[National Review] Parts of a historic Mississippi synagogue were burned to the ground early on Saturday morning in what authorities are calling an act of arson.
The synagogue, the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., was set ablaze around 3 a.m. on Saturday. No congregants were injured in the fire as the synagogue was closed at the time.
"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.
The suspect, who has not been identified, was found at a local hospital with non-life-threatening burn injuries and, once medically cleared, will be released into the custody of the FBI, which is also expected to file charges, Felton said.
| Note that while the congregation, the sole Jewish congregation in Jackson and the largest of the 14 synagogues in the state, was established in 1860, they’ve only been in that building for a few years. It’s not the same location that was firebombed by the KKK in 1967 because the rabbi supported Black civil rights. |
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