Jewish prayer scrolls taken from 3 condos in North York: Toronto police

Toronto police are investigating after Jewish prayer scrolls were removed from three condos in North York on Thursday.

The scrolls, called mezuzahs, contain religious texts and are often placed on the doorposts of homes as a symbol of the Jewish faith.

Just before 12:30 p.m. on Christmas day, three mezuzahs were taken from three units near Finch Avenue E. and Bayview Avenue, according to a statement from Ashley Visser, spokesperson for Toronto Police Service (TPS).

“Officers are investigating and the hate crime unit has been notified,” Visser said in the statement. This is the first time TPS has responded to this kind of incident at this location, she added.

Earlier this month, about 20 mezuzahs were reported stolen from a Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation building near Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue W.

James Pasternak, councillor for York Centre, condemned the thefts in a social media post following the news of the stolen scrolls on Thursday.

“This case of mezuzahs being vandalized is another example of the hate that has infected our city,” he said in the post.