By Joseph Marshall
A Chabad centre in Guelph, Ontario has been targeted by anti-Jewish vandals for the second time in less than two weeks, with police now investigating the incidents as possible hate crimes.
Waterloo Regional Police were called to the Chabad of Guelph Pop-Up Centre on June 10 after anti-Jewish graffiti was discovered on the building. The message, spray-painted across a front window, read: “Zionist dogs, stop killing children, the goyim know.”
The latest incident comes just days after the same location was vandalized on May 30. In that attack, the words “Death to genocidal Israhell” were painted on the building.
Police have referred the matter to the service’s hate crime unit. No arrests have been announced.
The building serves as a temporary home for Chabad of Guelph while a permanent centre is being constructed. It hosts religious services, classes, holiday events, and community programming for local Jewish residents.
Rabbi Raphi Steiner, director of Chabad of Guelph, said the attacks were clearly directed at the Jewish community.
“The message is that Jews are not welcome,” Steiner told local media.
The rabbi also spoke about the personal impact of the vandalism, describing the moment his 12-year-old son sat in the synagogue looking at the graffiti and trying to understand why someone would target his place of worship.
The incidents highlight a reality that many Jewish communities across Canada have been confronting since October 7, 2023. While perpetrators often claim to be protesting Israel, the targets are frequently Jewish institutions thousands of kilometres away from the Middle East.
In Guelph, the vandalized building was not an Israeli government office, political organization, or business. It was a Canadian synagogue and community centre serving local Jewish families.
The attacks have drawn condemnation from community members and Jewish organizations. Supporters have reached out to Chabad of Guelph in recent days to express solidarity and support.
Despite the vandalism, Steiner has made clear that the community has no intention of backing down.
“We’re going to continue building,” he said.
For many Canadian Jews, the Guelph incidents are another reminder that the wave of anti-Jewish hatred seen over the past two years is no longer confined to major cities. Communities of every size are increasingly finding themselves targeted.
Police are asking anyone with information regarding the vandalism to contact investigators.
