Days after a shooting attack on a synagogue in Belleville, Ont., the government faced calls, including from Jewish leaders, to boost federal funding for community security, noting that some small synagogues can’t afford it.

A federal rule requiring synagogues contribute almost a third of the cost of security improvements, such as reinforcing doors and windows, means that some small communities can’t access the government funding, said Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, an advocacy group.

The Belleville synagogue targeted by a shooter on Yom Kippur, on Sept. 20, had only rudimentary security, Mr. Shack said, adding that if a heroic police officer had not intervened to stop the shooter, the outcome would likely have been horrific.

The CIJA CEO called on the government to be flexible with the funding rules saying that improving security at Jewish community buildings is an urgent matter.

In the spring, the federal government earmarked $75-million over five years, starting in 2026–27, for the Canada Community Security Program, which provides funding and support for communities at risk of hate-motivated incidents and hate-motivated crimes to boost security. But institutions that tap into the funding need to cover 30 per cent of the costs.

Belleville synagogue shooting was a ‘hate-motivated’ crime, police say

At a Thursday press conference in Ottawa, Mr. Shack and Liberal and Conservative MPs said that tackling antisemitism and hate should be a priority, including on university campuses.

Jewish students recounted how they have had to cope with open expressions of antisemitism including Hitler salutes.

Kate Blumberg, a student at McMaster University, said Jewish students were being singled out in tutorials, excluded from groups and finding that campus spaces no longer felt welcoming to them.

“Unfortunately, we live in a time when being recognizably Jewish on campus, whether by our names, the necklace you wear or the kippa that adorns your head, comes with repercussions,” she said at the press conference. “We are students that, when noticed, are cast on campus as the sole responders to a geopolitical crisis much older and larger than ourselves, forced to hold the answers or else be held accountable for it all.”

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said in an interview the Belleville shooting illustrated the gravity of the security situation for Canadian Jews, which he and others have been warning about for some time.

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He said the federal government should step up to foot the bill to ensure that security upgrades needed to protect people at synagogues and other community buildings is completely covered. He said, despite welcome injections of cash by the federal government into improving security, “there should be more federal and provincial funding.”

“While it’s totally unacceptable that Jewish institutions throughout the country require security that nobody else so requires, this shouldn’t come out of the pocket of the Jewish community. Governments should be paying for this, and both the federal and provincial government need to step up and make sure that, in combination, that we cover these costs,” he said.

In June, the new federal Combatting Hate Act made it a crime, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, to obstruct someone from accessing a place of worship or other sites where Jews, Muslims and other identifiable groups gather, including by blocking doors and driveways.

Mr. Housefather said the police and prosecutors and judges need to be “properly trained” on the new legal sanctions. Provincial attorney generals, he said, need to issue directions to ensure that the new law is properly enforced.

On Thursday, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Justice Minister Sean Fraser presented a progress report on commitments made to combat antisemitism.

Opinion: The Belleville attack was a warning shot for the antisemitic attacks Canada has let fester

“The Government of Canada recognizes that antisemitism can also be a matter of national security,” it said. “Beyond the direct harm it causes to Jewish individuals and communities, antisemitism is a core component of many violent extremist ideologies. It can contribute to radicalization and violence, and threatens social cohesion and democratic values.”

Synagogues are among the institutions that can apply to the government to cover 70 per cent of security upgrade costs, such as alarm systems and cameras and reinforced doors, with Public Safety Canada, the department which runs the community security program, funding up to $5-million per project.

But Mr. Shack said one Ontario synagogue recently had to decide between paying to upgrade their hot water system or paying the required 30 per cent to improve security.

He said Canada was lagging behind countries such as France and Britain in providing enhanced security for Jewish communities. The country also needs more counter-radicalization work, he said, adding social media is a source of antisemitic conspiracy theories, and that foreign regimes are responsible for disseminating some of it.

Mr. Anandasangaree, the Public Safety Minister, earlier this year announced $10-million in funding aimed at bolstering security in Canada’s Jewish communities, days after shootings directed at synagogues in the Toronto area.

Tackling antisemitism and hate should be a priority, Jewish leaders and MPs say