improve research and data collection on hate incidents. 

Grushcow said she was glad to see Carney call out antisemitism, but believes Canada needs “more than a committee.” She said further action is needed on catching and prosecuting wrongdoers as well as “find(ing) ways to understand and to speak honestly about where this significant rise in antisemitism is coming from.”

For her part, she says her community plans to respond by not only continuing to practice their Jewish faith, but by doubling down on it.

“It’s an elbows up moment for us,” she said, borrowing a term Carney popularized. She said they will also continue to call on law enforcement and politicians to take antisemitism seriously. “Less talk, more action,” she said.

Jewish advocacy groups Federation CJA and CIJA said in a statement that the attempted arson is part of a “toxic antisemitic climate” that has left the community feeling unsafe.

“Enough is enough. The law must be enforced and order restored in Montreal,” they said.

Brabant says the police are working hard to protect people, including by making frequent patrols around houses of worship.

He says community members who have questions or fears can come to the police station or speak with patrol officers on the ground.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2026.