Toronto (October 14, 2022) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is appalled by a recent series of antisemitic attacks on synagogues in Guelph and Kitchener.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service is investigating antisemitic graffiti discovered on Beth Jacob Congregation this week. According to a statement from the synagogue, the graffiti said “ZOG is the real racial supremacists 1488 Hitler did nothing wrong!”

ZOG stands for “Zionist Occupied Government” and 1488 is a common white supremacist code.

This followed a separate incident in Guelph where stickers bearing the image of Adolf Hitler were placed on the doors of Beth Isaiah Synagogue and discovered last Friday. According to Guelph police, surveillance video showed a man arriving at the synagogue on October 5, placing the stickers on the doors and then appearing to photograph himself with the stickers in the background.

“This series of antisemitic incidents targeting synagogues in the Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph area is extremely disturbing and a reminder of the growing hatred against the Jewish community that we are witnessing across the country,” said FSWC President and CEO Michael Levitt. “As online antisemitism is surging, the real-world consequences in our communities are growing more dire. Nobody should have to fear going to a place of worship or feel threatened. We are hopeful police will find the perpetrator(s) and send a strong message that such acts of hate are not welcome and will be met with consequences.”

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