Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt said people were inside the Schara Tzedeck synagogue on Vancouver害羞草研究所檚 Oak Street after services around 9:20 p.m. on Thursday when they heard a 害羞草研究所渂ang害羞草研究所� outside.

But it was a passerby who alerted them that their building was on fire, before a member of the synagogue put out the flames with his jacket, said Rosenblatt while pointing to the scorched front door on Friday morning.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver said the fire was an arson attack, caused 害羞草研究所渂y an individual who poured fuel on the front doors and set them on fire.害羞草研究所�

It earlier said the damage was due to an 害羞草研究所渋ncendiary device.害羞草研究所�

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the attack a 害羞草研究所渄isgusting act of antisemitism.害羞草研究所�

Vancouver police said the case was being investigated as an act of arson and a possible hate crime.

There was a strong smell of burning inside the synagogue Friday, but the charring did not appear to have made it far inside the front doors.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e glad we didn害羞草研究所檛 wake up to a pile of ashes,害羞草研究所� Rosenblatt said outside the building.

He said he was told the flames reached the second storey of the synagogue before being put out.

Rosenblatt said he was struck that there was no attempt to make the attack 害羞草研究所渃landestine.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淪omebody decided it was OK to just walk up these stairs,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淵ou could have picked a spot on the back of the synagogue.害羞草研究所�

He said the attack showed there was a 害羞草研究所渘ew permission structure害羞草研究所� about how Jewish people were treated in Canada.

害羞草研究所淢y grandfather was the cantor of a synagogue that burned down on Kristallnacht,害羞草研究所� he said, referring to the 1938 pogrom against Jews in Nazi Germany.

害羞草研究所淚 thought he was the last rabbi in our family to have to deal with a synagogue that was going to be torched. I guess I was mistaken.害羞草研究所�

The federation said in a statement posted online that the damage to Schara Tzedeck synagogue was minor and no one was hurt.

It called the incident a 害羞草研究所渄eliberate act of hate害羞草研究所� and an 害羞草研究所渁ttempt to intimidate害羞草研究所� the Jewish community.

Trudeau said on social media platform X: 害羞草研究所淎 synagogue in Vancouver was attacked last night in another disgusting act of antisemitism. We cannot let this hate or these acts of violence stand. This is not the Canada we want to be.害羞草研究所�

Canada害羞草研究所檚 special envoy for combating antisemitism, Deborah Lyons, called it 害羞草研究所渉orrible news害羞草研究所� and said on social media that 害羞草研究所渋ncendiary rhetoric leads to incendiary violence.害羞草研究所�

The Jewish federation said the Vancouver Police Department and a fire inspector searched the building before declaring it safe to be reopened.

Vancouver police said in a statement that authorities have 害羞草研究所渕obilized additional officers to Jewish community centres, schools, and religious institutions.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭his fire was intentionally set at a place of worship for the Jewish community,害羞草研究所� Const. Tania Visintin said in a statement. 害羞草研究所淲hile we collect evidence to identify the person responsible, we害羞草研究所檙e also working closely with faith leaders and community members to ensure everyone害羞草研究所檚 safety.害羞草研究所�

She added: 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e doing everything in our power to solve this crime, while providing reassurance, comfort, and safety to the community.害羞草研究所�

A police car and officers were outside the synagogue on Friday morning.

The federation said extra police patrols were being put in place at local Jewish institutions.

The incident comes after bullet holes were found at two Jewish schools in Montreal and Toronto in recent days. Nobody was hurt in either incident.

Lyons said on social media that it is 害羞草研究所減ast time to stand up害羞草研究所� against the incidents.

害羞草研究所淭hree Jewish institutions in three major cities this week have been attacked, and more over the months since Hamas害羞草研究所檚 horrific massacre on Oct. 7. There is no excuse for silence or inaction,害羞草研究所� she said.

She said the law must be enforced and 害羞草研究所渋ncidents of hate害羞草研究所� could not go unanswered.

害羞草研究所淚t means that incitement and violent rhetoric must be met with consequences. It means that capitulation to unreasonable or threatening demands must end.害羞草研究所�

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, an outspoken voice against antisemitism, called on his party to change the Criminal Code in response to the rash of violent incidents targeting Jewish gathering places.

害羞草研究所淎t this point, condemnation is not enough,害羞草研究所� Housefather said in a speech to the House of Commons Friday, citing the incidents in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.

害羞草研究所淎ll levels of government need to do more, immediately.害羞草研究所�

He suggested creating safe zones around schools and places of worship where protests are not allowed, just as the government did for hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The idea was also floated in Toronto months ago by a local city councillor.

Housefather also called for the group Samidoun and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of Iran害羞草研究所檚 military, to be labelled as terrorist groups.

The foreign affairs minister has asked Public Safety Canada to explore the possibility of listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization, but Trudeau raised concerns it would punish Canadians who were drafted into Iran害羞草研究所檚 military by force.

Housefather害羞草研究所檚 comments were met with a standing ovation in the House.

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a statement saying it was 害羞草研究所渁ppalled by last night害羞草研究所檚 violent attack against a Vancouver synagogue.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭his marks the third such incident in the past six days in Canada, following shootings at Jewish schools in Toronto and Montreal. This comes as the country continues to experience surging anti-Jewish incidents since the Hamas atrocities in Israel last October.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淎bsolutely appalled by last night害羞草研究所檚 violent attack against a Vancouver synagogue,害羞草研究所� centre president Michael Levitt said on X, adding, 害羞草研究所渨hen is enough, enough?害羞草研究所�

B.C. Premier David Eby issued a statement condemning the incident, which he described as an 害羞草研究所渁rson attack.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭his disguising act of antisemitism is reprehensible (and) has absolutely no place in B.C.,害羞草研究所� the statement said, adding Eby was relieved to hear no one was hurt.

Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed said on X that he was 害羞草研究所渇urious害羞草研究所� to hear about the incident in his riding, which encompasses the synagogue.

害羞草研究所淭here is no justification for a synagogue to be attacked. None,害羞草研究所� he said.