UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

We preserve and strengthen the quality of Jewish life in Greater Toronto, Canada, Israel and around the world through philanthropic and professional leadership.

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

60,000 strong. That's the power of our community.
Am Yisrael Chai 🇮🇱❤️🇨🇦

[CIJA @CIJAinfo]

On Remembrance Day, we honour the Canadians who served, fought, and sacrificed to defend the freedoms we enjoy today.

Many of them paid the ultimate price so that future generations could live in freedom. To live openly no matter what religion or background we’re from. To raise our families in safety. And to live in a country where foreign conflicts are not imposed on us.

Today, we remember those who served, those who never returned, and the families who carried the weight of their sacrifice. Including those who lost loved ones in the devasting fire last month at CFB Wainwright.
We owe them more than our gratitude. We owe them our commitment to protect the freedoms they fought to defend.

Lest we forget. May their memories be for a blessing.

[CIJA @CIJAinfo]

CIJA and @UJAFederation Respond to Sentencing in GTA Synagogue Shootings

Following the sentencing of a young offender to twoyears in a custodial facility followed by one year under supervision in the community—the maximum allowable sentence for these offences under the Youth Criminal Justice Act—for his involvement in the March 2026 shootings at Shaarei Shomayim and Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT) synagogues, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto (UJA) issued the following statement:

“Today’s sentencing is an important step toward justice for Jewish families across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The court's decision to impose the maximum sentence available under the Youth Criminal Justice Act for these offences reflects the gravity of attacks that struck at the heart of our community. These were not just buildings that came under fire. They were places where families gather, children learn, and generations of Jewish Canadians have come together to practice their faith. As the judge recognized, these coordinated attacks on Jewish institutions left lasting fear across an entire community.

These shootings did not happen in isolation. They followed almost three years of escalating antisemitism, intimidation, harassment, and violence against Jewish Canadians. Protests had moved into Jewish neighbourhoods, increasingly targeting synagogues, schools, and community centres. What began as intimidation has, in the most disturbing cases, escalated to gunfire directed at places of worship and schools. Today’s sentence sends an important message that this violence carries serious consequences. But it cannot be where accountability ends.

“The young offender has been sentenced. The question now is who put him up to it. As Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw asked last summer: “Who’s paying for this?” He noted methods used in these shootings, including demands to film attacks, were consistent with criminal-for-hire operations involving individuals recruited through encrypted messaging apps. Those who recruit, direct, and finance such attacks must face justice, not just those who carry them out. The dangers posed by these criminal networks have already claimed the life of Constable Marc Pinizzotto, who was killed in the line of duty while executing a search warrant connected to the U.S. Consulate shooting and other linked attacks.”

“The threat extends well beyond any one offender or any one attack. Canada's Integrated Threat Assessment Centre has warned that the increasingly frequent and normalized targeting of Jewish communities can drive susceptible individuals toward more violent acts. The shooting at Belleville’s Sons of Jacob synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur is another stark reminder that Jewish communities, large and small, continue to face serious threats.

“We cannot ignore the potential role of hostile foreign actors in fuelling violence on Canadian soil. The use of criminals-for-hire raises serious concerns over the threat posed by Iran’s Islamic regime here in Canada. Canadian intelligence has warned of a ‘realistic possibility’ that the Islamic regime is directing local criminal elements to target Canadians. Recent U.S. Treasury sanctions against eight Canadian businesses linked to Iranian sanctions evasion further underscore the reach of the regime’s networks in Canada and the urgent need to confront foreign-state threats, organized crime, and terrorism financing. We must determine whether these networks played a role in the attacks on our community and hold those responsible to account.

“Canada is at a crossroads. The federal government's new National Security Strategy recognizes these evolving threats. But recognition alone will not protect Canadians. We need decisive action to prevent young people from being recruited into criminal networks, confront the role of antisemitism in motivating violence, and give police and security agencies the lawful tools and resources needed to identify and confront the threats posed by Iran's regime and its proxies.

“Today’s sentence is a significant step, but justice will not be complete if those behind these attacks remain free to recruit others and strike again. Jewish Canadians deserve more than accountability for the person who pulled the trigger. They deserve to know that those who ordered, financed, and enabled these attacks will be brought to justice.”

Read our full statement here:
https://t.co/0H0SounzRd

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

Today and always, we honour our veterans and all who made the ultimate sacrifice for Canada. We remember their courage, their service, and their dedication to the freedoms we cherish. Lest we forget.

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

Standing together against antisemitism and hate matters now more than ever.

Italian Canadian business and community leaders have come together to launch Italians Stand Against Antisemitism and Hate, an initiative demonstrating solidarity with Canada's Jewish community.

