Sentence Praised

TORONTO — Canadian Jewish Congress praised the six-month jail sentence given Jan. 10 to a Nova Scotia man who burned a cross on the front lawn of a mixed-race couple last year. “We commend the Nova Scotia courts for sending a strong message that reflects Canadian society’s revulsion against hate-motivated crimes. This has been a precedent-setting case, the first time in Canada that cross burning has been recognized for what it is – a hate crime,” Congress CEO Bernie Farber said. Nathan Rehberg, 21, was convicted along with his brother, Justin, 20, of burning a two-metre-high cross on the Poplar Grove, N.S., lawn of Shayne Howe, who is black, and Michelle Lyon, who is white. It’s believed to be the first cross-burning case in Canada. Justin Rehberg, who reportedly  admitted his guilt almost immediately, received two months in jail.