08/02/2026
(From Rabbi Claudio)
Dear friends,
As some of you may know, this morning our Synagogue was vandalized while we were gathered inside for our Shabbat service. Eggs were thrown at the entrances of our building, walls and at many of its windows. Some of our congregants’ cars in the parking lot were also vandalized. One of our children, who was playing inside the building, saw an attacker as he approached the main entrance.
It is difficult not to feel afraid after what we experienced this morning. Hatred rarely begins with extreme violence. It starts with vandalism and intimidation, then grows, especially when there is no action taken or no condemnation. History has taught us that dismissing “minor” expressions of hate lead to something far more dangerous.
Disturbingly, this is not isolated. In recent days alone Jewish Canadians have witnessed targeted attacks against Jewish-owned businesses in Toronto and Montreal. We cannot allow this to become normalized in our country. Today it happened to us at home, in Saskatoon, in our own community.
Enough is enough.
We need the support of our local community as well as our leaders. We need action, not promises. Canadian Jews deserve to live without fear. Our children should be able to come to Synagogue feeling safe, without the need for security guards. Families should be able to gather for prayer and celebration knowing they are safe in their own community.
We refuse to let hatred to define us. We will continue to pray, celebrate and study our traditions, and to contribute to our beautiful city and this country. Together we are stronger than those who want to spread hatred and fear.
At the same time, I ask you to reach out to our municipal, provincial and federal representatives, and ask them to raise their voices, condemn this act of hate unequivocally, and demand concrete action to protect our Jewish community. Reach out to friends and relatives and share your concerns.
We are a strong, vibrant and proud community, and we won’t let anyone make us feel we need to hide. We will clean the walls and windows of our building, but more importantly we will continue to fill our sacred space with prayer, learning, friendship and hope.
עושה שלום במרומיו הוא יעשה שלום עלינו ועל כל ישראל ועל כל יושבי תבל, ואמרו אמן
May the one who creates peace on high, bring peace to us, to our people, and to all who dwell on earth. And let us say Amen.
Rabbi Claudio