These leaders are using their voices to make it clear that antisemitism and hate have no place in Canada.

We thank them for their leadership and encourage others to amplify their message.

Read the full letter and signatures: https://t.co/21pDSyNC0B

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

Happy Sigd!

Today, the Ethiopian Jewish community celebrates Sigd, a meaningful holiday marking the renewal of the covenant between the Jewish people and the Torah. Rooted in generations of prayer and yearning for Jerusalem, Sigd honours the community’s enduring faith, heritage and connection to Israel.

Chag Sameach to all those celebrating!

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

Today, we mark 88 years since Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass. On November 9–10, 1938, a wave of orchestrated violence swept across Germany, marking a devastating escalation of Nazi persecution. Synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses were destroyed. Jews were beaten and murdered, and thousands were arrested.

As antisemitism continues to rise around the world, including here in our own city, we remember the lessons of history and stand together as a strong, resilient Jewish community, committed to standing against hatred.

We remember. We stand together. Never again.

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

We are deeply relieved to hear that Constable Jeff Smith has been released from hospital more than a month after he was shot and seriously injured in a shootout outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario on Yom Kippur.

Following the attack, Jewish organizations across Canada, including UJA, @CIJAinfo and JFC-UIA, came together to express our gratitude and support. We are profoundly grateful for Constable Smith’s courage and for the bravery of all the officers who responded that day, and we continue to hold him and his family in our thoughts.

We wish Constable Smith a refuah shleimah, continued strength and comfort, and a full recovery.

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

The election is over. The work is not.

UJA will continue to stand firmly with Toronto’s Jewish community, advocating for the safety, security, and future of Jewish life in our city.

Our community has made its expectations clear. Now, it’s time for Mayor-elect Chow and Council to deliver. We need meaningful action to confront antisemitism and ensure Jewish Torontonians can live safely and proudly in Toronto. Words are not enough.

Toronto’s Jewish community is a vital part of this city’s fabric, and we will remain proud, involved and resilient.

Our community has shown up, spoken out, and participated in the democratic process. The thousands who came together to make their voices heard have demonstrated the strength and determination of our community.

We will remain engaged. We will hold our leaders accountable. And we will not stop advocating for the action our community deserves.

[CIJA @CIJAinfo]

As communities across the Greater Toronto Area prepare for new municipal government administrations, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and @UJAFederation are calling on elected leaders to make public safety, accountability, and the protection of all residents clear priorities.

With Olivia Chow re-elected as Mayor of Toronto, attention now turns to the commitments made during the campaign and the work still ahead. During the campaign, Mayor Chow outlined plans to build on policing investments, expand security funding for vulnerable institutions, and continue efforts to address antisemitism and hate. These are important responsibilities, and the next term of council presents an opportunity to demonstrate sustained progress through consistent enforcement, stronger accountability, and tangible improvements in community safety.

While Toronto's mayoral race attracted considerable attention, these priorities extend well beyond Toronto City Hall. Across Vaughan, Markham, Mississauga, and municipalities throughout the GTA, elected officials have an important role in ensuring that public spaces are safe, that municipal services are delivered without discrimination, and that residents can participate fully in community life.

Click here to read more: https://t.co/IsWV8Xop0l

[CIJA @CIJAinfo]

Hate-Motivated Arson Targets Christian Ally of Toronto’s Jewish Community on October 7 Anniversary

Toronto, ON—October 7, 2026—The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and @UJAFederation issued the following joint statement today in response to a hate-motivated arson attack targeting Israeli flags at Faith International Christian Centre in North York, on the third anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel:

"Today, on the third anniversary of October 7—the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust—Toronto’s Jewish community woke up to news that Israeli flags had been burned in a hate-motivated arson attack at a Christian institution.

"Faith International Christian Centre has stood with the Jewish community and with Israel. To see that solidarity answered with fire is a disturbing reminder that hatred does not stop with Jews. Increasingly, those who stand beside us are being targeted too.

"Burning Israeli flags outside a church is not simply an act of property destruction. It is an attack on people who had the courage to stand with their Jewish neighbours, and it reflects the broader radicalization Canada’s security agencies have repeatedly warned about — where lies, conspiracy theories, and hatred directed at Jews and Israelis can escalate into intimidation, violence, and terror.

"We are deeply grateful to the Faith International Christian Centre and congregation for their friendship and solidarity, especially at a time when standing with the Jewish community can itself make people a target.

"Today should be a day of remembrance — for the nearly 1,200 people murdered on October 7, 2023, for those taken hostage, and for the families and communities forever changed by that day. Instead, here in Toronto, we are once again confronting hatred directed not only at Jews, but at those who refuse to abandon us.

