'King of Kensington' latest target of ugly anti-Semitic vandalism
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Feb 25, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
The statue of King of Kensington Al Waxman was hit with anti-Semitic graffiti this weekend and as of Sunday was still not cleaned up -- Kevin Vuong photo
The statue of King of Kensington Al Waxman was hit with anti-Semitic graffiti this weekend and as of Sunday was still not cleaned up -- Kevin Vuong photo
This time they are messing with the king.
After vandalizing Jewish restaurants, synagogues, businesses and schools, it’s not a surprise that anti-Semites would next target royalty.
Their latest victim is the King of Kensington himself. While hard to imagine, somebody desecrated the statue of Al Waxman.
But it has happened.
“I am very emotional about it,” said his widow, Sara. “It’s sad.”
When she and her son Adam, who run Dine and Destinations magazine, and Waxman’s nine-year-old grandson Asher went to the park on Sunday where the late actor’s statue was placed, they were shocked at what they saw.
“They targeted a well-known Jew whose statue is facing a synagogue,” Sara said.
In other words, the vandals knew what they were doing.
Whether it’s threatening people or trying to intimidate Jewish businesses, the anti-Semitism of this era has always been gross — and it keeps happening.
“Al Waxman was a renowned director and philanthropist,” said Independent MP Kevin Vuong, who represents the riding of Spadina-Fort York. “The statue honouring this great Jewish Canadian in Kensington Market has been defaced with ‘Vote Hamas.’”
They also painted his face brown.
As of Sunday afternoon, the offensive scrawl still had not been cleaned up. Vuong went to Bellevue Square Park and found yellow tape around the statue. The graffiti was covered with a garbage bag, pending the arrival of a cleanup crew.
This is a crime scene. This was a hate crime. Toronto Police officers are investigating.
This statue is not only in a park in the heart of Kensington Market, it faces the very synagogue the legendary actor, who died at age 65 in 2001, used to attend with his family.
“I remember going to the park after synagogue with my dad, and he would watch me play,” Adam said. “He stood in that same spot.”
Needless to say, to see that statue defaced in such a gross way was not easy for them.
“It’s very offensive,” Adam said. “I don’t know what compels people to do something like that.”
Sara added her husband was someone who loved everybody, no matter their race or religion.
“He was an Everyman,” Adam added.
But this was no accident. This statue was targeted because Waxman was Jewish, and it was located just steps from his synagogue. The pro-Hamas message elevated this from vandalism to a hate crime.
“This is an irrefutable incident of anti-Semitism. Defacing the statue of legendary Jewish Canadian Al Waxman is a deplorable display of cold, callous hate,” said Marty York, communication director of B’nai Brith Canada. “And to use his statue to express support for the evil Hamas terrorists is abhorrent. We ask Mayor (Olivia) Chow and Toronto Police to investigate thoroughly and ensure accountability.”
But during a time when there is an anti-Semitic attack or statement every day, it seems unlikely much will be done in this case. It seems the anti-Semites are able to target the Jewish community at will.
“More unabashed hate targeting Jews in Toronto,” said Michael Levitt, president and CEO of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather on X posted “he was a great Canadian actor who happened to be Jewish and those desecrating his statue to glorify a terrorist organization are abhorrent.”
It’s particularly gross to do that to Waxman, who starred in King of Kensington, a show — 111 episodes from 1975-80 — that was one of the first to highlight the diversity of Toronto with its portrayal of the day-to-day life of a convenience store owner in the heart of Kensington Market.
Waxman was proud of what that show did to bring people together. The sitcom was way ahead of its time, and Waxman is a national treasure whose memory should never have been treated like this.
During a time when Canada routinely takes down statues and removes legacies, this cannot be allowed to stand. That statue needs to be protected and those who vandalized it should face justice.
It starts by getting it cleaned up right away. A light and camera should also be placed over the statue so it’s not such an easy target for haters.
Toronto has let anti-Semites get away with a lot since Oct. 7, but a line needs to be drawn in the sand when it comes to violating the memory of Al Waxman.
Long live the king.
jwarmington@postmedia.com
Their latest victim is the King of Kensington himself. While hard to imagine, somebody desecrated the statue of Al Waxman.
torontosun.com