Canada

Car Crash in Tosh Sparks Terror Fears

Incident during annual commemoration in Canadian Hasidic community initially mistaken for attack amid rising antisemitism

Gila Isaacson, Kikar Hashabbat

AUG 11, 2026 14:09

2 min read

The Hasidic community of Tosh in Quebec, Canada, was marking the annual yahrzeit (memorial anniversary) of its founding Rebbe this week, drawing thousands of Hasidim and visitors from around the world to the community's center and the Rebbe's gravesite.

During the commemoration, when the community's streets were packed with thousands of people, panic erupted after a non-Jewish driver sped through the heart of the neighborhood and crashed forcefully into several parked vehicles along the roadside.

Given the severe wave of antisemitic incidents that Canadian Jews have experienced in recent months, widespread alarm gripped those present. Hasidim and visitors on the street initially believed they were witnessing a deliberate ramming attack targeting the crowds, and fled in all directions seeking shelter.

Only after several tense minutes, once security forces and local authorities arrived at the scene, did the situation become clear: the incident was not a terrorist attack but rather an accident caused when the driver lost control of his vehicle.

Eyewitnesses described the outcome as miraculous, noting that the streets had been filled with pedestrians walking toward the community's main study hall and the Rebbe's gravesite. Despite the force of the impact and the considerable panic, the incident resulted only in property damage, with no physical injuries reported. Community members expressed gratitude for what they viewed as divine protection during their Rebbe's memorial day.

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