Congregation under fire from Jewish community

Leader called "guilty of crimes against Jewish souls." High profile American lawyer engaged

By Debra Fieguth - ChristianWeek staff

THORNHILL, ON--A messianic rabbi who moved his Toronto-area congregation into the heart of a Jewish neighborhood has sought legal help after being the target of protests, picketing and an attempt to eject his group from the rented premises.

Jeff Forman and the City of David Messianic Synagogue had been meeting in the Barbara Frum library for two years before the move in August to a plaza at Bathurst and Steeles. The plaza also accommodates several kosher shops, and the area has a strong population of Jewish people, many of them immigrants from Russia.

But as soon as word got out that the congregation was a messianic one, residents, including Jewish rabbis, began marching, waving placards and singing Hebrew songs. Posters went up in the neighborhood bearing Forman’s picture and the words "guilty of crimes against Jewish souls."

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