SAINTE-AGATHE, Quebec – The spiritual leader of the House of Israel Congregation in Sainte-Agathe is calling upon political leaders in that community to step up and speak out against acts of intolerance and antisemitism. Rabbi Emmanuel Carlebach was speaking in reaction to the latest incidents in the Quebec Laurentian mountain town, about 80 minutes from Montreal, in which members of the Chasidic community appeared to be specifically targeted.

Police are investigating an incident in late July in which 10 cars belonging to members of the Chasidic community were vandalized. A number of garbage cans nearby were also turned over. Last summer a series of fires were set at homes belonging to the Chasidic community in Sainte-Agathe and nearby Val David. Previously homes there had also been broken into with dishes broken, water cut off and bicyles, scooters and air conditioners stolen.

“It is high time that political leadership in Sainte-Agathe and Val David spoke up,” Rabbi Carlebach told the Jewish Tribune. “There is a very large Jewish community in this area, people who have summer and weekend homes. They pay a lot of taxes and have a longstanding history here. We deserve some respect.”

“First and foremost I think this all comes from ignorance,” Rabbi Carlebach said. “There is a lot of poverty here. Youngsters run around the streets wild. When we speak to the police they tell us there are a lot of young kids on drugs. Do they know they are targeting Jews? Yes, of course they do.

“They see what I would describe as ‘visible Jews’ who look different and they react. But these kids are being fed these thoughts and ideas at home. Where are their parents? I really would expect at this point for the mayors and city councillors to speak out. They have not been doing that sufficiently.”

Meanwhile, a kosher grocery store owned by a Chasidic Jew in Sainte-Agathe was broken into very recently as well. The perpetrators stole some money, a computer and a rack of candy. When they were spotted by some members of the Chasidic community they ran, but not before throwing eggs at them.

Shneur Carlebach, the rabbi’s son, works at the store. He said the perpetrators were described as teenagers. Police have no leads on their identity.

“We are obviously very saddened and troubled to see that we are, yet again, the target of antisemitic acts in Sainte-Agathe – acts clearly aimed at frightening and intimidating the whole Jewish community,” said MoÔse Moghrabi, Quebec chair of the League for Human Rights and vice-president of B’nai Brith Canada. “It is also unfortunate that by committing such acts a minority of Sainte-Agathe residents has succeeded, year after year, in tarnishing the reputation of a town that has welcomed the Jewish community for decades.

“All decent residents of Sainte-Agathe should be appalled that such acts are being committed within their community.

“We call upon the residents of Sainte-Agathe to strongly denounce these cowardly acts and through their vigilance and cooperation to help the authorities bring the perpetrators to justice. We exhort the local authorities to not relent until they have caught the perpetrators of these, as well as of previous, acts of antisemitism that have been committed in Sainte-Agathe.”

Gerry Phillips, president of the House of Israel Congregation, said that there was a robbery in the Sainte-Agathe section of Trout Lake at a home of a member of the Lubavitch community.

“His tefillin was part of what was stolen,” Phillips said.