The Toronto Police Hate Crime Unit has opened an investigation after mezuzahs were taken from multiple doorways in a North York seniors’ residence, authorities said on Sunday.
According to the statement, the thefts occurred sometime over the weekend at a Toronto Community Housing Corporation retirement building in the Westminster neighborhood. Residents reported the missing mezuzahs on Sunday, but the exact time of the incident has not yet been determined.
Mezuzahs contain parchment inscribed with the Shema prayer and are traditionally placed on the doorposts of Jewish homes.
York Centre Councillor James Pasternak said that all mezuzahs at 6250 Bathurst Street were “torn off.” He stated that the removals targeted Jewish seniors and said he had connected building leadership with the Toronto Police’s 32 Division.
Pasternak said, “There is no excuse for targeting people because they are Jewish,” and that he will continue working with residents, Toronto Seniors Housing, and police until safety is restored.
Residents feel violated
Pasternak later said he was “shocked and disgusted” by the incident. He estimated that 15 to 20 mezuzahs were removed overnight and said residents feel violated. He linked the crime to what he described as growing antisemitism in the city.
In comments from a CP24 interview cited in the statement, he said many tenants are older, Russian-speaking Jews who use a small synagogue in the building. He added that the mezuzahs had been firmly affixed to the doorframes and would require effort to remove.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow condemned the incident, calling it an “outrageous and vile act of antisemitism.” She said the seniors living in the supportive housing building “deserve to live in peace without fear of being targeted for being Jewish.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) also denounced the vandalism, noting that a mezuzah represents faith, heritage, and identity. CIJA said the incident reflects an escalating pattern of antisemitism and urged political leaders to take concrete steps to protect Jewish residents.
The police investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Toronto Police Service or Crime Stoppers.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement is encouraging supporters to join the #MezuzahChallenge by displaying a mezuzah at home or sharing a photo on social media in solidarity.