A kosher pizzeria and two other Jewish-owned businesses were broken into on Shabbos, Shevi’i Shel Pesach. While law enforcement says the crimes appear financially motivated, local leaders are sounding the alarm on growing threats facing Jews in Toronto and across Canada. My Zaidy’s Pizza, a beloved Thornhill establishment founded by the grandfather of Deputy Conservative Leader Melissa Lantsman, was among the businesses targeted. Lantsman, whose riding includes a large Jewish population, called the break-in “a blatant attempt to intimidate and target our community,” noting that the crimes took place on Pesach. “Today, this country is unrecognizable,” she wrote on social media. York Regional Police acknowledged similarities between the three break-ins and believe they were committed by a single suspect seeking cash. They said there was no evidence of hate-motivated vandalism. Still, Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca described the incidents as acts of intimidation and called for immediate federal and provincial action to support local efforts. The break-ins follow a disturbing trend: B’nai Brith Canada reported over 6,200 antisemitic incidents in 2024, a 7.4% increase from the year prior. Lantsman has pledged a Conservative government would impose tougher penalties for antisemitic crimes and deport foreign offenders. The incidents come just a week before the April 28 federal byelection, with public safety and antisemitism front and center. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)