Jackson, Mississippi Only Synagogue Set Ablaze On Shabbat

Once again, history is repeating itself. The names and slogans have changed—from white hoods to “activists,” from the Klan to Hamas supporters—but the target has not. Synagogues are burning. And the silence from those who claim to oppose “hate” is deafening.

True to form, the media hasn’t covered it. Had a mosque been set ablaze, the nation would be subjected to nonstop outrage, emergency panels, and moral grandstanding. But when a synagogue burns, silence is the rule. This is not oversight—it is Jew hatred.

Jackson, Mississippi – the city’s sole Synagogue, Beth Israel, was set on fire during Shabbat.

Police & FBI quickly arrested a suspect after the fire department ruled it arson.

Sadly, two Torahs were destroyed and five were damaged in the flames. This is the same Synagogue… pic.twitter.com/H7WBlBmKEv

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) January 11, 2026

It’s the same house of worship that was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967. Yes: We have a problem with resurgent anti-Semitism and leaders who seed it and flirt with it. Mississippi Today: A fire heavily damaged Mississippi’s largest synagogue before dawn Saturday…. The Jackson Fire Department, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested a suspect Saturday night in the latest blaze after the fire department ruled it arson, according to chief fire investigator Charles Felton. Investigators did not immediately release the name of the suspect or the charges the person could face. The fire was reported shortly after 3 a.m. at Beth Israel Congregation on Old Canton Road. No congregants were injured (Mississippi Today).

Yesterday morning on Shabbat a synagogue in Mississippi was firebombed. It’s the only synagogue in Jackson.

Last time this particular synagogue was attacked was in 1967. It was attacked by the Klu Klux Klan because of the then rabbi’s strong support in the Civil Rights Movement.…

— Eve Barlow (@Eve_Barlow) January 11, 2026

Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel (Michael) Leiter: If you’re not seeing the events of this weekend as cause and effect- you’re not looking. The very same synagogue in Mississippi that was firebombed by the ku-klux-klan in 1967, was set on fire this weekend. Not even 48 hours earlier, “protesters” in New York prided themselves on their support for Hamas, across the street from a synagogue. A reality in which people can freely exclaim their support for a barbaric terrorist organisation, like we saw in New York on Friday, is exactly what leads to people setting synagogues on fire (Leiter) .

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 (Podhoretz).

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.” 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 (Red State).

Historic Jackson synagogue burned in suspected arson attack, Torah scrolls destroyed

Fire breaks out at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson overnight; no injuries reported as local and federal authorities investigate and a suspect is taken into custody

By: Israel National News, Jan 11, 2026:

A fire that broke out overnight at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, the city’s only Jewish synagogue, is being investigated by local and federal authorities, with a suspect taken into custody.

The blaze erupted shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday and caused significant damage to parts of the historic synagogue. Jackson Fire Department crews responded to the scene and were able to contain and extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported.

Jackson Mayor John Horhn condemned the incident, describing it as an attack on religious freedom and public safety. In a statement, Horhn said that acts of antisemitism, racism, and religious hatred are threats to the entire city and will be treated accordingly. He added that Jackson stands with the Beth Israel congregation and the wider Jewish community.

Authorities have not released the identity of the suspect or details regarding possible charges. It has not yet been formally announced whether the fire has been classified as a hate crime.

The investigation is being led by the Jackson Fire Department’s Arson Investigation Division and the Jackson Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The investigation remains ongoing.

Beth Israel Congregation is the oldest synagogue in Jackson and was previously targeted in a 1967 Ku Klux Klan bombing that damaged the synagogue’s offices and the home of its rabbi at the time. No one was killed in that attack.