The bakery had also been subjected to an explicit antisemitic threat in September, when a masked man entered the store shouting, “All the Jews will burn,” before fleeing.
By United with Israel Staff
A Jewish-owned kosher bakery in Montreal was destroyed in a suspected arson attack Wednesday, just days after an earlier attempt to set the business on fire, raising concerns about another possible antisemitic attack against the city’s Jewish community.
The fire broke out at Mimimelon, a family-owned bakery in Montreal’s historically Jewish Saint-Laurent neighborhood, leaving the business devastated. No injuries were reported.
Montreal police said evidence collected at the scene suggests the fire was deliberately set. Investigators also confirmed that the bakery had been targeted in a separate attempted arson earlier in the week.
During the first incident, co-owner Jennie Volfson received a security alert and discovered flames on the bakery’s surveillance cameras. Firefighters managed to contain the blaze, limiting the damage.
But when the business was targeted again Wednesday, the destruction was far more extensive.
Volfson believes the attacker may have gained access through a door damaged during the earlier incident.
“There was a person who was able to get inside the bakery this time, probably because the door was compromised from the day before,” she said.
The bakery had also been subjected to an explicit antisemitic threat in September, when a masked man entered the store shouting, “All the Jews will burn,” before fleeing.
The latest attack left the owners facing the loss of their business and its equipment.
“There is nothing to rebuild. We’re going to have to scrap everything,” Volfson said.
Montreal police have launched an investigation involving their hate crimes unit, although authorities have not yet established whether antisemitism was the motive behind the fires.
The destruction comes amid mounting concerns over antisemitism in Quebec, where reported incidents have nearly tripled over the past year, according to B’nai Brith Canada.
The repeated targeting of Mimimelon has heightened concerns about the safety of Jewish-owned businesses in Montreal, particularly following the earlier antisemitic threat against the bakery.