Sept. 15, 2021
TORONTO – A 26-year-old man is facing seven charges stemming from a vicious attack on an elderly Jewish employee inside a Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) store in Toronto’s west end.
On a summer’s evening, the accused allegedly entered the liquor store and attempted to purchase beer. When asked by the cashier to produce identification showing he was of legal age, he became belligerent, prompting another employee to approach in support of the cashier.
The accused then called this second LCBO employee “a dirty f*cking Jew,” and lunged at him. As the melee developed, the attacker also hit the employee in the back with a wine bottle, threw other items at him and finally punched him in the face, briefly knocking him unconscious. The victim required stitches and was forced to take more than a week off work.
The incident occurred on July 28, B’nai Brith Canada has learned. A suspect was arrested three weeks later and charged with seven criminal counts, including two counts of assault and two counts of assault with a weapon. B’nai Brith has also confirmed that Toronto Police are treating this incident as a hate crime.
“This deeply disturbing attack is yet another incident of antisemitic violence in Canadian cities,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada. “In the wake of July’s National Summit on Antisemitism, it is imperative that all levels of government and law enforcement take action and work with the Jewish community to stem this flow of violence and hate.”
As previously reported by B’nai Brith, an unprecedented surge of violent antisemitic incidents occurred in May of 2021, with the highest monthly total since the Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents began in 1982.
With Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, approaching this evening, we encourage the Jewish community to remain vigilant. Make sure to download our free anti-hate mobile application. It’s available in English and French, and available on Apple and Android devices.
For those observing Yom Kippur, we wish you a meaningful and easy fast. Should, however, you experience antisemitism, please notify B’nai Brith immediately. If a criminal matter, always go to local law enforcement first.
