As heavy rain and robust winds swept via a Montreal park Wednesday night, members of town’s Jewish neighborhood and others remained in place to recollect Michel Mizrahi, the 68-year-old bystander killed in last week’s shooting that additionally killed a metropolis police officer.
The gathering marked the tip of shiva, the seven-day Jewish mourning interval, and introduced members of the Jewish neighborhood collectively to supply consolation to Mizrahi’s household, who travelled to Israel to bury him.
The occasion additionally included a tribute to Montreal police Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, who was fatally shot whereas responding to the assault on June 22 outdoors a Hilton resort in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood.
The alleged gunman additionally died.
In an interview, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath stated Chabad Montreal and the Mizrahi household selected the situation, which was close to the location of the assault, to rework a spot marked by violence into one in every of remembrance and solidarity.
“For the Jewish individuals … marking that place shouldn’t be essentially in regards to the previous however the future,” Bernath stated. “Coming collectively, being collectively, standing shoulder to shoulder, after which trying in the direction of the longer term.”
Police stated the suspect opened hearth outdoors the resort earlier than exchanging gunfire with responding officers. Quebec provincial police proceed to research the taking pictures, whereas Quebec’s police watchdog is investigating the police intervention, as required every time somebody dies throughout a police operation.
After Mizrahi’s household travelled to Israel following a ceremony that occurred on June 24 to mourn Mizrahi, Bernath stated many members of Montreal’s Jewish neighborhood had been left questioning how they may present their assist.
Get breaking Nationwide information
Get breaking Canada information delivered to your inbox because it occurs so you will not miss a trending story.
“There was lots of people right here in the neighborhood that felt like, ‘Right here we’re sort of grappling with all of this, and what will we do?’” he stated. The gathering, he added, gave Montrealers an opportunity to indicate the household “that we’re right here and we’re supporting them, and this can be a very tough time for all of us.”
That assist prolonged throughout continents. Mizrahi’s household, who remained in Israel observing shiva, listened to the ceremony reside. A big display screen had been arrange so attendees may see them, however robust winds knocked it over early within the night and organizers didn’t put it again up.
Regardless of the climate, attendees remained in place, many standing beneath umbrellas because the ceremony continued.
For Bernath, the night mirrored one thing bigger than a single memorial. The response from the neighborhood, he stated, had been not like something he had witnessed in additional than 20 years in Montreal.
“This has actually been an instance of a togetherness that I’ve by no means seen earlier than in Montreal,” he stated, including that folks stepped ahead to assist each the Mizrahi household and the household of Benredouane.
Amongst these attending was Cmdr. Stéphane Rodrigue of the Montreal police’s Station 26, the place Const. Benredouane labored.
Addressing the gang, Rabbi Mendel Raskin, Mizrahi’s rabbi, urged these gathered to honour the victims via acts of kindness and compassion.
Raskin additionally recalled one of many many acts of generosity he stated outlined Mizrahi’s life. A number of years in the past, he stated Mizrahi stopped to assist a lady sitting on a bench with two kids after noticing she was crying. After studying she wanted groceries, Raskin stated Mizrahi quietly paid for her purchases earlier than leaving.
At Mizrahi’s funeral final week, Raskin stated a number of individuals later advised him Mizrahi spent his remaining moments urging them to go away the realm or search shelter moments earlier than dozens of photographs had been fired.
“There are individuals on this room as we speak who had been saved by Michel,” Raskin stated throughout that ceremony.
The Montreal police service introduced Tuesday {that a} memorial ceremony honouring Benredouane’s life will happen July 7 on the Bell Centre, a downtown Montreal enviornment.
© 2026 The Canadian Press