"That should alarm every Canadian. When simply standing with the Jewish community carries a cost—when allies are intimidated, threatened, or attacked because they refuse to turn away—this is no longer only a Jewish problem. It is a threat to the kind of country we all want Canada to be.

"We call on leaders at every level of government to condemn this attack unequivocally, to recognize the growing cost being imposed on those who stand with the Jewish community, and to confront the extremism that is making intimidation and violence increasingly commonplace."

You can read the full release here:
https://t.co/p93mTqS3WJ

[CIJA @CIJAinfo]

On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1,200 people and took 250 innocent Israelis hostage, while committing widespread sexual violence.

Among those murdered were eight Canadians. They were daughters and sons, mothers and friends. They were deeply loved, and three years later, their absence is still felt every day.

Today, we remember the lives they lived and honour their memory, alongside all those murdered on October 7.

Learn their stories: https://t.co/JfXzyWbI6M

May their memories be for a blessing.

[York Regional Police @YRP]

A message to our community ahead of the anniversary of October 7.

[Toronto Police @TorontoPolice]

Please see our statement on the third anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks.

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

Today marks three years since the horrors of October 7, 2023.

A day that forever changed Israel, the Jewish people and communities around the world. 

We remember those we lost, honour the survivors and hold close the families whose lives continue to be shaped by the loss, trauma and lasting impact of that day.

Three years later, we remember. We mourn. We honour. And we stand together as a community.

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

Tonight, as we celebrate Simchat Torah, we mark the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings and the beginning of a new cycle.

For many of us, this holiday will never feel quite the same after October 7. And yet, Simchat Torah reminds us that even as we carry what came before, we continue writing the next chapter together.

May this Simchat Torah bring moments of joy, strength and renewal to Jewish Toronto, Israel and Jewish communities around the world.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach. 💙

Read the full reflection by Adam Minsky, President & CEO, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto: https://t.co/9TiP6TcbDl

[CIJA @CIJAinfo]

CIJA and @UJAFederation of Greater Toronto Stand with the Jewish Community of Belleville:

Less than two weeks after the Jewish community in Belleville endured the trauma of an attack against congregants gathering to pray on the eve of Yom Kippur, antisemitic flyers are reportedly being distributed in the city.

This is more than hateful rhetoric. Libels and conspiracies about Jews and Israelis are fueling hate and violence against Canadians.

Canada's security services have sounded the alarm of the current situation in which acts of antisemitism become so prevalent and frequent that they create an environment that influence extremists toward more violent pathways.

We are grateful for the quick response by the Belleville Police Service in responding to this troubling development.

Jewish Canadians are owed the basic standards that all Canadians deserve: to live, worship and participate in their communities without fear.

[CIJA @CIJAinfo]

Canadians are waking up to deeply troubling reports of a potentially catastrophic attack against Israeli civilians, with brave passengers on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv preventing a far more deadly outcome.

As we approach the three-year anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack—the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust—we are reminded of the serious threats facing innocent civilians worldwide, including here in Canada.

In just the past week and a half, Canadians have witnessed an escalation in frequency and severity of plots, attacks and threats, including an ISIS-inspired chemical weapons plot in Quebec and the attack on the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville that, if not for the heroism of Constables Smith and McCurdy, would have been a mass-casualty incident.

We urge the Canadian government to unequivocally condemn attacks targeting Israeli civilians and call on all levels of government to take concrete action to protect Canadians from the escalating threats of violent extremism and terrorism.

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

Jewish Canadian hockey history is being made! 🏒✡️🍁

Ahead of Tuesday’s official season opener, the Edmonton Oilers have three Jewish Canadian NHL players on their roster: Zach Hyman and Jake Walman, both from Toronto, and Devon Levi, from Montreal.

It’s the first time three Jewish Canadian NHL players have been on the same NHL team.

Three players. One team. One historic milestone.

And for the next generation of Jewish Canadian hockey players, seeing three Jewish Canadians at the NHL level together is an inspiring reminder of what’s possible.

Best of luck this upcoming season, Zach, Jake and Devon! 💙

[UJA Federation of Greater Toronto @UJAFederation]

Chag Sukkot Sameach, Jewish Toronto! 🌿🍋

As we gather together in our sukkot, we’re reminded that even in moments of vulnerability, there is strength in coming together.

Sukkot invites us to embrace joy, share in our traditions, and support one another as a community.

May this Sukkot be filled with the warmth of loved ones, the beauty of tradition, and the joy of being together. 💙

Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!

[Toronto Police @TorontoPolice]

Please see our statement on Belleville Police’s update on the shooting incident that occurred on Sunday, Sep. 20.