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

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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“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.”

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

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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“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.”

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

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“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.

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

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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.