Toronto's Jewish community is facing increasing threats, according to Aviva Klompas, a prominent advocate and founder of the pro-Israel think tank Boundless. Klompas warns that the city's tolerance of anti-Israel activism could lead to tragic consequences.

The recent attack on Kehillat Shaarei Torah, an Orthodox synagogue on Bayview Avenue, marks the tenth incident targeting the congregation in just two years. Klompas described this pattern as a significant turning point in the ongoing crisis of antisemitism in Toronto. "The message being sent is that Jews can be targeted, and there are no consequences in Toronto," she stated.

Klompas emphasized that if any other place of worship had been vandalized ten times, it would be treated as a national emergency. She questioned why there has been little action to address these incidents. "It would be front-page news, and the question that every Canadian, every person of conscience should be asking is why isn’t anyone doing anything to stop it?"

Despite the alarming trend, Toronto Police have not made any arrests related to the latest antisemitic attack. Klompas expressed concern over the lack of response from city officials, including Mayor Olivia Chow and Police Chief Myron Demkiw.

Reflecting on her personal connection to Kehillat Shaarei Torah, Klompas noted, "That’s the synagogue that I grew up in. It’s the synagogue where I had my bat mitzvah, where I served as youth director." She highlighted the escalating danger faced by the Jewish community in Toronto.

"One attack on a synagogue is unacceptable, two is shocking, and then there’s three and four, five and six. By the time you get to 10, I’m left speechless," Klompas said. "That’s not an accident, and it’s not random; it’s targeted harassment, and it’s escalating."

The rise in antisemitic incidents in Toronto and across Canada has been linked to the recent conflict in the Middle East, particularly following the October 7 terror attacks by Palestinian militants against Israeli civilians. This has led to a surge in anti-Israel protests and intimidation tactics in Jewish neighborhoods.

In a related incident, Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School, an all-girls Jewish school in Downsview, has also faced repeated threats. Last week, five individuals were charged after an attack on an event hosted by a student organization at Toronto Metropolitan University. The charges include forcible entry and assaulting police officers.

Klompas criticized the lack of accountability among officials, stating, "Everybody’s pointing at somebody else. It’s elected officials pointing at law enforcement, and law enforcement pointing at prosecution, and prosecution pointing at political figures saying we don’t have the backing."

She called for decisive action, saying, "At the end of the day, the Jewish community is not interested in thoughts and prayers and empty statements. What we would actually like is enforcement, and that means arrests, it means charges, it means prosecutions and it means deterrence."

Klompas warned that without significant intervention, the situation could escalate into deadly violence. "I think it’s going to escalate into deadly violence," she said, referencing similar trends observed in other regions. She urged police and lawmakers to treat antisemitic hate crimes with the seriousness they deserve, stating, "They need to make it absolutely clear that antisemitic hate crimes are going to be treated with the full weight of the law, and not a slap on the wrist."