A number of Jewish community members, supporters, and politicians gathered yesterday, Monday, in a large assembly at a school for Jewish girls in Toronto, which was the site of a shooting incident over the weekend, where speakers called for strength and solidarity.

Toronto Police revealed that two suspects opened fire just before 5 a.m. on Saturday at the Bais Chaya Mushka elementary school, and no one was injured, although there was damage to the building.

The police confirmed that it is too early to say for certain whether the shooting was motivated by hate, but politicians condemned it as an act of anti-Semitism.

Rabbi Yaakov Vidal of Bais Chaya Mushka elementary school said the shooting was shocking and thanked the police for their dedication to protecting the community.

Vidal added, “Children go to school, and they deserve to be safe. We live in a democratic country, and everyone deserves to be able to practice their religion peacefully.”

In the same context, Daniel Hild, senior program officer at the UJA Federation in Greater Toronto, stated that the gathering aimed to show “what it means to live with tolerance, peace, and love for one another.”

Hild emphasized, “(The shooting) was a deliberate attempt to instill fear throughout our entire Jewish community and to force us to fear and hide our identity, but as you can see here today, the attackers completely failed.”

The Attorney General of Ontario, Michael Kerzner, a third-generation Jew from Toronto, explained that the Jewish community is not going anywhere.

Ontario's Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, called on everyone in the province and beyond to rally behind the Jewish community and stand against hate.

Lecce added, “We stand together, we stand strong, because no bullet can break our resolve as a country to stand against this malevolent hatred, and our work will not end until every child in our province can go to school and play in our streets without fear of being attacked simply for being Jewish. The Canada we know and love is a nation of people coming together for every faith and heritage.”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow stated that students and teachers at the school deserve to be able to attend safely.

Chow affirmed, “This is a place for a lot of fun learning, with young children, and a place to deepen their understanding of Jewish culture and faith, a place to learn math, science, and history.”