Suspect arrested after a fire damages a historic Mississippi synagogue

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One person was taken into custody after a fire ripped through a synagogue in Mississippi, heavily damaging the historic house of worship in what authorities say was an act of arson.

No congregants were injured in the blaze, which broke out at the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, shortly after 3 a.m. on Saturday, officials said. Photos showed the charred remains of an administrative office and synagogue library, where several Torahs were destroyed or damaged.

Jackson Mayor John Horhn confirmed that a person was taken into custody following an investigation that also included the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

“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 said in a statement.

He did not provide the name of the suspect or the charges that the person is facing.

The synagogue, the largest in Mississippi and the only one in Jackson, was the site of a Ku Klux Klan bombing in 1967 — a response to the congregation’s role in civil rights activities, according to the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, which also houses its office in the building.

“We are devastated but ready to rebuild, and we are so appreciative of the outreach from the community," said Michele Schipper, CEO of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life and past president of the congregation.

The congregation is still assessing the damage and received outreach from other houses of worship, said Schipper. The synagogue will continue its regular worship programs and services for Shabbat, the weekly Jewish Sabbath, likely inside of one of the local churches that reached out.

One Torah that survived the Holocaust was behind glass not damaged in the fire, Schipper said. Five Torahs inside the sanctuary are being assessed for smoke damage. Two Torahs inside the library, where the most severe damage was done, were destroyed, according to a synagogue representative.

The floors, walls and ceiling of the sanctuary are covered in soot, and the synagogue will have to replace upholstery and carpeting.

“It’s going to be an extensive revitalization process for them," said chief fire investigator Charles Felton.