Early Saturday morning, Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., was set on fire in what federal authorities have called a targeted antisemitic attack. In the attack, two Torah scrolls were destroyed. Beth Israel is the only synagogue in the Jackson area and has served Mississippi’s Jewish community for generations. The synagogue was badly damaged, with its library and administrative offices completely ruined and five Torah scrolls damaged on Jan. 10.
When Head Rabbi of Beth Sholom Congregation Potomac Md., Nissan Antine, first learned about the Mississippi synagogue arson after Shabbat, he immediately felt grief and anger about what had happened.
Antine did not know the clergy at Beth Israel, but he decided to still send a letter to the Mississippi synagogue on behalf of the entire Beth Sholom community.
This is not the first time that Beth Israel has been subject to an antisemitic attack. In 1967, Beth Israel was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan because the rabbi at the time supported racial justice, including providing chaplain services to civil rights activists who were jailed for challenging segregated busing.
According to Jewish Insider, federal investigators said that the suspect, 19-year-old Stephen Spencer Pittman, admitted to breaking into the synagogue shortly after 3 a.m., pouring gasoline inside and using a torch lighter to start the fire. In an interview with the Jackson Fire Department, Pittman referred to the synagogue as the “synagogue of Satan,” a historically antisemitic phrase. Pittman appeared in court Monday to face arson charges, which carry a penalty of 5 to 20 years if convicted.
In light of recent antisemitic events worldwide, including the fatal attack at the Chanukah event in Sydney, ensuring both the safety and sense of security for JDS students is especially important according to Security Manager Herbie Epstein. This includes not only physical protection but also creating an environment where students feel supported, and the community is prepared. After learning of the attack on the synagogue in Mississippi, the school did not change its security measures.
“We’re always preparing for the worst, and so we don’t want to react to something like that,” Epstein said. “We want to have all of our procedures in place.”
Epstein emphasized that while attacks like the one in Mississippi can be frightening, JDS already operates under constant security planning and partnerships designed to protect students and staff every day. With those systems in place, the school continues to focus on safety without letting fear dictate its response, Epstein said.
Students also reacted to the news on a personal level. After freshman Ren Baronofsky heard about what had happened in Mississippi, she said she was shocked and saddened by the incident, but not very surprised given the recent increase in antisemitic incidents around the world.
“I feel like it’s just so important for them to know that we’re still here for them [the Jewish community in Mississippi,” Baranofsky said. “We haven’t forgotten them. We’ll stand with them no matter what,”
She felt that antisemitic attacks in Mississippi and in other Jewish communities around the world, including the recent terrorist attack that occurred at the Chanukah event in Sydney, felt deeply personal because Jews are a minority and the community is very tight-knit.
Baronofsky said that after acts of extreme violence, the priority is showing support for those who may be impacted and staying connected to ensure people in the community are safe and cared for.
“The most important thing is for us to signal that we’re there for anyone who might be affected and make sure everyone around us is doing okay,” she said.
