Vandals tore Mezuzahs from the door of Holocaust survivor Nate Leipciger in a recent antisemitic incident in Toronto, according to the Canadian Jewish News.
Mezuzahs are small scrolls containing the verses from Deuteronomy that the Bible requires to be written 'on your doorposts' and traditionally affixed at the entrance to any significant rooms in Jewish homes.
Holocaust survivor Nate Leipciger said the incident left him feeling vulnerable once again-more than 80 years after surviving Auschwitz, according to a statement released Sunday by the International March of the Living.
Leipciger, 97, a survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Dachau who lives in the affected building, said “I feel vulnerable. They invaded under my skin."
Although Leipciger was not at home when the incident occurred, he said it has heightened his fear amid a recent global rise in antisemitic incidents. “It’s a different time, but the hatred is the same,” he said. “Living in Canada, I thought we were safe from this.”
The International March of the Living provided further details on the incident, which was first reported Friday by York Centre Councillor James Pasternak and the Toronto Police Service. During the Christmas holiday period, four mezuzahs were removed from apartment doorposts in the building. Police have opened an investigation to determine whether the act constitutes a hate crime.
This follows a similar incident earlier in December, when 20 mezuzahs were ripped from doors and stolen in another Toronto residential building, according to Canadian media reports.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs condemned the incidents, noting that Jewish communities have continued to face hate crimes during the holiday season. The organization called for stronger action from law enforcement and government officials.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow also spoke out after the earlier incident on December 7, which took place at a seniors’ supportive housing residence. “This is an outrageous and vile act of antisemitism,” Chow tweeted. “Seniors deserve to live in peace without fear of being targeted for being Jewish.”