Rabbi Idan Scher, of Congregation Machzikei Hadas in Ottawa, recently received a threatening anti-Jewish phone call and is encouraging victims of hate crimes to speak out. In an interview with CBC, Rabbi Scher emphasized the spike in hate crimes against the Jewish community in Canada, especially since Hamas first attacked Israel on Oct. 7. He urged those who experience hate to report it, emphasizing the positive impact it can have in securing the community.
During the threatening phone call on Nov. 3, Rabbi Scher listened to a man for approximately four minutes as he condemned the Jewish community for supporting Israel, calling them “Zionists” and “Nazis who need to be killed.” Rabbi Scher stayed on the line to gather information to share with the police. The Ottawa Police Service Hate and Bias Crime Unit has since charged a 29-year-old man “with various hate-motivated offences” in connection with the threatening call.
The man was scheduled to appear in court on the charges, and Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs has condemned the increase in hate crimes against the Jewish and Muslim communities in the city. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also spoken out against the rise in hate crimes not just in the nation’s capital, but across Canada, calling on Canadians to show more understanding for one another amidst the escalation of hate crimes.