Last Wednesday, the eve of the Jewish holiday of Passover, B’nai Brith Canada was notified of graffiti seemingly blaming the COVID-19 pandemic on “the Jews.” This vandalism defaced the garage of a private home on Crawford Street, near College Street and Ossington Avenue. The graffiti has since been removed.

The very next day, BlogTO reported that the words “Zionists are not welcome” had been spray-painted on an Aroma Espresso Bar location at College Street and Bathurst Street - just a 10-minute walk away from the site of the previous vandalism. "Zionists" are people who support the existence of a Jewish state in the land of Israel, the ancestral Jewish homeland. Aroma was founded in Israel in 1994.

The same Toronto Aroma location had been vandalized with an almost identical hateful message just about a week earlier.

B’nai Brith has reported all three incidents to Toronto Police, who are investigating the matter.

These incidents come while non-essential businesses in Ontario have been ordered to close, though some Aroma locations remain open to serve beverages and baked goods only.

“It is disappointing that while most people are working together in the face of crisis, at least one person has instead chosen to spread hatred,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada. “Spreading antisemitic messages during a Jewish holiday is a particularly despicable act.”

Elsewhere in Toronto, Ledbury Park Elementary and Middle School was defaced with swastikas on April 1. Hatemongers have also taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to “Zoombomb” online Jewish gatherings, including a webinar hosted by a Canadian Jewish group and a gathering held by a Vancouver Jewish school.