Jewish groups are condemning the destruction of mezuzot at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, during Rosh Hashanah, calling for a thorough investigation and stronger protections for Jewish students and religious property on campus.
Two mezuzot were smashed and torn from the doors of residences of Jewish students during the Jewish New Year holiday, according to CBC News.
Hillel Ontario CEO Jay Solomon told JNS that the incident was “not an isolated incident,” but part of a broader pattern of hostility towards Jewish students on religious property on Canadian campuses.
“Jewish students have been targeted with hate and intimidation in the place they call home while at school,” Solomon said, noting that mezuzot have also been stolen or torn from the doors of Jewish first-year students at Queen’s University on four separate occasions over the past several years.
Hillel said it contacted affected students and university leadership following the incident and called for a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible.
B’nai Brith Canada CEO Simon Wolle told JNS that the organization has observed an uptick in mezuzah thefts more broadly, including on university campuses.
“Jewish students, faculty, and community members deserve to feel safe expressing their identity without fear of intimidation or targeting,” Wolle said.
The incident, he said, also underscores the need for stronger protections for religious communities and property. B’nai Brith supports two private members’ bills in Parliament that address such protections: Bill C-255, which would increase penalties for mischief involving religious property, and Bill C-290, which would create a separate offense for theft of culturally or religiously significant property. Both are currently before the House of Commons.
Wolle said B’nai Brith is in contact with Waterloo Regional Police and the university and called for the incident to be thoroughly investigated and met with meaningful consequences.
“Universities have a responsibility to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all of their students,” Wolle told JNS.
The university said it is investigating the incident and working with Waterloo Regional Police. Following the vandalism, Jewish students organized a “mezuzah party” to replace damaged mezuzot and affirm their Jewish identity on campus, according to The Canadian Jewish News.
