A Vaughan man has been sentenced to one year in jail and two years of probation for a hate-motivated assault on Jewish congregants walking home from Chabad Flamingo synagogue in Thornhill, Ontario. The sentence, delivered by the Ontario Court of Justice on May 13, 2025, follows Kenneth Jeewan Gobin’s conviction on two counts of assault and breach of probation stemming from the January 6, 2024, incident.
According to court documents, Gobin, 36, approached four Jewish adults on his electric bicycle as they walked along Bathurst Street and Flamingo Road. He mounted the curb, nearly striking the group, and after an initial exchange, returned to hurl antisemitic slurs, including “Hitler should have killed you all” and “You should have died in the Holocaust.” Witnesses testified that Gobin performed a Nazi salute and spat on the victims, striking one woman as her husband attempted to shield her.
Justice Michael Townsend, who presided over the case, cited multiple victim and community impact statements in his decision. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC), which submitted a statement to the court, welcomed the sentence, emphasizing the importance of addressing hate-fueled violence. “When expressions of hate are paired with physical acts of aggression, they pose a grave threat to public safety and social cohesion,” said Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, FSWC’s Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy. “Today’s sentence sends a strong and necessary message: hate-fueled violence cannot and will not go unpunished.”
Gobin, who was on probation for a previous conviction at the time of the attack, denied spitting on the group and claimed he was unaware they were Jewish. The judge, however, found his testimony inconsistent and contradicted by witness accounts and evidence.
York Regional Police and Jewish advocacy groups have described the assault as part of a troubling rise in antisemitic hate crimes. Police reiterated their commitment to thoroughly investigating all hate-motivated incidents and ensuring the safety of targeted communities.
The case has resonated widely, with victims and community leaders calling for mandatory Holocaust education and greater vigilance against hate. As Tilda Roll, one of the victims, told the National Post, “That January 6 was my October 7 on a much smaller scale. I do things differently now than I did prior to January 6. It’s shattered the illusion that you’re safe in your home, you’re safe in your neighbourhood, you’re safe on Shabbath”.
The sentencing of Kenneth Gobin stands as a stark warning that hate crimes will be met with serious legal consequences in Ontario and across Canada.