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In the aftermath of an attempted arson at a synagogue, a Montreal rabbi told her members “this is time for action” and more needs to be done to combat antisemitism.
Steven Luu appeared in front of a Quebec court judge Friday afternoon in connection with the overnight incident at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, a synagogue in Westmount, Que.
The 38-year-old is facing a total of six charges, including arson and possession of incendiary and explosive materials. He is due back in court on Monday.
Montreal police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant said investigators met with the accused earlier in the day and did not get any information from the meeting to suggest this was a hate crime. The investigation, however, is ongoing and the possibility of a hate crime has not been ruled out.
It was just after midnight on Friday when a 911 call was placed reporting a person attempting to set a fire at a place of worship on Sherbrooke Street West and Wood Avenue, according to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal.
When officers arrived at the scene, they were assisted by Westmount’s public safety team and were able to arrest a man nearby.
According to police’s preliminary information, the suspect broke a window with the intent of setting a fire inside the building.
Police say there was minor damage to the building, and firefighters intervened quickly to stop the fire from growing. No one was injured.
In an email to the synagogue’s members, Rabbi Lisa Grushcow highlighted what she described as “the scourge of antisemitism” while saying more needs to be done, including more enforcement of existing laws.
“Responding requires being proactive, not reactive. Naming the ways in which external conflicts are being imported. Recognizing that while criticism of Israel can be legitimate, when the Jewish State and those who love it are libelled, violence against Jews is the result,” she wrote.
“Politicians need courage. Law enforcement needs support. Neighbourhoods need good neighbours.”
In February of last year, Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom was targeted by vandalism.
Westmount Mayor Michael Stern issued a statement condemning the attempted arson.
“The safety of our residents, institutions, and community gathering places remains a top priority for the city,” he said.
In a publication on X, Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree also condemned the attack, saying it was “absolutely deplorable.”
“I’m thinking of the entire Jewish community in Montreal,” he wrote. “The rise in antisemitism is horrifying — Jewish communities deserve to live without fear for their safety.”
Anandasangaree also thanked law enforcement for “their swift action in apprehending the suspect.”
Prime minister addresses antisemitism
The incident at the Westmount synagogue comes on the same week Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech in which he said the country was in a “crisis of antisemitism.”
He said antisemitism had reached levels in Canada not seen in the post-war period.
He announced his government is launching a new faith advisory council to combat hate.
The Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion will be headed by former senator Marc Gold.
In her email to congregants on Friday, Grushcow expressed confidence in Gold’s ability to head the committee. Gold is a member of the temple.
