Montreal's Hasidic Jewish Community Facing Anti-Semitism Because of COVID-19

Tonight marks the first night of Passover. Because of the Coronavirus this Passover is not like other Passovers for Jews all over the world.

When I awoke today, an old friend alerted me to the treatment received by Montreal's Hasidic Jewish community which has been hard hit by COVID-19 as members of that community in Boisbriand on Montreal's North Shore have been quarantined. From the Montreal Gazette:

The Montreal Gazette has learned that Boisbriand police are barring healthy members of the community from taking walks outside their homes even though those individuals have not tested positive for COVID-19 and are keeping their distance from others on the street.

What’s more, some food trucks are refusing to make deliveries into the neighbourhood north of Laval, while Canada Post carriers are balking at delivering the mail, a Tosh member said.

“My friend took a stroll yesterday with his baby outside his home following the guidelines set forth by the health ministry and was forced by police to get back home because he’s a ‘Jew’ and there’s ‘a problem with all Jews,'” said Tosh member Ezra Kahan.“These are words we have to hear from law enforcement.”

While other neighborhoods in Montreal have had higher concentrations of COVID-19 those neighborhoods have not been subject to quarantine. Why is Montreal's Jewish community being singled out?

It's bad enough when Orthodox Jews are subject to violence by ordinary citizens as has been the case here in New York. But when Orthodox Jews are singled out for collective punishment by law enforcement then anti-Semitism becomes state sanctioned.

As we observe Passover let us hope members of one of Canada's oldest Jewish communities don't feel the need to start another Exodus. Next year in Montreal.