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20h ago

Genocidal Graffiti Defaces Victoria’s Oldest Synagogue, Prompting Expanded Hate-Crimes Investigation

Following the defacement at Congregation Emanu-El, British Columbia’s Public Safety Minister expanded the province’s Hate Crimes Unit to ensure charges against the perpetrators.

The Congregation Emanu-El synagogue in Victoria was defaced by graffiti. It has now been painted over.
Israel National News
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Overview

  • Congregants discovered antisemitic graffiti with genocidal slurs on the entrance pillars of Congregation Emanu-El, Canada’s oldest continuously operating synagogue.
  • Victoria Police documented the hateful messages on-site, collected evidence and coordinated with city staff to have the graffiti erased.
  • Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger denounced the act as criminal hate-motivated vandalism and announced an expansion of the British Columbia Hate Crimes Unit to pursue charges.
  • In Melbourne, investigators released CCTV showing a man arriving on a black e-scooter as they probe five antisemitic vandalism incidents at the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation since March.
  • Statistics Canada data show 920 police-recorded antisemitic incidents against Jewish Canadians in 2024, the highest total for any religious group and part of a broader rise in hate crimes.