York Regional Police are investigating a suspected hate crime that took place in Vaughan on Saturday.
According to investigators, an unknown man attempted to force his way into a synagogue near Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue just after 9:30 a.m.
Police said the suspect assaulted a victim before fleeing the Vaughan Sephardic Kehila Centre at 7026 Bathurst Street. No injuries were reported.
Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca called the assault “deeply disturbing” in a social media post Saturday afternoon.
“At a time when antisemitism and Jew hatred [hatred of Jews] is on the rise, we must be vigilant and do everything possible to support and protect our Jewish residents,” he wrote.
According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, hate crimes against Jewish people increased by 71 per cent between 2022 and 2023 for a total of 900 crimes reported by the police.
