Mississippi’s biggest synagogue torched in suspected arson attack

Mississippi’s largest synagogue was heavily damaged in a fire on Saturday that authorities believe was deliberate, prompting a major investigation and renewed fears of antisemitic violence in the United States.

Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, the only synagogue in the state capital and the largest of around 14 synagogues in Mississippi, was left with its library and administrative offices destroyed after flames tore through the building in the early hours of the morning. Two Torah scrolls kept in the library were also lost.

Firefighters were called to the scene at about 3am after reports of flames coming from the windows. All the doors were found to be locked when crews arrived, and investigators quickly ruled out thunderstorms the night before as a possible cause.

The Jackson Fire Department, working alongside the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, arrested a suspect believed to have caused the blaze intentionally, according to local media. The suspect’s name and the precise allegations against them had not been released by Saturday.

While investigators have not formally confirmed whether the fire was a hate crime, Jewish organisations and leaders have said the attack bore all the hallmarks of antisemitic vandalism.

The UK’s Movement for Progressive Judaism said: “We stand with the Beth Israel community in Jackson, Mississippi, in the wake of this antisemitic attack on their synagogue. An assault on a place of worship is not only an attack on bricks and mortar, but on the sense of safety, belonging and sacred space that a community holds dear. We hold the congregation and their leaders in our thoughts and prayers, and we send strength and solidarity to everyone affected. This act of hatred must be named and confronted, and we reaffirm our shared commitment to dignity, security and justice for all.”

The synagogue’s main sanctuary was not damaged in the fire, and Torah scrolls kept there were later removed for safekeeping. A Torah rescued from the Holocaust and stored in a glass case also survived without damage.

Rabbi Gilad Kariv, chairman of the Knesset Diaspora Affairs Committee, said the congregation had a long and significant place in American Jewish history. “The synagogue, which has operated continuously for 162 years, is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism in North America and serves hundreds of Jewish families in the city and the surrounding area,” he said.

“It is widely known as one of the religious communities in the American South that assisted and supported the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and it has, over the years, suffered repeated harassment as a result.

“This time, the concern and suspicion are that the synagogue was vandalised and desecrated for antisemitic reasons.

“Antisemitism is once again raising its evil head, and its rotten roots are being revealed at both ends of the political spectrum. It harms individuals and communities around the globe, across all streams of Judaism.

“The State of Israel must stand with all Jewish communities and convey a message of solidarity and support. The continued discrimination against liberal communities in the Jewish world and the hostile attitude of the Israeli government toward these communities send the opposite message.”

Around 3,000 Jews live in Mississippi, representing about 0.1 per cent of the state’s three million residents.