Rabbi Reuben Poupko, rabbi of the Beth Israel Beit Aaron Congregation in Cote St. Luc, Montreal, Canada, spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News following the violent attack against a member of the local Jewish community.
Rabbi Poupko related the events of the attack, “on Friday afternoon, around 3:00 pm, a young man was attacked while with his children in a park located in Montreal’s Outremont neighborhood - home to the largest Hasidic community in North America, outside of New York City. The assault was completely unprovoked, came out of nowhere. He was pummeled and later hospitalized, though thankfully, he has since been released. This direct physical assault on a Jewish individual in Montreal is deeply shocking and marks a disturbing escalation in antisemitic incidents we’ve been seeing, especially since October 7th. The surge of hate is unprecedented in our lifetime.”
Rabbi Poupko states that he is certain that the attack was motivated by antisemitism rather than a random act of violence, because “while the perpetrator has not yet been apprehended, and no words accompanied the attack, the fact that the victim was an identifiable Jew in this climate strongly suggests it was targeted. Given the current environment of rising hostility, it’s a reasonable presumption.”
Rabbi Poupko continued to explain that such incidents have a great impact on the Jewish community in Montreal, because “sadly, this is not the first attack we’ve faced. There have been incidents like schools being shot at overnight and synagogues firebombed, including an attempted firebombing of my own synagogue last October, on Erev Rosh Hashanah. Although Montreal police are generally responsive and in tune with our concerns, the broader environment is challenging. Persistent anti-Israel demonstrations don’t seem to change public opinion, but do intimidate journalists, prosecutors, and city officials.”
“For example,” he added, “five individuals who were arrested for planting the Molotov cocktails near synagogues last October were released without bail. They were released on a promise to appear in court, some failing to do so, with little consequence. This lack of accountability damages trust in the political and legal systems responsible for protecting our community.”
In an attempt to combat this rise in antisemitism, Rabbi Poupko says that “our first and most practical response has been encouraging Aliyah, immigration to Israel. Since October 7th alone, I have signed over 20 letters supporting young people from my synagogue who are making this move. It’s a reminder to Jews about where they truly belong. Additionally, we continue to press government and political leaders to protect the Jewish community as they would any other group. We are not asking for special treatment, just the basic security and justice every community deserves.”
The family that was affected by this recent attack is “fortunate that they are part of a compassionate, close-knit community that naturally supports one another. This community does not need encouragement to do the right thing, and we are confident that the family are being well cared for. Our community’s strength and kindness shine brightest in difficult times like these,” Rabbi Poupko concluded.