Congregants and leaders vowed to rebuild a historic Mississippi synagogue that was heavily damaged by a fire after an individual was taken into custody for what authorities said Sunday was an act of arson.
The fire ripped through the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson shortly after 3 a.m. on Saturday, authorities said. No congregants were injured in the blaze.
Photos showed the charred remains of an administrative office and synagogue library, where several Torahs were destroyed or damaged.
Photo provided by Jackson Fire Department shows a fire truck outside the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson.
Jackson Fire Department Chief Charles Felton
Authorities have not disclosed the suspect's motive, but Jackson Fire Chief Charles Felton told CBS News the FBI is looking into the possibility of a hate crime. Felton said he couldn't release the suspect's ID yet due to the ongoing 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," 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 completely incompatible with the values of this city."
A spokesperson for the Jackson FBI told the Associated Press they are "working with law enforcement partners on this investigation."
Zach Shemper, president of Beth Israel Congregation, stands in ashes outside the congregation's temple hours after the building was damaged by fire Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 in Jackson, Miss. (Allen Siegler/Mississippi Today via AP)
Allen Siegler / AP
The synagogue, the largest in Mississippi and the only one in Jackson, was the site of a Ku Klux Klan bombing in 1967 — a response to the congregation's role in civil rights activities, according to the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, which also houses its office in the building.
"That history reminds us that attacks on houses of worship, whatever their cause, strike at the heart of our shared moral life," said CJ Rhodes, a prominent Black Baptist pastor in Jackson, in a Facebook post.
"This wasn't random vandalism — it was a deliberate, targeted attack on the Jewish community," Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of The Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement. "That it has been attacked again, amid a surge of antisemitic incidents across the US, is a stark reminder: antisemitic violence is escalating, and it demands total condemnation and swift action from everyone."
FILE - This Nov. 2, 2018 photo shows an armed Hinds County Sheriff's deputy outside of the Beth Israel Congregation synagogue in Jackson, Miss.
Rogelio V. Solis / AP
The ADL's regional chapter said it was in contact with the Beth Israel Congregation leadership and local leaders to provide support and resources.
"The fact that this historic synagogue, which was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967 because of Rabbi Perry Nussbaum's civil rights advocacy, has once again been targeted is particularly painful and disturbing," ADL South Central regional director Lindsay Baach Friedmann said in a statement.
The congregation is still assessing the damage and received outreach from other houses of worship, said Michele Schipper, CEO of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life and past president of the congregation. The synagogue will continue its regular worship programs and services for Shabbat, the weekly Jewish Sabbath, likely inside of one of the local churches that reached out.
The Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson seen after a fire heavily damaged the historic synagogue.
Jackson Fire Department Chief Charles Felton
"We are devastated but ready to rebuild, and we are so appreciative of the outreach from the community," said Schipper.
One Torah that survived the Holocaust was behind glass not damaged in the fire, Schipper said. Five Torahs inside the sanctuary are being assessed for smoke damage. Two Torahs inside the library, where the most severe damage was done, were destroyed, according to a synagogue representative.
The floors, walls and ceiling of the sanctuary were covered in soot, and the synagogue will have to replace upholstery and carpeting.
"A lot of times we hear things happening throughout the country in other parts, and we feel like this wouldn't happen in our part," said chief fire investigator Charles Felton "A lot of people are in disbelief that this would happen here in Jackson, Mississippi."
