Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt said people were inside the Schara Tzedeck synagogue on Vancouver香蕉视频直播檚 Oak Street after services around 9:20 p.m. on Thursday when they heard a 香蕉视频直播渂ang香蕉视频直播� outside.

But it was a passerby who alerted them that their building was on fire, before a member of the synagogue put out the flames with his jacket, said Rosenblatt while pointing to the scorched front door on Friday morning.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver said the fire was an arson attack, caused 香蕉视频直播渂y an individual who poured fuel on the front doors and set them on fire.香蕉视频直播�

It earlier said the damage was due to an 香蕉视频直播渋ncendiary device.香蕉视频直播�

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the attack a 香蕉视频直播渄isgusting act of antisemitism.香蕉视频直播�

Vancouver police said the case was being investigated as an act of arson and a possible hate crime.

There was a strong smell of burning inside the synagogue Friday, but the charring did not appear to have made it far inside the front doors.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e glad we didn香蕉视频直播檛 wake up to a pile of ashes,香蕉视频直播� Rosenblatt said outside the building.

He said he was told the flames reached the second storey of the synagogue before being put out.

Rosenblatt said he was struck that there was no attempt to make the attack 香蕉视频直播渃landestine.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淪omebody decided it was OK to just walk up these stairs,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou could have picked a spot on the back of the synagogue.香蕉视频直播�

He said the attack showed there was a 香蕉视频直播渘ew permission structure香蕉视频直播� about how Jewish people were treated in Canada.

香蕉视频直播淢y grandfather was the cantor of a synagogue that burned down on Kristallnacht,香蕉视频直播� he said, referring to the 1938 pogrom against Jews in Nazi Germany.

香蕉视频直播淚 thought he was the last rabbi in our family to have to deal with a synagogue that was going to be torched. I guess I was mistaken.香蕉视频直播�

The federation said in a statement posted online that the damage to Schara Tzedeck synagogue was minor and no one was hurt.

It called the incident a 香蕉视频直播渄eliberate act of hate香蕉视频直播� and an 香蕉视频直播渁ttempt to intimidate香蕉视频直播� the Jewish community.

Trudeau said on social media platform X: 香蕉视频直播淎 synagogue in Vancouver was attacked last night in another disgusting act of antisemitism. We cannot let this hate or these acts of violence stand. This is not the Canada we want to be.香蕉视频直播�

Canada香蕉视频直播檚 special envoy for combating antisemitism, Deborah Lyons, called it 香蕉视频直播渉orrible news香蕉视频直播� and said on social media that 香蕉视频直播渋ncendiary rhetoric leads to incendiary violence.香蕉视频直播�

The Jewish federation said the Vancouver Police Department and a fire inspector searched the building before declaring it safe to be reopened.

Vancouver police said in a statement that authorities have 香蕉视频直播渕obilized additional officers to Jewish community centres, schools, and religious institutions.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淭his fire was intentionally set at a place of worship for the Jewish community,香蕉视频直播� Const. Tania Visintin said in a statement. 香蕉视频直播淲hile we collect evidence to identify the person responsible, we香蕉视频直播檙e also working closely with faith leaders and community members to ensure everyone香蕉视频直播檚 safety.香蕉视频直播�

She added: 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e doing everything in our power to solve this crime, while providing reassurance, comfort, and safety to the community.香蕉视频直播�

A police car and officers were outside the synagogue on Friday morning.

The federation said extra police patrols were being put in place at local Jewish institutions.

The incident comes after bullet holes were found at two Jewish schools in Montreal and Toronto in recent days. Nobody was hurt in either incident.

Lyons said on social media that it is 香蕉视频直播減ast time to stand up香蕉视频直播� against the incidents.

香蕉视频直播淭hree Jewish institutions in three major cities this week have been attacked, and more over the months since Hamas香蕉视频直播檚 horrific massacre on Oct. 7. There is no excuse for silence or inaction,香蕉视频直播� she said.

She said the law must be enforced and 香蕉视频直播渋ncidents of hate香蕉视频直播� could not go unanswered.

香蕉视频直播淚t means that incitement and violent rhetoric must be met with consequences. It means that capitulation to unreasonable or threatening demands must end.香蕉视频直播�

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, an outspoken voice against antisemitism, called on his party to change the Criminal Code in response to the rash of violent incidents targeting Jewish gathering places.

香蕉视频直播淎t this point, condemnation is not enough,香蕉视频直播� Housefather said in a speech to the House of Commons Friday, citing the incidents in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.

香蕉视频直播淎ll levels of government need to do more, immediately.香蕉视频直播�

He suggested creating safe zones around schools and places of worship where protests are not allowed, just as the government did for hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The idea was also floated in Toronto months ago by a local city councillor.

Housefather also called for the group Samidoun and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of Iran香蕉视频直播檚 military, to be labelled as terrorist groups.

The foreign affairs minister has asked Public Safety Canada to explore the possibility of listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization, but Trudeau raised concerns it would punish Canadians who were drafted into Iran香蕉视频直播檚 military by force.

Housefather香蕉视频直播檚 comments were met with a standing ovation in the House.

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a statement saying it was 香蕉视频直播渁ppalled by last night香蕉视频直播檚 violent attack against a Vancouver synagogue.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淭his marks the third such incident in the past six days in Canada, following shootings at Jewish schools in Toronto and Montreal. This comes as the country continues to experience surging anti-Jewish incidents since the Hamas atrocities in Israel last October.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淎bsolutely appalled by last night香蕉视频直播檚 violent attack against a Vancouver synagogue,香蕉视频直播� centre president Michael Levitt said on X, adding, 香蕉视频直播渨hen is enough, enough?香蕉视频直播�

B.C. Premier David Eby issued a statement condemning the incident, which he described as an 香蕉视频直播渁rson attack.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淭his disguising act of antisemitism is reprehensible (and) has absolutely no place in B.C.,香蕉视频直播� the statement said, adding Eby was relieved to hear no one was hurt.

Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed said on X that he was 香蕉视频直播渇urious香蕉视频直播� to hear about the incident in his riding, which encompasses the synagogue.

香蕉视频直播淭here is no justification for a synagogue to be attacked. None,香蕉视频直播� he said.