Members of a Saskatoon synagogue say they're relieved that the man who defaced their place of worship confessed to police and are in discussions about how he can make reparations to the Jewish community.
"It's certainly reassuring that we're being told this was not a targeted incident. It's also somewhat difficult to accept on its face," said Mike Scharfstein, co-president of the Congregation Agudas Israel synagogue.
Jayden Clarke, 31, is charged with three counts of mischief under $5,000.
Clarke was charged last week after he was identified in a police-issued photo of a then-unidentified suspect seen on a surveillance camera throwing eggs at the synagogue and nearby parked vehicles.
The incident happened during a morning prayer service on Aug. 1. Clarke turned himself in at Saskatoon police headquarters on Aug. 13 and was released on conditions pending a Sept. 16 provincial court appearance.
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Clarke confessed to police and maintains it was a "juvenile act" fueled by booze, not hate for the Jewish community, according to his lawyer Brian Pfefferle.
"He wanted to make sure that he let the synagogue and members of the Jewish community in a larger sense know that that's not what this was about," Pfefferle said.
"And unfortunately, alcohol was heavily involved in this incident, and that's something that he's taking responsibility for as well and plans to deal with."
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Pfefferle said he reached out to the synagogue's leadership on behalf of Clarke, who wants to make "reparations" to the congregation.
"We just want to understand better, why us? If it had nothing to do with the fact that we were Jewish, then why us? What is it about this building or our community that was targeted?" Scharfstein said.
He said reparations might involve teshuva, the process of repentance in Judaism.
"We as Jews are called to forgive somebody who's come and shown true repentance for what they've done," Scharfstein said. "Of course, Mr. Clarke's not required to follow Jewish law, but that's the lens through which we as a community are approaching it."
