Winnipeg police boost presence at Jewish community events after deadly Hanukkah attack in Australia

Hanukkah events in Winnipeg will have an increased police presence as a precaution after 15 people, including a child and a Holocaust survivor, were killed in an antisemitic terror attack Sunday in Sydney, Australia.

At least four police officers attended the lighting of a menorah at city hall Monday, while local Jewish leaders and politicians condemned the attack and expressed solidarity.

“We want the community to be aware and to know that they should expect to see an increased police presence at Jewish community gatherings,” Insp. Shaun Veldman, who oversees events for the Winnipeg Police Service, told the Free Press.

“There is no information, no specific threat and no connection to what happened in Australia to Winnipeg. The increased presence in and around the gatherings is not only to deter anybody that had a like mind, but also to reassure the local community.”

Patrols will be increased around Jewish cultural centres, schools and synagogues. The Asper Jewish Community Campus in Tuxedo is among the sites.

“Every religious group should be able to celebrate their religion and their holidays and gather in a peaceful way,” said Jewish Federation of Winnipeg president and CEO Jeff Lieberman, who attended the event at city hall. “We don’t know if we’re able to do that.”

Rob Waldman, president of the Chevra Mishnayes Synagogue in Garden City, said he feels safer when police are present, noting the “very dark times” in the world today.

He said the synagogue has installed security measures over the last year, following incidents at synagogues elsewhere.

“It breaks my heart that it’s necessary,” Waldman said.

Lieberman and Mayor Scott Gillingham, who hosted the lighting ceremony, urged everyone to stand against hate.

“There is no room for antisemitism or hate of any kind in our world,” Gillingham told the dozens in attendance. “To Winnipeg’s Jewish community, I want you to know that as you light the candles of Hanukkah, please know that we stand with you, your city stands with you, council stands with you.”

Gillingham said his office contacted Jewish leaders and the WPS after the attack to discuss safety.

City police have monitored hundreds of demonstrations and other events since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023. The conflict led to an increase in reports of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents to WPS.

Officers were present when Jews attended a Hanukkah celebration Sunday at Chabad-Lubavitch of Winnipeg in River Heights to mark the start of the eight-day holiday.

It was held hours after Manitobans awoke to news of the mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Lieberman was horrified while he watched TV news coverage of the attack.

“It’s hard to believe this can happen, but unfortunately that’s becoming our reality,” he said, citing other recent attacks in London, England and Boulder, Colo. “Antisemitism has escalated around the world. Jews are being targeted just because they’re Jewish, and that’s wrong.”

Lieberman said he contacted the WPS Sunday to discuss an increased presence at Hanukkah events in Winnipeg.

“For this week, we told our community to be bold and that Hanukkah is happening, and that we need to still celebrate,” he said.

“We’ll celebrate with sadness, but we need to celebrate our tradition and our history, and continue with all the different Hanukkah community events that are happening, as well as lighting the menorah in individuals’ homes.”

JFW said community security measures are on “full alert” for celebrations here. The organization urged people to remain vigilant.

People who see anything suspicious are encouraged to call 911 or, for non-emergencies, 204-986-6222 immediately.

JFW recently hired a director to oversee community security measures in response to rising hate and incidents around the world, Lieberman said. The organization has lobbied governments to implement new measures to combat hate and protect communities.

Police in cities across Canada have stepped up patrols or assigned more officers to Hanukkah events.

Veldman said Winnipeg officers have attended past Hanukkah events as a precaution.

“It’s not unusual for the police to be in attendance at community events,” he said. “We want the community to know that we’re not present because we believe that there is a specific threat. We don’t want to cause panic or concern that way, either.”

Premier Wab Kinew condemned antisemitism and other forms of hate after Sunday’s attack.

“The attacks at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration are horrifying,” he wrote on X. “We stand with the Jewish community, mourn the lives lost and stand firmly against hate and violence in all its forms.”

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca