Don't assume suspected arson was antisemitism, urge owners of destroyed Montreal kosher restaurant

The owners of Nöam, a kosher restaurant in Montreal that was extensively damaged by fire in the early hours of Saturday morning, are urging the public not to jump to the conclusion that it was an act of antisemitism.

Montreal police are investigating the fire as a suspected arson and have not yet publicly established a motive, said co-owners Ynon Cohen and Meir Azerad in a statement emailed to National Post.

“We understand why people were so quick to frame this as an open and shut case of antisemitism, but we at Nöam are actively fighting the urge to declare certainty before all the facts are known,” the restaurant’s manager, Tzvi Harrison, told National Post in an email on Wednesday. “We are trying to be guided by truth rather than fear … We know people are scared and feel the inarguable tear in the social fabric of the Montreal Jewish community, but until we know that this is a case of antisemitism, we continue to urge everyone to follow the facts.”

While Nöam is proudly Jewish-owned and kosher, say Cohen and Azerad in their statement, it was created as a welcoming space for the entire Montreal community.

“Nöam was never simply a restaurant,” Cohen says. “It became a place where families celebrated birthdays, couples went on dates, friends gathered, and people from every background sat together around the same table. It was a community place, a place filled with warmth, laughter and life.”

Harrison says that the community “came in droves Saturday, immediately from synagogue and after Shabbat ended, sharing their condolences and wishing us the best. (And) since Sunday morning we’ve received thousands of messages. Many … wanted to see what they could do to help. Businesses reached out to us offering their properties free of charge so we can potentially do a popup if we wanted. And we received calls from people around the world who had never heard of Nöam.”

Cohen and Azerad have established a GoFundMe page to help rebuild the business. “While insurance may help with some of the losses, it cannot replace years of hard work, nor can it fully cover the immense cost of rebuilding a business from the ground up,” they say on the page.

“Someone from the community started a GoFundMe for us, so we hopped on that and have seen tremendous support,” says Harrison. By the end of Wednesday almost $42,000 of the sought-after $250,000 had been raised.

“Regarding where the funds will be going, the place is completely gutted,” notes Harrison. “We have repairs, staff salaries, appliances, bills, etc., that insurance alone cannot cover entirely. For example, we redid the entire pipe system on Friday, less than 24 hours before the arsonist set fire to it.”

Nöam has been in contact with the police and awaits further updates, says Harrison. “Thankfully, businesses and homes nearby have come forward with footage that is being analyzed as we speak.”

Meanwhile, Cohen and Azerad are asking the public and media to “respect the integrity of the police investigation and to refrain from spreading unverified information.”

• Popular kosher restaurant in Montreal destroyed in apparent arson attack
• Beryl P. Wajsman: A Jewish restaurant has burned. It is not time to succumb to the industry of fear

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