Suspect charged in arson that damaged Jackson, Mississippi’s only synagogue

(JTA) — A suspect has been arrested and charged with arson in connection with a fire that tore through Beth Israel Congregation, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, early Saturday morning, authorities said, as federal agents investigate the attack as a possible hate crime.

Firefighters with the Jackson Fire Department responded to reports of the blaze at around 3 a.m., finding flames pouring from the building’s library and administrative offices. The Reform synagogue serves as the religious and communal center for the city’s small Jewish population.

No congregants or first responders were injured in the fire, and investigators quickly ruled out accidental causes. The department’s arson investigation division, working with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, determined the blaze was deliberately set and led to the arrest of a suspect late Saturday night. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect.

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“Acts of antisemitism, racism, and religious hatred are attacks on Jackson as a whole and will be treated as acts of terror against residents’ safety and freedom to worship,” Jackson Mayor John Horhn said in a statement Sunday, condemning the fire and pledging support for the synagogue and the broader community. 

Beth Israel history reflects both resilience and vulnerability. Organized in 1860, it is one of the oldest Jewish institutions in Mississippi. In 1967, members of the Ku Klux Klan bombed the synagogue in retaliation for civil-rights advocacy of the rabbi at the time, Perry Nussbaum, damaging the office and library but causing no injuries. That bombing and later intimidation efforts, including an attack on the Nussbaum’s home, remain a defining chapter in the congregation’s history. 

Photos from the scene show extensive fire and smoke damage to the administrative wing and library, where several Torah scrolls and other ritual objects were destroyed or damaged. Temple leadership said the main sanctuary was spared the worst of the blaze, and a Torah that survived the Holocaust, kept in a glass case, was not harmed. Five synagogue Torahs housed in the sanctuary are being assessed for smoke damage. 

“We are devastated but ready to rebuild, and we are so appreciative of the outreach from the community,” said Michele Schipper, CEO of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life and past president of Beth Israel, in a statement. The Institute, whose offices are in the same building, said local Christian and interfaith partners have reached out to offer support. 

Services have been suspended indefinitely, and congregants helped sort through damaged materials on Saturday morning. Leaders say the congregation will work with local partners to find temporary space for worship and community events in the coming weeks.

Attacks on synagogues and other Jewish institutions have been a recurring feature of the U.S. landscape in recent years — from deadly mass violence like the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and the 2019 Poway synagogue shooting, to high-profile standoffs such as the 2022 hostage-taking at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, alongside a steady drumbeat of vandalism and attempted arsons that law enforcement and Jewish security groups have treated as part of a broader threat environment.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh said it stands with the Jewish community in Jackson, Mississippi.

“An attack on a synagogue is an attack on Jewish life itself. We condemn antisemitism and hate in all its forms and hold the Jackson community in our hearts as they begin the work of healing and rebuilding.”

The Tree of Life expressed support as well.

“We extend our love and support to the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, after the horrific arson attack,” Carole Zawatsky, CEO of The Tree of Life, said in a prepared statement. “While we are grateful that no one was injured in the attack, we mourn the destruction and the loss of security and safety that comes in the aftermath of such violence. We find hope in the fact that Torah scrolls that survived the Holocaust and past horrors were undamaged.” PJC

Toby Tabachnick contributed to this report.