Belleville synagogue raising funds to rebuild as Jewish leaders remain committed to safety

Jewish leaders across Canada remain committed to safety after a shooting outside a synagogue in Belleville, Ont. left a police officer injured.

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The suspect of the Sept. 20 shooting — which occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism — died Tuesday after succumbing to his injuries. He was identified as 29-year-old Sean Ward from Quinte West. The officer, Const. Jeff Smith, is in stable condition but “continues to face a significant road to recovery,” according to Belleville police’s Deputy Chief Sheri Meeks. A GoFundMe set up for Smith by Toronto’s Jewish community has reached more than $360,000.

None of the roughly 25 congregants inside the synagogue were injured.

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Belleville police were only assigned to the synagogue because congregants had reported a suspicious vehicle parked outside a week earlier, according to Global News.

In an update from the Belleville synagogue, Sons of Jacob, shared with National Post on Wednesday, it referred to the shooting as a “targeted attack against Jews gathering together to pray and be in community.”

“Yom Kippur asks us to confront what is broken and consider how we can repair it,” the update said. “This week, our community is living that teaching in a very real way.”

A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for repairs and security at the synagogue.

Rabbi Carnie Rose from the Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Winnipeg said what occurred in Belleville was a “very unfortunate situation” and he has been in talks with police.

Shaarey Zedek was the target of antisemitic graffiti in 2025 and in early 2026.

“The police have been outstanding, wonderful,” he said, as have local politicians. Many safety measures are being taken, he said, although he did not want to cite specific details out of caution.

He said it was sad that the community’s money had to be spent on security rather than education or charitable work, but it is a necessity at this time.

“The Islamic community has … reached out to tell us that we’re in this together,” he said, adding that other faith communities have also been supportive. “So, if there is a silver lining, it is a possibility of … coming together of people who have otherwise had some edges with one another, and maybe this will be the catalyst for a better day for us all.”

Rose said that past events have not dissuaded his congregation from attending synagogue.

“People are proud, and people are strong, and people are not going to be pushed around, not in a country that that is supposed to be about liberty and equality and democracy, and a cultural mosaic,” he said.

Winnipeg Police Service will be boosting patrols at gathering spaces and places of worship as a precaution, it said in a post on X.

In a separate incident, Durham Regional Police arrested a 19-year-old Whitby man for allegedly making threats online about shooting up a synagogue one day before the Belleville shooting.

Koren Kassirer is the vice president of a small congregation in Oshawa called Beth Zion Congregation, located in the Durham Region. She told National Post that the recent events have been “very concerning.”

“Living outside the GTA, we felt that the likelihood of these incidents was far lower,” she said. However, she said she did notice antisemitic incidents in Bowmanville, where she lives, including swastikas being graffitied outside over the summer and antisemitic flyers on the shelves of a local store earlier in the year.

Kassirer said the synagogue is in talks with local police and two congregants are taking a course to learn how to better secure the facility.

Durham Regional Police will continue with enhanced patrols, Const. Nicholas Gluckstein told National Post in a written statement. He said this was a “proactive” measure that reflects the police service’s “ongoing commitment to community safety, crime prevention, and support for faith-based communities across Durham Region.”

“We recognize the significance of all religious observances and want members of the Jewish community to know that their safety remains a priority,” said Gluckstein.

In Toronto, which is home to Canada’s largest Jewish population, Toronto Police Services said in a post on X it would increase visibility and patrols at synagogues and other places of worship although there was no known threat or connection to the city at this time.

In March alone, there were three overnight shootings at Toronto-area synagogues. No one was injured.

Phil David, the executive director of Toronto synagogue Beth Tzedec, told National Post that the Belleville shooting “reinforces what Jewish institutions across Canada already know: security can no longer be treated as an occasional concern.”

David said the synagogue is in regular contact with Toronto police and the Jewish Security Network (JSN), dedicated to the security needs of our Greater Toronto Jewish community. “Security is an ongoing responsibility for us, not a response to any single incident,” said David.

A new security fence is being installed around parts of the property, he said.

The JSN continues to “monitor developments through its 24/7 Integrated Security Operations Centre and share information directly with community institutions,” said Yonatan Belete from the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, a charitable organization dedicated to helping the Jewish community. The UJA launched the JSN in 2024.

The JSN has been working closely with police before and after the Belleville shooting.

“Synagogue is where our community gathers to pray, support one another and practise our faith,” said Belete.

“We want people to continue doing that with confidence, knowing that substantial work is being done to help keep them safe. Each person who stays aware, reports a concern or gets involved strengthens that effort.”

The Barrie Police Service told National Post in a statement that there was no “specific or immediate threat to Barrie,” but there would be an increase in patrols “around places of worship within the city out of an abundance of caution.”

Montreal police could not immediately respond to National Post’s request for comment about whether it would be increasing patrols near places of worship.

In June, a man was arrested after allegedly attempting to set a fire at a synagogue in the city’s Westmount neighbourhood.

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