Toronto community to come together to decry hate during menorah lighting Sunday

The entire east Toronto community is invited to come together and stand in solidarity with the Jewish community against hate and anti-Semitism during a menorah lighting event Sunday evening at Woodbine Park.

Hosted by the Chabad of Danforth-Beaches, the gathering will get underway at 5:30 p.m. near Queen Street, just east of Kingston Road.

All are welcome to come and join in the lighting of the first candle marking the eight-day Festival of Lights.

Tonight’s event called “From Darkness to Light” is being held just days after anti-Semitic tags were found spray painted earlier this week on the sidewalk outside a local church.

Toronto police said they received a call last Tuesday at about 8 a.m. about hateful graffiti outside Toronto United Mennonite Church at Queen and Lark streets in the city's Beach neighbourhood. The force told CTV Toronto that the graffiti was reported as a hate crime.

The Chabad of Danforth-Beaches quickly decried the act and announced it would would be installing a “beautiful public Menorah across from the sight of the vandalism” as a way to respond to “darkness with increasing light and goodness.”

“The anti-Semitic graffiti that was found on Queen Street near Kingston Road was understandably deeply disturbing to the local Jewish community. We at Chabad of Danforth-Beaches condemn this act of senseless hate and bigotry,” the synagogue wrote.

“This symbol of light and tolerance will serve to galvanize the community into increased acts of goodness and kindness.”