At a Glance
- Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, was set ablaze at 3:10 a.m. on Jan. 11
- Suspect arrested with non-life-threatening burns; no injuries to firefighters
- Two Torahs destroyed, five damaged; one Holocaust survivor Torah survived intact
- Why it matters: The 1860-era synagogue, previously bombed by the KKK in 1967, stands as Jackson’s only Jewish house of worship
Jackson’s Beth Israel Congregation, the state’s oldest synagogue and a civil-rights landmark, became the target of arson in the early hours of Sunday. Flames shot from its windows shortly after 3 a.m., prompting a swift response from city fire units.
Quick Response, Swift Arrest
Charles D. Felton Jr., Chief of Fire Investigations for the Jackson Fire Department, told News Of Losangeles that surveillance footage and burn patterns led investigators to classify the blaze as incendiary. A suspect, whose identity has not been released, was arrested at the hospital while being treated for burns.
- No firefighters were injured
- The building was unoccupied at the time
- FBI, ATF and Joint Terrorism Task Force have joined the probe
Damage Inside the Sanctuary
Photos released by the Jackson Fire Department show the library and administrative offices reduced to charred rubble. Mississippi Today reports that two Torah scrolls were destroyed and five others sustained damage. A Torah that survived the Holocaust, housed in a glass display case, emerged unscathed.
Congregation president Zach Shemper said leaders are still tallying the cost of repairs. In the meantime, several local churches have offered worship space so that Jackson’s only synagogue can continue services.
A History of Hate
Founded in 1860, Beth Israel gained national attention in the 1960s when its rabbi, Perry Nussbaum, championed integration. In September 1967, Ku Klux Klan members bombed the synagogue; two months later they targeted Nussbaum’s home. Neither the rabbi nor his wife was harmed, and the attacks galvanized white residents against further violence.
Community Pledges to Rebuild
Shemper has launched the Beth Israel Rebuilding Fund to finance restoration. “We are devastated but ready to rebuild,” he wrote. “We are so appreciative of the outreach from our community here at home and beyond.”
Mayor John Horhn vowed that acts of antisemitism will be treated as terrorism. The American Jewish Committee called for forceful condemnation of antisemitic violence, noting the fire is the latest in a rising tide of attacks on Jewish institutions nationwide.
