Suspect arrested for arson in fire at Mississippi's largest synagogue

Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Police arrested and charged a suspect in the arson fire of a synagogue in Jackson, Miss., Beth Israel Congregation, which torched the facility's library, spread smoke damage throughout the building and destroyed two Torahs.

The fire was reported around 3:00 a.m. Saturday -- overnight Shabbat, the weekly Jewish day of rest -- and the temple has suspended services indefinitely due to the damage, according to Mississippi Today.

The library and administrative offices were damaged in the fire, in addition to the two destroyed Torahs and five others that were damaged when the blaze erupted. A Torah that survived the Holocaust and is stored in a glass case was undamaged, according to reports.

"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 feedom to worship," Jackson Mayor John Horn said in a statement on Sunday, WAPT-16 reported.

Related

• Swiss bar blaze: No safety inspection carried out in more than 5 years
• Father and son kill at least 15, injure 40 in Australia's Bondi Beach shooting
• Teen accused of setting NYC subway passenger on fire

The synagogue, which was founded in 1960, was the first to be founded in the state, and has been the subject of attacks several times in its history, The New York Times reported.

In 1874, the temple, then built as a wood frame building, was lit on fire.

In 1967, Beth Israel was also bombed by members of the local Ku Klux Klan after its rabbi had spoken out against racism and segregation. His support for civil rights resulted in his home being bombed by the same Klan group months later.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., on Sunday morning denounced the arson in a post on X, quoting the bible passage Isaiah 40:1, saying "comfort Ye my people, saith your God."

"Our hearts are with the members of Beth Israel Congregation," Wicker and his wife, Gayle, said in the post.

"We stand with them as we do all the caring people of Mississippi," they said. "We denounce violence and find attacks on places of worship especially despicable."

This Week In Washington

Activist Riley Gaines feeds her baby on stage at a "Policy Celebration" at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Headquarters in Washington on Thursday. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo