Steven Wernick can count on one hand the places where security guards check all his bags: airports, government buildings — and synagogues.
Wernick has been the rabbi at Beth Tzedec Congregation, a Conservative Jewish congregation in Toronto, for five years. The synagogue had become more security conscious before he arrived, he says. Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, security at this house of worship has become even more of a priority.
Security costs have increased by $15,000 a month, or $180,000 a year. This is on top of the hundreds of thousands of dollars the congregation already spends on security, Wernick says. Before the war, security personnel checked some bags when people entered — now they check every bag, even the bags for tallits, or prayer shawls.
“The tragedy of it is that a place that’s supposed to be a sanctuary has to also be a fortress,” said Wernick. “We kind of get used to it, which is unfortunate and sad.”
Religious leaders across Canada are lamenting the increased fear and hatred people in their congregations are experiencing. In a public statement dated June 18, the Canadian Interfaith Conversation — an organization of religious groups across the country — denounced hate and violence, particularly hate and violence motivated by religious beliefs or targeted at people because of their religious beliefs.
The statement, which was signed by 57 religious institutions and congregations, asked Ottawa to ensure that religious institutions — including places of worship, schools, community centres and cemeteries — can afford security and safety equipment.
Since 2007, Public Safety Canada has provided funding to not-for-profit organizations at risk of experiencing hate-motivated crimes to purchase security equipment through its Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program. The federal government has spent more than $14 million supporting more than 600 organizations since the program was created.
In November, in response to the war in Gaza, the federal government announced a temporary program to provide more money to organizations that could be at risk of hate crimes. The government spent $10 million on the temporary program, which closed earlier this year.
Under the temporary program, the federal government provided up to half the money needed for projects that cost less than $1 million. Applicants needed to be able to fund the other half themselves. Under the regular program, organizations can only apply for funding for projects that cost a maximum of $100,000.
As part of the funding application, organizations need to describe what groups they serve, including religious or cultural groups, and the potential hate-motivated crimes or incidents they think they may experience.
Data suggest security measures are needed. Hatred against a religion is the second-most cited motivation, behind hatred based on race, for police-reported hate crimes.
In 2022, there were 750 police-reported hate crimes targeted at people or institutions because of their religion, Statistics Canada data says. This accounts for 22 per cent of the 3,576 police-reported hate crimes that year. Two-thirds of those hate crimes — 502 — were directed against Jewish people or organizations; another 108 were directed against Muslims or Islamic organizations.
Data for 2023 should be published this summer.
‘Ruled by fear’
While religious leaders applaud Ottawa for providing funding for their security, they say that it will take more than money and laws to combat the hate, prejudice and discrimination that leads to hate crimes.
More laws are “not going to address the core issue, which is that antisemitism has been normalized today, where it should be treated as any [equity, diversity and inclusion] issue of discrimination against a minority,” said Wernick.
Wernick says he is discouraged and frustrated by the lack of action governments are taking to protect Jews in Canada from antisemitism.
Governments, he says, often react when incidents of antisemitism or other potential hate crimes occur. They do not invest as much in preventing these things from happening, he says.
“We need to marginalize antisemitism again,” Wernick said. When protests against the war in Gaza happen where Jewish people worship, live or work, that intimidates people and targets them for being Jewish, he says.
One solution some religious leaders have proposed is so-called “bubble zones,” areas in front of places of worship or other religious buildings where it would be illegal to hold protests.
The Canadian Interfaith Conversation’s public statement did not call for these so-called “bubble zones” because the organization’s members do not all agree they are necessary, says Bruce Clemenger, who represents the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, a national organization of evangelical Christian churches and organizations.
“Bubble zones really would not help against arson at night,” he said. “[They are] really designed for protests.”
Most hate crimes are non-violent, Statistics Canada says. They can include vandalism and property damage. In 2022, there were 126 reported incidents of mischief against a place of worship or building used by a religious group, the data says.
Many organizations do not report incidents to police, says Clemenger. Security cameras can provide evidence to law enforcement, which is another reason why government funding for safety equipment is important, he says. But determining the motivations for an action can be difficult: just because a church is vandalized does not mean the vandalism was motivated by hatred towards religion.
Creating laws specifically to protect places of worship is a “delicate question,” said Netta Phillet, executive director of the Edmonton Interfaith Center for Education and Action, which signed the Canadian Interfaith Conversation’s statement. Phillet has seen increased security over the years at the synagogue where she worships.
The Edmonton centre has not discussed bubble zones specifically or made a statement about them, she says. But she is concerned how such laws might limit civil liberties.
Phillet understands why, given international conflicts, people are increasingly fearful. But that fear worries her.
“I dislike the fact that too many people are being ruled by fear,” she said.
In Niagara, Ont., Nadia Ali says she has seen feelings of fear increase during the last several years. Ali has been the president of the Islamic Society of Niagara Peninsula, the first mosque in the area, for 10 years. Their mosque has not been a target of any possible hate crimes, she says. But the mosque has increased its security and sometimes asked police to be present during important celebrations.
“People want to come to a mosque or a church or a synagogue to pray, to gather with our community and maybe to find peace,” she says.
“We don’t want [people] to have that fear of coming to the mosque, ever.”
In Toronto, Wernick aims to offer his congregants hope. Even though Jews worldwide are fearful now, he wants to remind them of how the community has survived violence in the past.
“My job as a religious leader is to validate the anxiety that our community is feeling, to inspire them to take the actions that they can take: [actions] of advocacy, of comfort, of support, of looking for and developing allies,” Wernick said.
Despite the suffering Jewish people have experienced throughout their history, “we’ve not only survived, but thrived,” he said.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story said that the regular Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program provides funding for half of project costs up to $10,000. In fact, it provides up to half of the costs for projects up to $100,000. We regret the error.
Leave a comment