Montreal Shtreimel Thefts Target Hasidic Men Leaving Synagogue

A Friday-night antisemitic incident in Montreal targeted Hasidic men near a synagogue. A man exited a black car around 9:45 p.m., tried repeatedly to pull a shtreimel from a Jewish man leaving synagogue, and fled after other Hasidic community members ran toward him. Local Jewish reports later described two shtreimels stolen from other Hasidic men. The shtreimel is a cherished Shabbat and festival garment in many Hasidic communities, and Canadian authorities should protect visibly Jewish life with seriousness, arrests and deterrence.