- Saturday's fire at a Mississippi synagogue is being investigated as a hate crime.
- A suspect who sustained burn injuries has been arrested and charged with arson.
- The fire started in the synagogue's library, destroying multiple Torahs.
A historic synagogue in Mississippi caught fire early Saturday morning, and by Monday, a man was arrested and charged with arson. The suspect admitted to targeting the building because of its “Jewish ties,” according to FBI reports.
The fire occurred at Beth Israel, the only synagogue in Jackson, at around 3 a.m. No injuries were reported from the fire, according to The New York Times.
The suspect has been identified as Stephen Spencer Pittman, and on Monday, he was charged with damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive.
In an affidavit filed on Monday in U.S. District Court in Mississippi, the FBI said that Pittman confessed to starting the fire “due to the building’s Jewish ties.”
While being interviewed by law enforcement, Pittman called the synagogue the “synagogue of Satan,” according to The Associated Press. Pittman was first arrested at a nearby hospital as he was recovering from burn injuries.
The incident is being investigated by the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as a possible hate crime.
According to the agency’s website, hate crimes are “the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities.”
“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,” said Jackson Mayor John Horhn, per CNN. “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.”
What we know about the fire at Beth Israel synagogue
Pittman stopped at a gas station on his way to the synagogue and purchased the gas he used to start the fire, according to allegations. He used an ax to break a window of the building, poured gas inside and then lit the fire with a torch lighter, per the AP.
The fire started in the synagogue’s library and severely damaged a number of surrounding rooms. Smoke damage spread throughout the building, making it so the congregation will not be able to return to the building anytime soon, per CNN.
When fire units arrived on the scene, the building was closed and all doors were locked.
“The Jackson Fire Department responded quickly, contained the blaze and extinguished the fire,” Horhn said in a statement.
In the library, two Torahs were destroyed. Another five Torahs were damaged in the building’s sanctuary, which was also harmed by the fire.
Congregants and leaders from the synagogue have promised to rebuild the synagogue.
“This wasn’t random vandalism — it was a deliberate, targeted attack on the Jewish community,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, in a statement, per CNN.
The congregation plans to continue its worship services and other programs. Multiple local churches have offered to let Beth Israel’s congregation use their buildings during the rebuild, per CNN.
Attacks of antisemitism have been on the rise for the last several years.
The history of the Beth Israel synagogue
Beth Israel was the first synagogue in Mississippi and was founded in 1860. It is also the largest synagogue in the state, according to NBC News.
This is not the first time the synagogue has dealt with fire; in 1874, the original wood frame building caught on fire and a new brick building was constructed.
On Sept. 18, 1967, the temple at Beth Israel was bombed by local Ku Klux Klan members, because of the congregation’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, per The New York Times.
“We are a resilient people. With the support from the community, we will rebuild. Beth Israel Congregation has been the Jewish spiritual home in Jackson, MS for over 160 years,” said congregation president Zach Shemper in a statement to CNN.