No congregants were injured in the blaze, which broke out shortly after 3 a.m. Officials reported that an administrative office and the synagogue library were heavily damaged, destroying or harming several Torahs.
A person was taken into custody late Saturday after a fire tore through Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, causing significant damage to the historic synagogue in what authorities say was an act of arson.
No congregants were injured in the blaze, which broke out shortly after 3 a.m. Officials reported that an administrative office and the synagogue library were heavily damaged, destroying or harming several Torahs.
Jackson Mayor John Horhn confirmed the arrest, noting that the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force were involved in the investigation.
“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,” Horhn said.
He did not disclose the suspect’s name or the specific charges.
Beth Israel, Mississippi’s largest synagogue, was previously targeted in a 1967 Ku Klux Klan bombing due to its involvement in civil rights activities, according to the Institute for Southern Jewish Life, which also has offices in the building.
The institute emphasized the synagogue’s importance to the community: “As Jackson’s only synagogue, Beth Israel is a beloved institution, and it is the fellowship of our neighbors and extended community that will see us through.”
Synagogue president Zach Shemper said the congregation is still assessing the damage and has received support from other local houses of worship.
One Torah that survived the Holocaust was reported to have survived the fire unharmed.
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