The osteopathic practitioner, Michael, had finished working at his clinic in West Kelowna when he noticed the swastika painted onto the pavement behind his car.
"[It was] fear and anger, but mainly fear, because I'm a child of Holocaust survivors," Michael said.
"I was raised with the knowledge, the education and the details of what my parents went through in the work camps – and all my aunts, uncles and grandparents being transported, gassed and cremated."
He describes himself as modern orthodox, and mentioned being physically attacked for his religious identity growing up in Montreal.
"At the clinic, besides wearing my scrubs, I openly wear my yarmulke," Michael said. "I don't hide my Judaism or my Jewish identity, as I don't believe I should in a free country like Canada."
According to CTV, he doesn't believe that any of his clients or coworkers would have painted the swastika, and added that they have been "very supportive and respectful." He added that it seemed likely that whoever committed the hateful act would be familiar with his workplace and his routine.
Mounties issued a news release asking anyone who saw suspicious activity in the parking lot to get in touch with them.
“Racism of any kind has no place in our community and will not be tolerated," said Sgt. Joel Glen of West Kelowna RCMP. "We are conducting a fulsome investigation into this incident, and appeal to anyone who witnessed it to come forward.”
Michael said, despite fears of more targeted harassment, it was important to share the experience and seek justice.
"If it goes unnoticed, it just breeds further ignorance, further hate, and just allows for this sort of thing to keep on happening," he said.
Jewish people are the most targeted religious group for hate crimes in Canada, a study from Statistics Canada found.