In yet another heinous act of antisemitism, a synagogue in Mississippi was the target of what was likely an arson attack early Saturday morning. The Beth Israel Synagogue in Jackson was set on fire around 3 a.m. Saturday morning.
The fire destroyed Torahs and has now prompted an investigation by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. No worshippers were in the building when the fire broke out. Much of the damage was to an administrative office and the synagogue’s library.
BREAKING: Jackson, Mississippi — the city’s only synagogue, Beth Israel, was set on fire during Shabbat.
Police and the FBI arrested a suspect after the fire was ruled arson.
Your “jokes” online have real-world consequences. pic.twitter.com/WOuHaNqnOP
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) January 11, 2026
Jackson Mayor John Horhn issued a statement, saying,
“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.”
READ MORE: Fetterman Slams Dem Party’s Embrace of Antisemitism, Two-State Solution
Horhn also confirmed that one person was in custody in relation to the blaze, but the suspect’s name had not been released or what charges that person may be facing. Beth Israel is the only synagogue in Jackson, and the largest in the state. This is not the first time it has been the target of anti-Jewish attacks.
According to the Institute for Southern Jewish Life, which operates from the building, in 1967, there was an attack on the synagogue because of its involvement in the Civil Rights movement. The institute also issued a statement, saying,
“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.”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called the fire a “deliberate, targeted attack on the Jewish community.” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt added,
“Beth Israel survived a KKK bombing in 1967. 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 — including community leaders, law enforcement, and government officials.”
Since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, incidents of antisemitism have greatly increased around the world, including in the U.S. In New York City, there has been some question as to how much support the home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel would receive from the city’s first Muslim Mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
In October of last year, before the election, Mamdani appeared with Fox News’s Martha MacCallum on “The Story” and refused to condemn Hamas.
MIssissippi’s largest synagogue destroyed in an arson attack on the Sabbath. The fact this isn’t the biggest story of the morning, or the day so far, should tell you just how normalized anti-Semitic action is becoming.https://t.co/NcDLqTpWD6
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) January 11, 2026
As my colleague, Jerry Wilson, recently reported, after a protest through a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, where roughly 200 pro-Palestinian supporters marched and chanted pro-Hamas slogans, a group of New York elected officials, including Mamdani, suddenly had a burst of conscience and condemned the antisemitic protest in a series of rather similar statements.
The timing of the statements was curious, given that one of Mamdani’s first official acts was to cancel several of former Mayor Eric Adams’s executive orders, including one related to official action against antisemitic activity.
ALSO READ: All at Once, New York Democrats Ferociously Condemn Antisemitism, or Something
In Mississippi, Beth Israel president Zach Shemper said that damage to the building was still being assessed, and that services would be indefinitely suspended. He stated, “We have already had outreach from other houses of worship in the Jackson area and greatly appreciate their support in this very difficult time.”
Another cowardly attack on Judaism in the USA. Thank God nobody was hurt. And thanks to the police for already apprehending a suspect. Motive unknown says the media.
— Tim Kane, PhD (@TimmerKane) January 11, 2026
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