Condemns Violent Attack on Local Jew

By: Fern Sidman

In the wake of a violent assault on a Jewish man in Montreal, Rabbi Reuben Poupko, spiritual leader of the Beth Israel Beit Aaron Congregation in Cote St. Luc, has issued a stark warning about the escalation of antisemitism in Canada. Speaking with Arutz Sheva–Israel National News, Rabbi Poupko described the incident as both deeply shocking and emblematic of a disturbing trend in Jewish life in North America since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

The assault took place on Friday afternoon, at approximately 3:00 p.m, in a public park in Montreal’s Outremont neighborhood – an area known as home to the largest Hasidic community in North America outside New York City. According to Rabbi Poupko, the victim, a young father, was spending time with his children when he was suddenly and violently attacked.

“This was a direct physical assault,” Rabbi Poupko told Israel National News. “It was completely unprovoked and came out of nowhere. The victim was pummeled and later hospitalized, though thankfully, he has since been released. This incident marks a disturbing escalation in antisemitic violence. The surge of hate we have seen over the last year is unprecedented in our lifetime.”

While police have not yet apprehended the assailant and no verbal slurs accompanied the attack, Rabbi Poupko expressed strong conviction that the assault was motivated by antisemitism.

“In the current climate, when an identifiable Jew is attacked in such a manner, it is reasonable to conclude that it was targeted,” he told Israel National News. “Given the environment of hostility and intimidation we have been witnessing, I have little doubt that this was not a random act of violence.”

The rabbi’s remarks reflect growing fears among Jewish leaders that physical attacks on visibly Jewish individuals are becoming an increasingly dangerous reality in Western cities. He emphasized that Montreal, despite its reputation as a tolerant and multicultural city, has not been immune to this trend.

According to the information provided in the Israel National News report, the Outremont assault is only the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents that have rattled Montreal’s Jewish community in recent months.

“This is not the first attack we’ve faced,” Rabbi Poupko noted. “We’ve had schools shot at overnight, synagogues firebombed, and even an attempted firebombing at my own synagogue last October, on Erev Rosh Hashanah.”

That attempted attack on Beth Israel Beit Aaron occurred during the High Holidays, a period of heightened significance for Jews around the world. While the perpetrator in that case did not succeed, the incident reinforced fears that antisemitic violence in Montreal is becoming both bolder and more organized.

Persistent anti-Israel protests, often held near Jewish neighborhoods and institutions, have also added to the sense of unease. While Rabbi Poupko stated that these demonstrations “don’t seem to change public opinion,” he believes they have a chilling effect on journalists, prosecutors, and local officials, creating reluctance to act decisively against antisemitic activity.

A central theme in Rabbi Poupko’s comments to Israel National News was frustration over an insufficient legal response to antisemitic crimes.

He cited the case of five individuals arrested for planting Molotov cocktails near synagogues in October 2023. “They were released without bail on a promise to appear in court,” he said. “Some failed to appear, and there were little or no consequences. This lack of accountability damages public trust in the political and legal systems responsible for protecting our community.”

Such incidents, he argued, send a dangerous message to perpetrators that attacks on Jewish institutions or individuals will not be met with serious repercussions.

In the face of these challenges, Rabbi Poupko told Israel National News that one practical and symbolic response has been to encourage members of his community to consider Aliyah – immigration to Israel.

“Since October 7th alone, I have signed over 20 letters supporting young people from my synagogue who are making this move,” he said. “It serves as a reminder to Jews about where they truly belong, and it strengthens the connection between diaspora communities and the Jewish state.”

This approach reflects a long-standing tradition within some Jewish communities of viewing Aliyah not only as a religious or cultural aspiration but also as a response to persistent insecurity in the diaspora.

Rabbi Poupko emphasized that the Jewish community in Montreal is not seeking special treatment but rather the same protections that all communities should expect from their government.

“We continue to press government and political leaders to protect the Jewish community as they would any other group,” he said. “We are simply asking for basic security and justice.”

His comments align with appeals from Jewish advocacy groups in Canada, which have repeatedly called for stronger enforcement of hate crime laws, better monitoring of extremist networks, and improved coordination between community security organizations and law enforcement agencies.

Despite the disturbing nature of the recent attack, Rabbi Poupko told Israel National News that the victim and his family are not facing their ordeal alone.

“They are fortunate to be part of a compassionate, close-knit community that naturally supports one another,” he said. “This community does not need encouragement to do the right thing, and we are confident the family is being well cared for. Our strength and kindness shine brightest in difficult times like these.”

This solidarity, he suggested, has long been one of the defining features of Montreal’s Jewish population, which numbers over 90,000 and includes a wide spectrum of religious and cultural traditions.

The attack in Outremont is part of a broader pattern of rising antisemitism across Canada, particularly since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war in October 2023. Statistics Canada data released in July 2024 recorded 920 police-reported antisemitic hate crimes in 2024, making Jews the most targeted religious group in the country. The figures, while slightly lower than the 959 reported in 2023, remain well above pre-2023 levels.

Jewish Canadians are now 25 times more likely to be victims of hate crimes than other citizens, a disparity that underscores the urgency of the concerns voiced by leaders such as Rabbi Poupko.

For now, law enforcement officials in Montreal have pledged to investigate the Outremont assault and to identify the perpetrator. However, the unresolved nature of the case leaves many in the community uneasy.

While Rabbi Poupko expressed appreciation for the responsiveness of local police, he underscored that the deeper issue lies in the broader environment of permissiveness toward antisemitic rhetoric and action. “Without real accountability and consistent enforcement,” he warned, “such incidents will continue to occur.”

As the Montreal Jewish community grapples with the emotional and practical fallout from this latest attack, leaders such as Rabbi Poupko are balancing immediate pastoral care for victims with long-term advocacy for systemic change.

The lessons of this incident, he told Israel National News, extend beyond Montreal. They speak to the vulnerability of Jewish communities across the diaspora in a time of escalating geopolitical tensions, and to the necessity of both local and international vigilance against antisemitism in all its forms.

In the words of Rabbi Poupko, “We will continue to stand together, to speak out, and to demand that those entrusted with protecting our safety live up to their responsibilities. We owe it to ourselves, to our children, and to the generations before us who endured so much to preserve our faith and our people.”