A fire at a Jewish restaurant in Canada is being investigated as a possible antisemitic attack

A fire that broke out early Friday morning at a kosher restaurant owned by Jews in Montreal caused severe damage to the establishment and to an auto repair shop located in the same building. The Montreal Police are investigating the origin of the fire and are looking into the possibility that it was an arson.

The flames started around 3:15 a.m. at the kosher restaurant ''Nöam'', located on Boulevard Décarie, in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district. The establishment occupies a two-story building that it shares with an auto repair shop, which also suffered significant damage due to the fire.

Although authorities have not yet officially determined how the fire started, the case is being investigated as a possible deliberate act. Investigators will need to establish whether the incident was accidental or intentional and, if the latter is confirmed, determine who was responsible and what their motivation might have been.

So far, the Montreal Police have not confirmed that the fire was a hate crime or that there is an antisemitic motivation. The investigation remains open and authorities will need to analyze the available evidence before establishing the exact circumstances of the incident.

Côte Saint-Luc councilor Mike Cohen visited the restaurant after the fire and publicly described the incident as a ''significant hate crime''.

Cohen also explained that he had spoken with the restaurant owners, who indicated that they would not review the security camera footage until Friday night due to the observance of Shabbat. During this religious celebration, observant Jews refrain from using electronic devices from sunset on Friday until after nightfall on Saturday.

In Montreal, a synagogue was the target of an arson attack on June 5, shortly after midnight. Additionally, during April and May, the Toronto police reported several attacks against individuals who were ''visibly identifiable as Jewish'' and who were allegedly shot at from moving vehicles.

The Jewish organization ''B’nai Brith Canada'' has warned about the increase in such incidents. During a press conference held on April 27 at ''Parliament Hill'', the group stated that antisemitic incidents recorded in Canada during 2025, including acts of vandalism and harassment, reached record levels. The organization described the situation as a “national crisis” that continues to worsen.

The fire at Nöam also prompted political reactions. Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, representing a constituency in the Montreal area, called for the case to be investigated as a possible hate crime and demanded that those responsible be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Conservative MP and Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, Melissa Lantsman, linked the fire to recent attacks against Jewish establishments and called for a stronger response from authorities. ''These are not isolated incidents, but a pattern,'' she stated regarding the recent episodes.

The investigation is ongoing as Montreal and other Canadian cities have recorded a series of recent incidents against Jewish people, institutions, and businesses. The succession of episodes has raised concerns among community organizations and lawmakers, although it has not yet been established that the fire at Nöam restaurant is related to these events.

One of the most recent cases occurred on July 25 in Toronto, when two shooting attacks took place against two Kiva’s Bagel Bar establishments, a Jewish bakery. The episodes occurred at two different branches of the same company.