TORONTO — Jewish residents at a condominium building near Bayview Avenue and Finch Avenue say mezuzot were deliberately removed from doorframes on the penthouse level on Christmas Day, describing the incident as targeted antisemitic vandalism and urging police and building management to strengthen security.
The incident occurred at 3181 Bayview Avenue. Toronto Police have confirmed the Hate Crime Unit is aware of the matter, according to reporting by The Canadian Jewish News.
Residents and community advocates stressed that this Christmas Day incident is not the same location as an earlier, widely reported mezuzah removal case in North York. Earlier this month, Toronto Police confirmed they were investigating the removal of multiple mezuzot from a Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation building near Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue West as a hate crime.
In the Bayview and Finch case, it was reported that three condominium units were affected. Details about how the vandalism was discovered have been described as consistent with a targeted removal rather than accidental damage, and residents have pointed to the location within the building as a key concern.
The penthouse floor in most condominiums is typically accessible only to residents, their guests, and building staff. Community members say that raises the possibility that the perpetrator had legitimate access to the building or was allowed in.
“This feels personal,” one resident said in a social media post shared widely within Toronto’s Jewish community. While police have not publicly identified a suspect, residents are calling for a review of elevator access controls, fob records, and hallway security camera coverage.
Toronto Police have not released a public statement outlining the number of affected units, the timing of the incident, or whether any suspect has been identified. The Hate Crime Unit’s involvement, residents say, is crucial for ensuring the investigation considers motive, patterns, and potential links to other antisemitic incidents.
The Christmas Day incident comes amid heightened concern following the earlier case at the North York seniors building, where police said multiple residents reported mezuzot removed from outside their unit doors, and the Hate Crime Unit assumed the investigation. City Councillor James Pasternak and Mayor Olivia Chow publicly condemned the seniors building incident as antisemitism, and police urged anyone with information to come forward.
Advocacy organizations note that tearing down mezuzot is widely understood in Jewish communities as more than property damage. A mezuzah is a religious item placed on a Jewish home’s doorway, and targeting it is commonly experienced as intimidation aimed at erasing Jewish identity in a shared living space.
Residents at 3181 Bayview say they want clear communication from building management about what is being done to prevent another incident, including enhanced camera monitoring, visible security patrols, and tenant alerts that encourage reporting of suspicious activity.
Toronto Police ask anyone with information to contact investigators or submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers. Police have not said whether the Bayview Avenue case and the Bathurst Street seniors building case are being investigated as related incidents. Jewish community leaders say the pattern of targeting mezuzot warrants urgent attention.
