Jason Barba

Statement from Rabbi Saul Emanuel, Executive Director, Jewish Community Council of Montreal The Jewish Community Council of Montreal extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the SPVM officer who was murdered in the line of duty today. This officer made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the people of Montreal. Our hearts are with his loved ones and with the entire law enforcement community as they grieve this profound loss. We are also devastated to learn of the passing of Michael Moshe ben Miriam / ben Shlomo (Michael Mizrachi). We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this unimaginably painful time. May Hashem comfort them among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may Michael’s memory be a blessing. We continue to pray for the complete recovery of all those injured in this horrific attack. We wish to express our profound gratitude to the SPVM officers, paramedics, firefighters, and other first responders who ran toward danger while others fled from it. Their courage, professionalism, and swift action prevented an already terrible tragedy from becoming even worse. As the investigation continues, there is another point that must be said clearly. In recent years, Montreal’s Jewish community has experienced an unprecedented surge in antisemitic incidents, threats, vandalism, violence, and intimidation. The fear and anxiety this has created are real and justified. No one should dismiss them. But fear cannot become an excuse for abandoning judgment. Within minutes of today’s attack, some individuals rushed to declare with certainty that this was an antisemitic terrorist attack despite the fact that no such determination had been made by law enforcement and no evidence had yet been presented to support that conclusion. This impulse is understandable, but it is wrong. Our community’s fight against antisemitism is too important to be undermined by speculation or rumour. Every time people leap to conclusions before the facts are known, they damage the credibility of legitimate concerns and make it harder to persuade others when genuine antisemitic incidents occur. We ask people to resist the urge to be first and instead focus on being accurate. The facts will emerge. Investigators will determine motive. Until then, responsible leaders and responsible citizens should allow law enforcement to do its work. Today is not about social media points. It is not about advancing narratives. It is about a police officer who gave his life protecting our city, Michael Mizrachi, whose life was tragically cut short, the other innocent people who were injured, and the families whose lives have been changed forever. Let us honour the victims by showing the same seriousness, discipline, and respect for the truth that we expect from those investigating this terrible crime. May the memory of the fallen officer and of Michael Mizrachi be a blessing. May the injured be granted a complete recovery. And may Hashem bring comfort, healing, and peace to all those affected.