Suspect arrested after fire at historic Mississippi synagogue
A suspect was arrested by Jackson, Mississippi, authorities after a fire broke out at the state’s largest synagogue, damaging parts of the Jewish worship space and several sacred items.
The fire occurred around 3 a.m. Saturday at the Beth Israel synagogue. The Jackson Fire Department responded and was able to contain and extinguish the blaze.
The suspect was detained by the department’s arson division, but their identity has not been released. The Jackson Fire Department could not be reached for further details Sunday morning.
Beth Israel is Jackson’s oldest synagogue, dating to before the Civil War. Nearly 60 years ago, in November 1967, the Ku Klux Klan bombed both the temple’s office and former Rabbi Perry Nussbaum’s home. No one was killed during that attack.
It was not immediately clear whether the fire has been formally classified as arson or a hate crime, though Jackson Fire Department Chief RaSean Thomas called the fire a “violent crime of Arson against our community” in a Sunday statement posted to Facebook.
Mississippi officials condemned the blaze as a targeted attack on religious freedom and the safety of residents in Jackson.
“Acts of antisemitism, racism and religious hatred are attacks on Jackson as a whole and will be treated as threats to our residents’ safety and freedom to worship,” Jackson Mayor John Horhn said in a statement.
“Targeting people because of their faith, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation is morally wrong, un-American and incompatible with the values of this city,” he added.
Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker said in a post on X, “Our hearts are with the members of Beth Israel Congregation.” He added, “We denounce violence and find attacks on places of worship especially despicable.”
No one was injured in the fire. An administrative office and library were charred by the flames, according to multiple reports, and several Torahs, Jewish holy texts rolled into large scrolls, were ruined or damaged.
“Jackson stands with Beth Israel and the Jewish community, and we’ll do everything we can to support them and hold accountable anyone who tries to spread fear and hate here,” Horhn said. The city in western Mississippi has a population of approximately 142,000.
Along with JFD’s Arson Investigation Division, the Jackson Police Department is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The investigation remains ongoing.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger
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