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It takes a special kind of evil to destroy posters that have been distributed to help locate a missing child.
But Toronto has seen this kind of evil before. Back after Oct. 7, 2023, hostage posters of Jewish children kidnapped by Hamas were also ripped down or defaced.
Now, as many in the city are searching for the teen girl who is on the autism spectrum and disappeared May 15, posters taped to poles around town featuring a picture of 14-year-old Esther are being physically removed.
Antisemitism is a reality in Toronto.
“A missing 14-year-old girl’s posters are being ripped down,” said Matthew Taub of Unapologetically Jewish. “Let that sink in.”
It’s despicable. But this is a city where there are criminals would shoot at Jewish people at synagogues so we can’t pretend it’s all rosy here.
Toronto has antisemitism
I am not surprised it has escalated since antisemitism was not pushed back against strong enough post-Oct. 7, and then became widespread. So much was let go. For two years, antisemites got away with most of what they did.
Just last week, I also witnessed Toronto’s parking enforcement running off two women trying to tape these posters in Earl Bales Park on Victoria Day — citing parking restrictions.
It was clear right there how much is wrong with Toronto. The priority was not the missing girl, but the power and authority of the parking officers. It was all about them. Their rules and their fines, their superior position. It was heartless abuse of power and bullying that also further set the tone that was already in place.
Turning a blind eye on antisemitism. None of this would be tolerated against any other Toronto community.
Toronto Police have not yet commented on the posters being taken down. But in the past, charges have been laid for damaging hostage posters.
What Toronto Police have done is released a new picture of the girl her family calls ‘Esti.’ (According to Shomrin Toronto, she might also be going by Sylvia.) The picture is believed to depict what she was wearing when she was last seen early May 16 in the Bathurst St. and Hwy. 401 area.
The girl’s mom said she left home while not wearing shoes, and without a cellphone.
Esther spotted on bus?
Taub also tells us that there may have been a sighting of Esti getting on a city bus early in the morning of May 16. Her mom Shira and dad Jospeh have urged her to come home if she is able to hear the message.
“I worry that she is going to be too trusting, that somebody will have ill intentions,” Shira told reporters.
People taking down the posters of a missing child have ill intentions as well.
“This is not politics,” Taub said. “This is not activism. This is a child on the spectrum who is still missing.”
He added, “if you see someone tearing down Esti’s signs, call it out. Stand up to it. This is not who Canadians are supposed to be. Bring back decency. Bring back integrity. Bring Esti home.”
For Jewish community activist and well-respected journalist Marty York, this was personal.
New level of Jew hatred
“I know Jew haters and antisemites are driven by a systemic sickness, but this is beyond belief,” he said. “I grew up in this neighbourhood without fear because the people who lived here were decent and trustworthy. Sadly, Esti has gone missing but so has common sense and decency. This is not the same North York that it used to be, just as this isn’t the same Canada.”
Meir Weinstein of Israel Now said “this is a new level of Jew Hatred.”
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Journalist Sue-Ann Levy passed along a message from the Everything Jewish Facebook site, which said, “Ester’s posters have been ripped off all over midtown — Yonge and Lawrence, Avenue and Wilson, Bathurst and Sheppard,” adding “their hatred has no end.”
As bad as that is, there are many people dedicated to try to find her.
“Volunteers throughout the city will be canvassing neighbourhoods and replacing outdated flyers,” Taub said. “Esti was last seen wearing a green long-sleeved shirt, grey sweatpants with two lines down each side.”
