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Rabbi Adam Scheier says what happened to him in downtown Montreal on Sunday, Nov. 24—when a police officer saw the full-time kippah wearer silently watching and filming a nearby pro-Palestinian march, and ordered him to move along to avoid igniting any problems—shows “unacceptable and intolerable” conditions being demanded of his community.
The spiritual leader of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, the oldest Ashkenazi synagogue in Canada, founded in 1846, has subsequently been speaking out about the way his city’s leaders have handled the local explosion of antisemitism during the past 14 months.
In his view, the experience revealed how rather than enforcing the law and protecting the rights of Jewish people, authorities are now asking them to hide for their own protection—while crowds of mask-wearing demonstrators chanting hateful slogans have been given free reign on the streets.
Scheier was out with his wife and daughters shopping for a birthday gift when he purchased a coffee at the Second Cup. He wanted to show appreciation for the café chain quickly cutting ties with its franchisee at the Jewish General Hospital after she was spotted making antisemitic gestures while shouting antisemitic slogans.
The modern Orthodox rabbi subsequently met with senior police commanders and local politicians, although police will not say what they intend to do in response.
On today’s episode of The CJN Daily, Rabbi Scheier joins to describe his ordeal, in conversation with Joel Ceausu, the new Quebec correspondent for The Canadian Jewish News.
Related links
- Why Montreal’s Jews have become the most targeted for hate crimes since Oct. 7, in The CJN.
- Why masked anti-Israel protesters gathered outside Congregation Shaar Hashomayim synagogue on Nov. 5, 2024 violating a court-ordered buffer zone preventing such events outside houses of worship, in The CJN.
- Quebec premier Francois Legault demands Montreal mayor act after weekend of violent anti-NATO, and antisemitic protests erupt Nov. 20-21, in The CJN.
Credits
- Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
- Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
- Music: Dov Beck-Levine
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