See the damage from Beth Israel Congregation synagogue fire
The fire broke out at approximately 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Jackson, Michigan. See damage on Sunday.
A suspect has been arrested by authorities in Jackson, Mississippi, after a fire broke out at the state’s largest synagogue, damaging part of the Jewish prayer space and some sacred items.
The fire broke out at Beth Israel Synagogue around 3 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10. The Jackson Fire Department responded and was able to extinguish and extinguish the fire.
The suspect was taken into custody by the department’s arson division, but his identity has not been released. The Jackson Fire Department could not be reached for further information Sunday morning, Jan. 11.
Beth Israel is Jackson’s oldest synagogue, dating back to before the Civil War. Nearly 60 years ago, in November 1967, the Ku Klux Klan bombed both the temple’s offices and former Rabbi Perry Nussbaum’s home. No one was killed in that attack.
It was not immediately clear whether the fire was officially classified as arson or a hate crime, but Jackson Fire Department Chief Rashawn Thomas called it “a violent crime of arson against our community” in a Jan. 11 statement posted to Facebook.
Mississippi authorities denounced the fire as a targeted attack on the religious freedom and safety of Jackson residents.
“Acts of anti-Semitism, racism, and religious hatred are an attack on all of Jackson and will be treated as a threat to the safety of our residents and freedom of worship,” Jackson Mayor John Horn said in a statement.
He added: “Targeting people because of their faith, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation is morally wrong, un-American, and inconsistent with the values of this city.”
“Our hearts are with the members of Congregation Beth Israel,” Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker said in a post on X. He added: “We condemn the violence and consider attacks on places of worship particularly despicable.”
There were no injuries as a result of the fire. Flames scorched administrative offices and a library and destroyed or damaged several large scrolls of the Torah, the Jewish holy book, according to reports.
“Mr. Jackson stands with Beth Israel and the Jewish community, and we will do everything in our power to support them and hold accountable those who seek to spread fear and hatred here,” Horn said. The west Mississippi city has a population of approximately 142,000 people.
The Jackson Police Department is leading the investigation in conjunction with the JFD Arson Investigation Division and with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. F.B.I. and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Contributor: James Powell, america today
charlie drape Jackson beat reporter. Please contact cdrape@gannett.com.
